How do I use a Tinder/Fire Tube?

[taylorh]

Hi Guys,
A while back I got this 5/16" cotton rope and hollow brass tube. Is it supposed to be a way to preserve fire or to save chared rope to start a fire? Either way it sucks and neither likes to burn or start. Have any of you any experience with this tool? Please tell me about your experience or how best to use this tool.
Taylor in Texas

 

[fluggies4]

It's not you...it's not a very efficient setup. The brass tube is supposed to protect the charred end of the wick. It doesn't do that very well as when you pull the wick back inside,the char usually disentigrates. Then you have to re-char it with a match or whatever. Charcloth is a better solution and can be carried in a small container where it is protected.

 

[Desert Rat]

It's a difficult process to become efficient with. To start with if you are trying to use the cotton batting stuff...good luck, I haven't figured that one out yet. Check your rope to make sure it is 100% cotton, anything else and it won't do, alot of that stuff has a synthetic core. I've found thin stuff that is 100% cotton clothes line and it works fairly well, it's probably 3/8" or less. The tips that I can offer are;

The tube should be snug but the cord should slide easily in and out.

Burn the end of the cord real good first (and for practice) get a big head on it then pull it back into the tube and let it smother. After getting it going with flint and steel the head will get smaller and smaller and harder and harder to catch.

Hold the cord in your left (or weak hand) on top of the flint just back from the edge so when you strike it does not hit the cord. Also try not to put your thumb on the charred part. Strike downward with your steel on the flint.

Strike again
Strike again
Strike again
Complain to anyone in earshot
Strike again
Strike again
Strike again

Somewhere by now you should have gotten lucky. It takes practice and lots of experimentation to get good at but the above works fairly well for me.

 

[crockett]

The cotton rope needs to fit pretty snuggly in the tube. To start, twist the cotton rope while pushing it forward so about an inch sticks out the end of the tube. Light with a match and let it burn a few seconds and then pull it in the tube and close the tube's end with your finger to snuff it out. You are now set.
When you want to start a fire twist the rope from behind until about one inch, the charred end, sticks out the end of the tube. Hold the tube over the flint with your left hand and strike with the right (holding the steel). Because the tube is rather small you have to take a few strikes until one of the sparks catches on the cotton. Wrap your bird's nest around the ember and blow into a flame.
If it is a sunny day you are a lot better off using a magnifying glass. The blackened cotton develops an ember in about 3-4 seconds. Aim the magnifying glass at the charred end and move the glass in or out until you get the smallest dot. A lot faster than messing with the flint and steel.
One thing about tinder tubes, I think they eat up a lot of material- you are better off with char cloth. A tube tube works pretty good for lighting a pipe- all you need is the ember.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use charred cloth. You can light a pipe with an ember from charred cloth, too.

 

[LRB]

I make my tinder tubes from 1/2" cotton batting cord. I usually get a burn within two strikes of the flint. Pulling the cord back into the tube does not destroy the char at all, it protects it. You NEVER touch the char with your fingers, and you must keep it dry. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Desert Rat]

Do you do anything to the batting? I've got some and continue to play with it but it seems like the inside burns at a different rate than the outside, and none of it wants to catch a spark.

 

[romcneil]

I agree with Wick. My 1/2" tinder tube works quite well, usually catching a spark within two strikes. I frequently use it to light a pipe even in non-primitive conditions if the wind is blowing rather than trying to shelter a modern lighter or match.

Bob

 

[mudd turtle]

Not one of you mentioned soaking the rope first in salt peter then let the rope dry.put the cotton rope into the tube and push the cord up so you can use your striker to catch a spark. If your cord (rope) has been soaked enough then the right amount of the salt peter should now be in the coard. Take your striker now and try to catch a spark. Your only problem now will be finding the salt peter. It was usually sold at drug stores but now you generly have a hard time finding a place that will sell it. Mudd Turtle

 

[LRB]

Salt Peter is not necessary, and would cause the cord to burn faster. Joannes Fabrics, and many others carry this cord in the upholstery section, at under 50 cents a yard. As I said, never touch the char with your fingers, and keep it dry. I often get a burn on the first strike. It catches a spark as good or better than anything I have tried. I do not understand having any problems with it. Hold it, and strike the flint like Crockett said. How good are the strikers you are using? The ones I make throw a shower, as do Mike Amelings'. That could be part of your problem.

 

[crockett]

BTW- thanks Wick- you're one one that told me how to do it. Works great.

 

[LRB]

I would add one other thing. IF the char has any ash on it, just gently blow it off. Sometimes there will be some ash, and the spark is not likely to penetrate it. Chances are it would only make a difference of three or four strikes, instead of one or two, however.

 

[taylorh]

Please help!
I've been working with the tinder tube and flint for three days now and I can't get it to catch. I have tried following the previously posted comments to no avail. I've tried holding the flint and tube in the same hand. I've tried throwing sparks onto the rope etc... no luck. I've tried burning the rope to charcoal, moderately burning it, and lightly burning the rope before trying. I've tried fraying the rope and then burning it to various degree before trying to light it with flint and steel. It seems to me that the rope gets a little hard when it is burned and tends to deflect the sparks insted of catch them. I'm fairly certain that the rope is 100% cotton since I got the setup from TOTW. If any of you guys could post some pictures I should would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Hoyet Taylor :surrender:

 

[crockett]

Well let's start all over again, first the material has to be cotton, it needs to fit fairly tight in the tube. OK, put the cotton rope in the tube and pull about 1" of cotton rope out the opposite end. Now take a cigarette lighter and light the one inch portion of the cotton sticking out the tube. The cotton ought to freely burn without a hitch, if it doesn't- probably not 100% cotton. To stop the cotton from burning pull the burning end inside the tube so the burning end is below the end of the tube. Put your finger over the end and keep it there a few seconds to put out the fire. If you peek in the tube the cotton ought to be jet black. You're now ready to go.
Okay, hold the tube in one hand and gasp the free end of the cotton rope and push the burned end back out the other end of the tube. DONT touch the burned cotton. Have the burnt end out 1" or maybe 2" from the tube.
Hold the tube with the flint and strike with the steel. The big problem here is the burnt end is small, you may have to try a few times until a spark lannds and takes hold on the burnt end. Once it does you are all set.
To make sure your "char" is OK, go outside and use a magnifying glass over the burnt end. Adjust the distance until the glass has a small dot on the char- you ought to get an ember in three or four seconds. If you do, your char is okay, just keep hitting the steel striker until it catches a spark.
If you're still having trouble- let us know. Good luck.

 

[LRB]

Burn test your "rope" to see if it is cotton or some other natural material, or may have some synthetic blended in. If there is synthetic in it, it will form a ball, or make a hard crust. Rope, even if cotton, does not work as well as the sheathed cotton batting cord that upholsterers use. If you will email me your address, I will send you a piece of what I use. I make tinder tubes to be about 1/2" diameter, that hold of course, 1/2" diameter cord. The larger surface makes it very user friendly. Even a caveman could do it. :haha: :v

 

[LRB]

OK, I looked it up in TOW, and what that is, is common cotton rope. It is very likely full of starch, and sizeing. You may have better luck with it, if you thoroughly wash it, then dry it out well, but the upholstery cord is much, much better. I would wash it two, or three times. For another source, if you have a hobby shop nearby, that has model rocket supplies, they should have a smaller version of the upholstery type cord, that is sold as a slow fuse for lighting rockets. That is where I first saw this type of cord. Later I found that the 1/2" stuff was just much easier to catch a spark.

 

[wildeagle]

Well guys I never tried this but it might be helpful. Book of buskinning II had a description of using char cloth in a tinder tube. Good charred cloth ( linen) was rolled into a cylindrical shape. Then this shape was wrapped with a piece of raw linen, the two were inserted in the tube. Supposedly the raw linen protected the charred material, which caught a spark fairly well, as it burnt it would then char the ouside wrap as it was used. I have no personal experience with this technique, but sounds plausible. For what it's worth maybe it would be of use to you.

 

[taylorh]

Thanks guys for all your help. I'll give it another try this Sunday.
Taylor in Texas

 

[Desert Rat]

After playing around yesterday I finally got the 1/2" batting to catch. I'm going to keep messing with it. Wick you said "sheathed" cotton batting the batting stuff that I have only has a cotton thread netting (for lack of a better term) holding it together. Is this what you are talking about or is there something else out there?

P.S. It was stated earlier that the right flint and a great steel are really important, after yesterday I'd totally agree.

 

[LRB]

That's the stuff, but some has a tighter, closer spaced netting than another I tried. What I use has a netting spaced on average, about 3/16", running from 1/8", to almost 1/4". I got some given to me a few years back that was spaced so wide as to have large bulges in it. I did not like that at all. The 3/8" cord from the hobby shops has an acual cotton cloth sheath around the batting, I don't know if it is available any larger though.