1st Experiment with various forms of Tinder Fungus to fire Snap Locks

[Pukka Bundook]

Well, Mr Flint,
I am glad you found it worked as it should!
It has worked for me since I made my snaplock.
As you say, or as I said, no need to nitrate.
Your next experiment I see as maybe not being so fruitful, as I see it burning too fast.
Indeed the coal on tinder remains a nice tapered cone.

Re speed,;
I am quite sure this is why we see high end target rifles, both cheek and shoulder stocked, in matchlock form, long after the matchlock was obsolete for warfare.
Its just so Fast.
I'd dearly like to get the time to make a target rifle or two! I have a homemade barrel or so, but am thinking a rifled barrel.
I have a couple of bought barrels hanging in the rafters, but may just rifle one for the project.

Can I ask you how you charged your arm?
Patched or wadded ball, Flint?
Mine seems to prefer wads to patches.

How do you feel about a totally Free method of ignition, Dale?
No caps, no flints , no hempen cord really needed, just free tinder that grows everywhere, and ignites faster than any other form of ignition?

 

[Sam squanch]

Now there will be a mushroom/ tree fungus shortage- let’s keep quiet about it!

 

[French Colonial]

Now there will be a mushroom/ tree fungus shortage- let’s keep quiet about it!

The woods will be full of mushroom hunters in the fall and spring now....

People will be posting pictures of their tinder fungus finds like the morel guys do.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Re SPEED; I am quite sure this is why we see high end target rifles, both cheek and shoulder stocked, in matchlock form, long after the matchlock was obsolete for warfare. Its just so Fast.

Can I ask you how you CHARGED your arm?

How do you feel about a totally FREE method of ignition?

Richard:

Speed - Agreed, they are FAST! Do you know if those Germanic target arms were matchcord or tinder fired? My results of the birch polypore fungus went so well that I'm inclined to believe snap/tinder locks might be the fastest, due to way that the coal head burns.

Charged - I used red-striped pillow ticking, only as there were a series on on-lookers who wanted to try it. The BP Shooting event was part Show & Tell with live firing. It included representatives from the fames Springfield Armory who had never fired a BP arm, and then various reenactors, all of whom have fired 'blank' cartridges, but one 1 or 2 here and there who ever fired a musket ball.

Free - Free is good! I do think I am going to char a few pieces as a test, as I had to pre-light them to build up a char, then extinguish them and placed them in a small tin pan/container. I'd pluck a piece up for the next shot (in needle nose pliers) and when hit with a non-period correct lighter ... they'd instantly talek to smolder.

I would think a piece charred like charcloth might take an ember from flint & steel well. One of the best and traditional (full kit, full set of apostles, large-brimmed hat et al) matchlocks shooters I know, Steve A. from Vermont, does all his shooting at the Winter MZL Biathlons and other BP events by lighting his matchcord with flint & steel on his knee.

And yes, 'fire management' is especially key in handling and loading these arms. But oh what fun!

 

[TobJohn]

Richard:

Speed - Agreed, they are FAST! Do you know if those Germanic target arms were matchcord or tinder fired? My results of the birch polypore fungus went so well that I'm inclined to believe snap/tinder locks might be the fastest, due to way that the coal head burns.

Charged - I used red-striped pillow ticking, only as there were a series on on-lookers who wanted to try it. The BP Shooting event was part Show & Tell with live firing. It included representatives from the fames Springfield Armory who had never fired a BP arm, and then various reenactors, all of whom have fired 'blank' cartridges, but one 1 or 2 here and there who ever fired a musket ball.

Free - Free is good! I do think I am going to char a few pieces as a test, as I had to pre-light them to build up a char, then extinguish them and placed them in a small tin pan/container. I'd pluck a piece up for the next shot (in needle nose pliers) and when hit with a non-period correct lighter ... they'd instantly talek to smolder.

I would think a piece charred like charcloth might take an ember from flint & steel well. One of the best and traditional (full kit, full set of apostles, large-brimmed hat et al) matchlocks shooters I know, Steve A. from Vermont, does all his shooting at the Winter MZL Biathlons and other BP events by lighting his matchcord with flint & steel on his knee.

And yes, 'fire management' is especially key in handling and loading these arms. But oh what fun!

This example is shaped in a way that looks like you couldn’t put a matcchcord in it, even if you wanted to

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Free - Free is good! I do think I am going to char a few pieces as a test, as I had to pre-light them to build up a char, then extinguish them and placed them in a small tin pan/container. I'd pluck a piece up for the next shot (in needle nose pliers) and when hit with a non-period correct lighter ... they'd instantly talek to smolder.

I would think a piece charred like charcloth might take an ember from flint & steel well. One of the best and traditional (full kit, full set of apostles, large-brimmed hat et al) matchlocks shooters I know, Steve A. from Vermont, does all his shooting at the Winter MZL Biathlons and other BP events by lighting his matchcord with flint & steel on his knee.

And yes, 'fire management' is especially key in handling and loading these arms. But oh what fun!

Flint: referring back to post 30 on this thread...for less than $6.00 from Walmart to your door for more than a years supply without tromping through the woods....would it be worth a try to use a 1" splinter shaved off one of these pieces using your needle nose pliers to test a piece of "fat wood"? I would try; however, I do not own a matchlock. I have not a clue if these splinters will be as effective as the fungus? I do know these splinters burn very "hot" and slow without char. One caveat, make sure the used piece is dowsed completely before disposing of...like smokey the bear said "_ _". Just another experiment and a thought? Larry

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Dale,
I have a jar full of charred horsehoof fungus. It is good for catching a spark, especially so when spinkled with a bit o fpowder made from the same char.
It burns Hot, but is more brittle, and think not good to hold in the serpent.

Yes, The target arms were very often tinder/snaplocks. The small holder with turned in sides would not take a regular match.
Some had triggers in the conventional sense, some buttons and some a string one pulled to set the lock.
Thank you for your load answer!
I do not know if your pieces of tinder are smaller than the ones I use, but I don't need the pliers to install or remove. (I light it after it's in place)

Wheellock,
I have not tried fatwood, but think it would not work as tinder.
We used to split pitch pine and it is grand for lighting fires, but does not smoulder with a red hot coal, but burns with a smoky flame.
Tinder is rather soft like cork, and for this reason holds together well. It is tough, and slow to burn, with a hotcoal on the tip.

All best,
Richard.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I do not know if your pieces of tinder are smaller than the ones I use, but I don't need the pliers to install or remove. (I light it after it's in place)

That was the 'Fire Management' as dictated by the Range Master ... they didn't want me to have a lighter or ignition source (matchcord) approaching the arm other than that which was already ON the arm, so I had to light the tinder off-arm and then mount it ... pan cover closed of course .

When I used matchcord, I lit it off arm, as one would, then mounted it per typical. They just didn't want a lighter near the gun ... but I made it work!

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Makes sense Flint!
Here is another target arm that could't take matchcord...

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Video proof for why it is NOT necessary to ‘nitrate’ the birch polypore tree fungus [like you would do to rope/cord, to make matchcord] … as it sizzles and sparks ... which could prematurely set off your pan!

See Post #22 well above (on Page 2) for how it coals/smolders to a PERFECT bright red coal head, without any treatment, besides being dried and cut into 1/4" thick pieces, about 1/2" to 5/8" long.

 

[TobJohn]

And here's some other proof perhaps, albeit quite unscientific and anecdotal. When fired in my 1515 snap/tinder lock, where you can't really shoulder the butt (it's too short ... but you can cheek it very well) - all but 1 of almost a dozen shooters most of whom had never fired any black powdah arm - hit an 8" metal gong hung out at 50-yards on their 1st shot! I claim that stunning result is due to the FAST lock-time! What say you?

While I’m sure they’ve fired guns before, you’ve coincidentally shown why guns replaced archery. They would have had a much harder time trying to hit the target using a 150lbs+ long bow for the first time!

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

While I’m sure they’ve fired guns before, you’ve coincidentally shown why guns replaced archery. They would have had a much harder time trying to hit the target using a 150lbs+ long bow for the first time!

TobJohn I have 2 Bear longbows...a 35# and 50# ....I can still do a pretty good job at 35yds fairly consistent 8-10" centers with the 35# with 3 dozen arrows taking my time, but the 50# ?..a few decades ago I could do a grunt (meaning I would verbally grunt drawing it) job with the 50# 20" centers @20 yds with 12 arrows and the arrows would pierce a 12" archery target almost to the feathers, but today, I can't even string that sucker anymore! In fact I offered it to a young Army Lt. friend of ours. I cannot even begin to imagine a 150# longbow! Maybe a crossbow? Maybe they did it laying on their back with both feet on the wood, pulling with both hands....actually I think that would pierce armor!

 

[TobJohn]

TobJohn I have 2 Bear longbows...a 35# and 50# ....I can still do a pretty good job at 35yds fairly consistent 8-10" centers with the 35# with 3 dozen arrows taking my time, but the 50# ?..a few decades ago I could do a grunt (meaning I would verbally grunt drawing it) job with the 50# 20" centers @20 yds with 12 arrows and the arrows would pierce a 12" archery target almost to the feathers, but today, I can't even string that sucker anymore! In fact I offered it to a young Army Lt. friend of ours. I cannot even begin to imagine a 150# longbow! Maybe a crossbow? Maybe they did it laying on their back with both feet on the wood, pulling with both hands....actually I think that would pierce armor!

If you haven’t already seen it, I highly recommend watching this series conducting experimental archaeology on the armor piercing ability of long bows

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

TobJohn...thank you, what a terrific video! Holy crapola.....that archer is a bull or maybe a moose! I believe you...they call 140# bow a medium bow...those brit archers are beyond my imagination....and I thought I was in pretty good shape shooting a 50# bow!!!

Maybe I need to go back to the subject at hand...Tender Fungus, before I lose my integrity! Or maybe I lost it already?

 

[TobJohn]

TobJohn...thank you, what a terrific video! Holy crapola.....that archer is a bull or maybe a moose! I believe you...they call 140# bow a medium bow...those brit archers are beyond my imagination....and I thought I was in pretty good shape shooting a 50# bow!!!

Maybe I need to go back to the subject at hand...Tender Fungus, before I lose my integrity! Or maybe I lost it already?

It’s truly impressive and a great series.

Now that flint62smoothie has been converted to the gospel of Richard (Pukka Bundook), this forum should start their own experimental archeology on tinder arquebuses…

 

[Sam squanch]

I agree! Send me the funds, I’ll quit my job, and start my research immediately!

 

[TobJohn]

I agree! Send me the funds, I’ll quit my job, and start my research immediately!

That would just be my beer budget becoming your whiskey budget

 

[Sam squanch]

Darn right! Need alcohol for inspiration!

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Maybe in order to subscribe to TobJohns new experimental archeology on tinder arquebuses and stay aligned with Flint62Smoothie's top quality detailed analysis of the same which I very much admire......I need to replace the dog on my wheelock with a serpentine along with the necessary gearing, in order to conform and assist in the proper research? Does anyone have a drawing or blueprint for this conversion? I think this is called reverse engineering?

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Wheellock,
Simon Stanley can draw a 190 pound War Bow,..but says it Hurts! He can pull a 170 pound bow all day.
I have two half tillered. At present they both pull 80 pounds at half draw. I'm Not Simon Stanley!

Robert Hardy's book is V interesting, "The Great War Bow".

Re wheellock, There a re a good many duel ignitions to be seen, both match and wheel!

Edited to add a link...
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18376&highlight=early+matchlock+wheellock+combination
Flint,
In a way we should bleed all the OT stuff from this thread!

BTW Dale, I see now why you needed pliers to insert and dismount your tinder!
I make mine whatever length I can, but usually no less than an inch and a half. Makes handling easier.
In the battle of Pavia details, you will see quite long pieces of tinder being used. probably over two inches.