tinder tube

[oops56]

Well if you take a 30/06 bullet casing cut off back take the 1 in.by 6 in. long oil wick roll it up on the long way push in tube till it sticks out the front. Burn the front to char it pull back in to put it out then make a taper wood plug for the back to hold it there in place. When you pull it out to use make it long so you can hold it on the flint.Works for me.Or you can blow into it both work blowing works better but watch out for wind blowing smoke in face.

 

[rich59]

Hi again Oops,

I think that your message is a continuation of your first posting about char cloth? If so it is a bit confusing to "create a new thread" to give your followup message.

I suggest you open up your old message about char cloth where you will also see any replies. Then find and hit a "reply" button. Then you get a window to post a new message connected to the first.

Otherwise single messages get lost in the jungle that is Bushcraft UK.

I can see what you are saying about char though I think. You make one bit at a time left over from the last burn? Old sailors did something similar with cotton rope I think to light their pipes.

 

[oops56]

Ok we well get batter as time goes by thanks for the tip .

 

[storm]

good idea! it reminds me of my youth. my brothers and i used to take spent 30.06 shell casings (with primer removed), fill them with gunpowder, and crimp the bullet end closed. then we'd add some rubber band (as a fuse--burns well!) through the primer hole. light, throw into a junk pile or into a can, hide, and hear the shrapnel!

 

[Hoodoo]

I just tried this. It works nicely! To be honest though, I prefer a piece of straight brass because for me it's easier to feed the wicking through. I've found the wicking tends to want to bunch at the shoulder of the cartridge. Still, it's doable. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Shoulder angle looks too low for an aught 6. I that a 30/30 cartridge case?

 

[oops56]

Oh yes i forgot to say i did saw the front off also. Well hello Jeff hows my piston coming along I hope before the leaves fall cause i would not like to start a forrest fire.he he

 

[Hoodoo]

Good eyes Jeff! Heck, that's what I get for not paying attention. I just reached into a box of brass and grabbed a shell. I assumed it was an '06 because that was the last thing I was shooting and hadn't shot my 30-30 for quite some time. Then I went on autopilot. I reckon I'll have to try an '06 and cut both ends.

 

[rich59]

I recall trying this method a while back with cotton rope. I found that I once or twice it would not easily take a spark. I think this was especially if the casing had been shaken a bit so that the most charred cotton whiskers had dropped off. Have you had this problem?

I also recall having to blow it a bit after catching the initial spark to spread the glow over the end. Once it was alight all over it continued to glow well. But then I was using cotton rope rather than wick which may be different. Rope would probably be much denser and therefore slightly more difficult than your loose/ aerated wick.

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Oh yes i forgot to say i did saw the front off also. Well hello Jeff hows my piston coming along I hope before the leaves fall cause i would not like to start a forrest fire.he he

Making good progress but still have a few ahead of you. Currently putting the final touches on special buffalo horn creation for another member on this forum. I will leave the bragging rights to him...

 

[rich59]

Hi Oops.

Once you have lighted your charred end of cotton wick, what then? Do you blow the wick into fire or do you light a separate tinder?

While on the issue of tinder tubes I spent some time getting reliable tinders. First I invented "tube tinder" Forget the ball of fluffy stuff. Start with a tube made of either 3 bits of wood (making a triangle tube) and bind it with some makeshift cordage. Stuff it with some shreaded dry material and at one end squeeze in some well rubbed and a bit compressed dusty dry material. Then place your glowing coal in this end and gently blow down the tube. It picks up heat well due to the insulation of the tube walls and the walls themselves usually catch fire and transfer fire to kindling easily. Can work reliably with less material than the traditional nest. A good tube to practice with is a toilet roll centre.

Then I tried to reduce this down to the simplest possible and came up with "extreme tube tinder". Make a tube from rolling a piece of paper or paper bark or a single piece of birch bark. It helps if the inside edge has been shredded a bit so that the tube centre is partially obstructed. Form a tube about the diameter of a finger. Fold it over to stop it unrolling. Then stuff a piece of lighted char cloth down the end and blow it into flame - usually in 2 puffs - that easy. It makes a good indoor party trick as it is virtually smokeless and gives you a lighted paper splint really fast and as useful as a lighted match. It does not work so well for a coal from bow or hand drill as the coal tends to disentegrate while blowing.

 

[oops56]

Well when the wick gets glowing i drop flint &striker or put down. Then in same hand as tube and wick i have a piece of oakum fold it in then wave tell it burst into flame put down wick go from there. Or you could take wick out of tube to make it easier .

 

[oops56]

I know this has not much to with tender tube. But i got some fungus today off birch it was a little wet. So i took a little piece cut it in half.Now don't do this i put in the microwave to dry it.Well it got dry all right it was glowing red and smoking. Am i the only the dum one to do this???he he

 

[JFW]

never tried this one - now we know where you get your username from...

Cheers

JFW