How do ya make good Charcloth?

[xxgrampa]

sorry mike,
i pulled that 297 1/2 yrs out of my conveniate memory.. i can remember things if they happened or not.. it's called vuga-de..

does come in handy..

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[ameling]

No problem. I've been having little issues with my memory also. My one uncle always called them his ... senior moments. Or he said he was thinking about the here-after a lot more often. As in ... he'd go into a room and then wonder "what did I come in here after?" Well, now I'm starting to understand a few more of his ... comments.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. Who's been getting that aarp junk mail for years, but now they are more Demanding instead of Asking me to join.

 

[JackAubrey]

I went to home depot and purchased an unused paint tin.I punched a small hole in the centre of the lid.I have used jean material however found 100% terry cloth to be very good for catching sparks.I will loosely fill the paint tin ,set the lid and place in the fire.Soon smoke will be jetting forth from the vent in the lid.Once this smoke ceases ,I plug the vent and remove the tin from the fire.I allow it to fully cool prior to opening.This method has yielded good results.Best regards,J.A.

 

[bajabuc]

that's where I got mine from...somewhere I was reading about candy making during the Regency period in England. I kept reading about candy being put in little metal boxes with hinged tops and sold to the Royal Mail Coach traverlers. The Royal Mail coach cost more to ride than the contemporary Stage Coach.
I can understand your reluctance to accept without documentation. The little boxes practically disolve with the first rain. When we were digging (archaeologist here) the Soldier Station in Yellowstone, we found all sorts of box pieces and a bunch of rust attached. Most of what we did find fas from the 1870's and it was already rusted. BTW we found nothing on the surface. Most of what we did find was about a foot deep. You figure from 1873 to 1993 is only 120 years...dirt had already covered the former station to a foot deep...in a highly traveled area.
One nifty that we did find intact was a "Zepplin" Honer Harmonica. Pretty neat but made from stamped brass.
Krupp started making eating utensils by rolling thin sheet metal between two case hardened iron rollers before the 19th century...pretty sucessfully I might add. They did germany proud during the wars.
Steam pumps were used in the coal and tin mines in england before the 19th century to pump out the water...not to meke the mines safer for men but so the horses wouldn't drown...horses cost money...men are easy to replace.

 

[running horse]

I've used the altoids tin with and without holes and it worked fine it just vented out the hinge holes. Time with the hike in top I usually turn upside down in the dirt and let it set till cool I have used jeans before and t shirts but I think the 100% cotton gun cleaning patches work the best they are thin and fragile but seam to catch real quick and you get a bunch of pre cut cotton squares for cheap good luck
Running Horse

 

[Rifleman1776]

hey 'airy,

think the 'altoid container' went back 297 1/2 years with out a change.
then this year, those rascals started stamping 'ALTOID' on the top lid. for me, the romance with the container was gone.

..ttfn..grampa..

Ted Cash makes several boxes from back in the day that would work fine. And, they are pc. http://www.tdcmfgstore.com/agora.cgi?product=Boxes
However, I have two in german silver and one in real silver. Ya ain't gonna see me tossing them in the fire. :shake:

 

[Elkeater]

I have not made any charcloth yet. I've been saving used cotton cleaning patches. Is it safe to use them?

 

[coloradoclyde]

Just open the altoids tin up and lay upside down on an anvil and pound out the letters with a small ball-peene hammer, it dommes the lid slightly giving you more room inside and gives it a nice rustic look.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have not made any charcloth yet. I've been saving used cotton cleaning patches. Is it safe to use them?

Not sure what you mean by SAFE! but I use them.
I also don't generaly use toxic chemicals to clean my muzzleloaders.

 

[Rick Boylan]

I have not made any charcloth yet. I've been saving used cotton cleaning patches. Is it safe to use them?

Unless you're planning on eating them or smoking them I'd say it's pretty safe. :rotf:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have not made any charcloth yet. I've been saving used cotton cleaning patches. Is it safe to use them?

Yes. But other cloths are more better. I like Monk's cloth. Thought it was my own little secret but somebody must have spied on me. :wink:
It can be found in the usual fabric stores. Just be sure to check that it is pure cotton. Very loose weave stuff that grabs sparks like a magnet.

 

[coloradoclyde]

And then there's my personal favorite...charred punkwood.
a nice piece and you don't even need a birdsnest to start a fire.

 

[Auldgoat]

+1 just toast a piece over your fire and it's ready

 

[Rickey Brown]

Yep I use an old screw top pellet tin I closed the lid tight then back off about 1/8th inch and drilled a hole through the side of the threads. That way I can twist it closed to snuff the char.Never had a bad batch. I use 100% cotton cleaning patches

 

[Rick Boylan]

I like the idea of using the 100% cotton patches. I keep thinking of getting to the fabric store to buy some monks cloth or something like that but I never get around to it. I get to the gun stores more than anything and cleaning patches are in abundance. Plus they are already cut to size. How can you improve on that? :hatsoff:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Charring cotton patches or monks cloth doesn’t create much of a challenge it kind of like using a bic lighter. I like to challenge my fire starting abilities/flint and steel ,that’s why I use punkwood and natural tinders some charred some not and some( “toasted “ to quote anther member.)often i just search for a old charred fire ember and use that.

 

[irishtoo]

i have been using linen or muslin scraps from shooting, but i like the idea of using my old cleaning patches. i would wash then before cooking them just in case they flame up with the heat. i also use a new quart paint can with a small hole. i leave it cook in the fireplace and remove it in the morning. i live in a townhouse but start my evening fire with flint and steel. irishtoo