Flint & Steel fire making for dummies

[123.DieselBenz]

I want to learn HOW to make fire from flint and steel . . . I've watched a dozen or two video's of people doing it from 10 year olds, to eighty year olds, they all make it look simple!

What I want to know is the how, not just do it for me . . . I want to make sparks actually . . . next after this is mastered, I need to get some tinder glowing, from the caught sparks . . .

I'm kinda slow at some things, but . . . I just need some extra help with this to master this!

OK, I got a bunch of shards from Rich Pierce, a whole box of them actually! I figured I may bust up some "learning" . . . I'm sure there good, just I don't know what I'm doing . . . :idunno:

Being cheap, and stubborn . . . I really don't want to go on-line, and just order a kit . . . mights well order matches . . . well not really! :bow:

I got a piece of flint out and went out to my work shop and decided I was gonna make showers of sparks! I closed the door, and turned off the light, I had some 1/8" plate steel . . . I vigorously struck the edge of the steel against it . . . nothing, I struck harder, nothing, but learned that the kid in one of the videos said something about gloves, had a good idea . . . So . . . I got some gloves . . . also remembered something about someone said HARD steel worked better, I opened up my tool drawer, and pulled out an old screw driver . . . just a few tiny sparks, maybe two to three, I wacked the screwdriver harder . . . faster, same same . . . that's all I got!

I then came inside, and watched a few more video's, searched the site here, read some other sites . . . decided maybe my steel was the problem . . . as it was a cheap old screw driver . . . heard of people using an old file . . . I went back out and found an old chainsaw file, a beat up punch, and an chopped up allen wrench, took them into my bathroom (shed was hot, bathroom has A/C! :wink: ) which has no window, closed the door, turned off the light.

Using the file, I struck the flint with a downward motion, nothing, hitting it hard and fast I got about twice the sparks as the screwdriver, the allen wrench, and punch were no better than the screw driver . . .

What am I doing wrong?

Do I need to hold the flint differently?

What angle should I be striking it at?

How many sparkes should I expect to get?

Do I need to "smooth off" the cutting edges of the file?

I seem to be busting off chips of the flint, is this normal? :hmm:

Please HELP!

 

[RC]

you need a striker..a piece of metal made to make sparks,,it's all in how the metal is heated an cool..the sparks are actually metal shavings cut off by the sharp flint,,metal has to be soft enough to slice.....your other tools are not made that that,,,,
:thumbsup:

 

[Tony Logan]

once you get a striker, then you find out all strikers are not created equally.Try it before you buy it or at least get some good reviews before you buy one.The cheapest one you buy might make a spark, but it could be a little bity spark, a better striker will make lots of big sparks.there is a difference. I know because I got 3 strikers now trying to get a good one. first 2 arent that good at starting char, they do make little sparks though,3rd is better but I still dont own the best one I have ever seen. It wasnt for sale. It was one of those you got fire in less than 5 seconds strikers.

 

[RC]

oh so true...I have one I bought from a very well know blacksmith who recently passed on,he'd made 100's...you think my will spark? not! but I have a few that do..very well... ya gotta think of it like a flintlock,,if ya jus heat yer frizzen up an cool it off..won't spark t'all! gotta be a certain color cooled a certain way...its sorta an art...an some guys is really good,,an some..well..are cold!
:wink:

 

[123.DieselBenz]

Here is a video:
[youtube]Y9Xb__-8PrQ[/youtube]

Is there a certain angle I need to hold the flint compared to the steel?

How hard/fast do I need to strike it?

Who makes the "good" strikers?

 

[necchi]

The flint provides no sparks,but seves as a very sharp cutting edge for shearing off tiny grains of steel.
The steel must be very hard (about Rc50 to Rc58), and must have little or no chromium or nickel content. Plain high carbon steel is best. It produces a very fine grained steel when hardened and tempered. These tiny grains are just right.

You need a proper steel, yes guy's will use old files, but the act of placeing them in a coal fired forge adds carbon, then it's tempered to the proper hardness.
Most common tools are an alloy of various compounds that are hard, but not "high carbon" steel.
So your gonna hafta put aside stubborn and cheap and bite the bullet for a proper steel.
Or study forge working and proper tempering techniques to make your own.
There was one guy awhile back that found the metal rod "stands" you see holding up "Vote for me!" signs you see in everybody's yard around election time,,and the "Buy my House" signs worked well, the metal rod was actually the right hardness.
The angle you hold and strike the rock is about what it would take to shave a piece off, think of the angle you use to sharpen a knife on a stone.
Good luck, even kids from 8 to 80 can do it, :wink:

 

[RC]

once you get a good striker you'll be able to get sparks by jus almost sliding the flint down the striker..or vice versa,,you jus hold it like your tryin to slice a thin piece off.. least i do...i'm sure theres a blacksmith on here who makes them,,,but like T.O. said if you can get to a vous or a blacksmith an try it yerself,,,but most members on here would make sure it was a good one before they sent it,,,someone will pipe in!

then,,char an tow ,,takes a lil practice but you'll get it!

 

[William O.]

I wasn't having much luck with my flint and steel either until I watched a few videos on it. First, I think that the size of steel you are using is contributing to the problem. The striking surface on my steel is only about 2 1/2 inches and my flints are at most 3/8" thick. Very small chips do come off the flint but it's not being knocked off in big chunks. The edge on the flint needs to be fairly sharp, not rounded over. I'm not talking about it being sharp enough to cut flesh though, just enough to scrape off white hot slivers of steel. I also learned that you should hold the flint steady in one hand while holding the steel in the other and bringing the steel down against the flint. You are trying to scrape the steel against the flint, not knocking it together or hammering it. However, to practice getting the scraping action and angle correct, do it the other way around. Hold the steel with your finger tips, sighting down the edge, holding your flint in the other hand. Bring the flint down against the edge of the steel, away from your face so you don't get anything in your eyes. It's kind of like you were striking a match head against the edge of your steel. Once you get good at that then you can practice the first way I explained. Rather than trying to get the sparks to drop down onto your tinder, you hold the tinder on top of your flint, pushing the sparks into it. It comes with practice, you'll get the hang of it. The steel needs to be properly heat treated too, as others have pointed out. Hope that helps you some.

 

[jethro224]

I got my wife to take some quick pics for me and even let me light some char in the house for ya. I hope these help.

Here is some char I made from used cotton flannel cleaning patches, a cheap striker, a rock I picked up in the street earlier today, and a bit of jute twine that I use for tinder.

I hold the flint in my left hand and the striker in my right like this. This is about the angle I will strike the flint. Not too hard or super fast either, just quick and firm enough. The striker swings downward in a slight arc, kinda sliding across the edge and scraping off sparks against the flint.

To catch a spark I will hold a piece of char like this with the thumb of my left hand against the flint.

Now I have struck the flint with the striker and a couple of sparks have caught on the char. The camera was just a wee bit too slow to catch the shower of sparks. Here there were just a few still showing. But there were a lot more and 3 caught in the char.

Blew on it once and got a nice ember.

If I were trying to get a flame I would add the jute tinder over the char and wrap it all the way around as I blew on it. My wife won't let me do that in the house tho. :surrender:

 

[jethro224]

Some folks actually put the char over the whole edge of the flint so the striker will cut thru the char with the idea that it has a better chance of catching a spark.

 

[123.DieselBenz]

Thank you, and your understanding wife!

I like the "angle" picture!

I guess I'll need to buy a striker, just figured there ought to be something I already had could be put into service . . . It's not that I don't have the money, I just don't like to spend it if I don't have too . . .

 

[jethro224]

Definitely get a striker. They are not real expensive $5-$10 should do it. If possible buy one in person at a rondy or trade fair so you can try it out. If the vendor won't let you try one, shop elsewhere. There are probably 2 or 3 vendors, at least, at every trade fair selling them. Most will even show you how to do it if you can't get sparks.

Keep at it. You'll be scorchin' off yer eyebrows in no time. :haha:

 

[RC]

impressive jethro! bet you was surprised ya got sparks when ya needed them! lol!

 

[jethro224]

Nah. I already ate dinner, I wasn't in a contest, and it's hot outside so I didn't need a fire. A'course I got sparks. :haha:

 

[RC]

ain't that the truth! :rotf:

 

[RC]

Thank you, and your understanding wife!

Jethro224
Moderator
Posts: 4682
Jethro224
Age: 45
Loc: Central Illinois




08/30/11 09:40 AM - New Reply

In response to lonehunter

Good demonstration Lonehunter.

My wife woulda smelled the char and hollered at me even if she wasn't lookin'.
"Are you burnin' down my house again?!!!"

 

[jethro224]

:rotf:
When I first saw this topic I said to my wife "Dang, there's another guy who can't get a fire goin' with his flint & steel! There's been a bunch of 'em posting lately!"

She said "You mean one a them spark things yer always messin' with? It don't look that hard."

Me; "Yep, one a them. Will ya do me a favor and take some pictures for me so I can maybe help 'em figger it out?"

She's a big time amateur photographer so she likes takin' pics. Suckered her in. :wink: She's been to classes, got a blog, won awards, got a big fancy camera... But I made her use my junky camera so I could figger out how to get 'em on my computer. She was not impressed with how they turned out. :haha:

 

[123.DieselBenz]

I sent Wick Ellerbe a email order for a striker . . . once I get it, I may have more questions . . . :idunno:

I don't know of any rondy's around here . . . maybe one close by, just don't know . . . how do I figure out if there is one around?

 

[jethro224]

That LRB striker will be a huge step in the right direction! :thumbsup:

Are there any forts or other historic sites in your area? MLer shooting clubs? Gun shops? Check with those places for tips on rendezvous.
Keep an eye out here on the Public Events section of the forum. Post a question about 'em there.
Do an internet search of "Rendezvous in AZ".
Maybe some members will chime in with some helpful info.

 

[123.DieselBenz]

Just got the following email:
Hi Shawn. I'll get one in the mail to you Tuesday morning. When you get it, just send $12.00 + the shipping. These are 1095 steel and give maximum spark. Thanks. Wick

Sure was quick!

I also found this website: http://www.cwgrizz.com/swroo1.html seems that the Montezuma Muzzleloaders have a monthly shoot, but may be a way to meet some people . . . I know of only one other person here in AZ that shoots black powder, actually went to church with him . . . since we left the church a little over a year ago, he won't have anything to do with me . . . he was a member here too, but does not seem to be any longer . . . other than that . . . I know of one place in Tucson that re-sells Grafs BP, they did give me a sheet on the Montezuma Muzzleloaders awhile ago, but didn't know anything about them really . . . Sonoita, AZ is about 1.5 hours drive one-way from here, and I wished they met on Saturdays, instead of Sundays . . .