Problems with Flint & Steel

[pab1]

what did you use to ignite them with? char cloth?

Like I mentioned before, its been a few years but I'm pretty sure I lit them with a ferro rod. Jute twine and other materials like the dryer lint light easily with a ferro rod. Saturating them with paraffin extends the burn time.

 

[tenngun]

So I little residue on the patches doesn’t hurt?

It depends on the residue. Greases, fat or solid, tend to absorb heat real well. It makes it harder to catch the spark. When it does catch it gets real hot. Ash/ crud from fouling is already burned, it stays cool.
I wash my old patches before making char . It’s still pretty discolored.
Old tow/jute/ ‘oakem’ makes real good fluff around your char.
Of old many people used chared punk.
Inside the tinderbox it’s all chared. You strike a spark in to the pile, put your fluff over the glowing coals, and when that stays to burn you remove your fluff, cover the tin and then build your fire.
Real easy to burn your fingers.
Rag tinder, char cloth, is historic, our early English dictionaries define tinder as chared cloth. So it too is historic.
I find it a lot easier.

 

[toot]

Its been a few years but I probably used a ferro rod. I've never had luck lighting paraffin saturated jute twine with a carbon steel striker. I'll have to try it with a titanium striker.




Yep! Years ago I stumbled across a copy of the book Roughing It Easy that reminded me of the tuna can burners. These days you want to burn the cans first to get rid of the "plastic" lining inside the can.

thanks' for the reply to my question. I am going to try them.

 

[shorthair]

Pssssst.! practice with the flint and steel, and hide a BIC in the bottom of your hunting bag

As an old ice fisherman, I can tell you a Bic doesn't work when that cold.

But Zippo certainly does.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

But Zippo certainly does.

I love my Zippo even though I do not smoke, but it is good for about a week, then the fluid has evaporated. Just the nature of the design.

 

[appalichian hunter]

A bit out of period but anyone ever tried a fire piston, there pretty neat and once you get the hang of it rather easy to do. I carry at least 3-4 types of fire starting items when out and about,one can never be to over prepared if a emergency situation should arise.

 

[toot]

A bit out of period but anyone ever tried a fire piston, there pretty neat and once you get the hang of it rather easy to do. I carry at least 3-4 types of fire starting items when out and about,one can never be to over prepared if a emergency situation should arise.

the price is what keeps me away from getting one!

 

[Tom A Hawk]

A bit out of period but anyone ever tried a fire piston, there pretty neat and once you get the hang of it rather easy to do. I carry at least 3-4 types of fire starting items when out and about,one can never be to over prepared if a emergency situation should arise.

Historically speaking they predate 1800 and are really not out of period. Just not common on this continent. Patented in France in the early 1800's they were called "Fire Syringe" and there are unconfirmed references to one having been included in the items taken west by the Corp of Discovery.

From a practical perspective they are a very effective fire starting technique.

This demo is using true tinder fungus and punk wood.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

the price is what keeps me away from getting one!

They also can use a lot of "o" rings etc to maintain the seal. It is much simpler to buy a good, 5-6 in long, HD ferro rod. Thousands of strikes with little to no problems. IMHO. I carry a small Exacto striker on my key chain, Not as easy to use, but will do the job in an emergency ,which is what it is for. Anyone venturing into the wild should have multiple ways to start a fire and redundancy, ie more than one. Carry "two" Bics, they take up practically no room, and will work when you need them too. Also, matches, tea candle & ferro rod. Save the bow drills and flint n steel for the last ditch Mad Max scenarios. The hardest thing to find in the wild is good easily lit tinder and dry material to burn. IMHO

 

[Tom A Hawk]

They also can use a lot of "o" rings etc to maintain the seal.

Not true. The O rings in the new style actually see very little wear.

The original design used a wrapped fiber gasket to achieve an air tight seal. After many hundreds of uses the wrapping may need to be replaced but then with use, flints may also need to be re-sharpened.

String gasket type with charcloth.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Not true. The O rings in the new style actually see very little wear.

The original design used a wrapped fiber gasket to achieve an air tight seal. After many hundreds of uses the wrapping may need to be replaced but then with use, flints may also need to be re-sharpened.

String gasket type with charcloth.

So, is it an o ring or a fiber gasket or what? what is used to create the seal?

 

[Snake Pleskin]

So, is it an o ring or a fiber gasket or what? what is used to create the seal?

So, does this require char cloth? Is there a type of string for the gasket that is used and a special way to wrap it? How is it held on the piston? I Have DOANS orig magnesium bars in most of my "bags" so that I always have a tinder that lights and burns hot.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

So, is it an o ring or a fiber gasket or what? what is used to create the seal?

Both / either. The primitive design, which predates 1800, utilized a wrapped fiber gasket. The newer, more modern type uses an O ring.

Your comments regarding the difficulty in finding suitable tinder are somewhat valid. While an experienced individual will go prepared and bring good tinder with him, the fire piston has the ability to dry damp tinder. Since the heat of ignition is caused by compression, tinders such as cattail fluff can, with successive compressions, be first dried, then charred, then brought to coal formation.

In addition to charcloth, natural tinders that can be ignited in a fire piston include, punk, tinder fungus, milkweed ovum, cattail fluff, cottonwood/poplar cotton, mullein pith, etc.

For more information on the use of uncharred natural tinders please see:
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/using-natural-tinders-alternatives-for-charcloth.114322/

 

[Brokennock]

Maybe we need a "Dave Canterbury Bushcraft Section."

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Both / either. The primitive design, which predates 1800, utilized a wrapped fiber gasket. The newer, more modern type uses an O ring.

Your comments regarding the difficulty in finding suitable tinder are somewhat valid. While an experienced individual will go prepared and bring good tinder with him, the fire piston has the ability to dry damp tinder. Since the heat of ignition is caused by compression, tinders such as cattail fluff can, with successive compressions, be first dried, then charred, then brought to coal formation.

In addition to charcloth, natural tinders that can be ignited in a fire piston include, punk, tinder fungus, milkweed ovum, cattail fluff, cottonwood/poplar cotton, mullein pith, etc.

For more information on the use of uncharred natural tinders please see:
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/using-natural-tinders-alternatives-for-charcloth.114322/

thanks, good info

 

[appalichian hunter]

The piston I have has rubber O rings ( an occasional light wipe wit petro jelly keeps them supple) and the end of the shaft has a small cut out in it, I use pure cotton cordage that has been chared, just a small piece of chard cord placed in the cut, it works very well. As for the bush craft comment are we not bushcrafters that dwell in the 1700-1800s period, one can never have to many ways to start a fire when your knee deep in alligators so to speak. THE BOW DRILL AND FLINT AND STEEL IS NICE WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME AND THE SITUATION YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF IN IS NOT A DIRE ONE. The old ways fanicate me and put me on a continous learning trek to practice and use them but there could come a time when all ways will save your a@@.

 

[waksupi]

the price is what keeps me away from getting one!

I made mine, osage barrel, ebony piston.

 

[waksupi]

Historically speaking they predate 1800 and are really not out of period. Just not common on this continent. Patented in France in the early 1800's they were called "Fire Syringe" and there are unconfirmed references to one having been included in the items taken west by the Corp of Discovery.

From a practical perspective they are a very effective fire starting technique.

This demo is using true tinder fungus and punk wood.

I believe fire pistons were first used in the Philippines, and S.E. Asia.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I believe fire pistons were first used in the Philippines, and S.E. Asia.

You are correct.

 

[necchi]

There is a particular open weave cloth I used for years. But, memory fails me, can't remember the name of it. Now......that was a lot of help.

Monks Cloth,,