Fire Piston

[Longwood]

My first thought was "a pinch of smokeless powder would sure help that tinder fire up."

My second thought was a vision of the zip gun I'd just created shooting up my wrist and out my elbow.

Could you then call yourself a Rocket scientist?
Or,,, maybe a carpel tunnel surgeon?

[bearcove]

I just vacuum pack a Bic with some powder from pulled rounds. Maybe a sheet of newsprint if at hand.

Not as cool but works good. That goes in a fanny pack with a few other things.

[waksupi]

Those Bics don't work well when the temperature falls below zero. Or twenty degrees, for that matter.

[bearcove]

Sure they do. Just keep them warm. Don't take it out till you use 'em

If you plan on sub zero then have some matches too.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

It is much easier on the body to not deliberately place yourself in harm's way without preparing for it.

Go to your Cigar shop and buy a box or two cigar matches. They are 2.5" long and have twice the burning ingredients.

[waksupi]

Keep them warm? Brahahahahahahahaha! I'm an ice fisherman. Most times, they won't light, even when you have them in a jeans pocket pocket when it is much below freezing.

[bearcove]

I put it in a shirt pocket under my parka. One layer of denim in a jeans pocket isn't keeping it warm.

[nanuk]

I just vacuum pack a Bic with some powder from pulled rounds. Maybe a sheet of newsprint if at hand.

Not as cool but works good. That goes in a fanny pack with a few other things.

Sure they do. Just keep them warm. Don't take it out till you use 'em

If you plan on sub zero then have some matches too.

Bic's are useless. Try lighting one without using your fingers, just stumps! YOU CAN'T! and remember, you won't likely decide you need a survival fire until it is near that point!

No sir... carry a big ZIPPO! you can light it with two fists, and it will burn without you holding it! Use it as a sole heat source to warm your fingers, or as tinder to light other material.

I NEVER go without a fresh fueled ZIPPO

[Longwood]

Char cloth, magnesium fire starter.
A helicopter can see the flash from a magnesium fire starter a lot farther than a fire or a flashlight.

[wills]

I have one that I made. Works fine. Use a hard close grained wood, or man made materials. Mine is made of Osage orange, and ebony.
The fit must be very close, or it won't function correctly.
Lots of videos and instructions for making them on the 'net.

What ever happened to your ‘99 Ways To Start A Fire Without Matches’?

[Lonegun1894]

I need to make a working one of these. I made one, but apparently my tolerances werent tight enough so will need to try again. Having said that, I have settled to carrying a small steel striker in my wallet, another in my pack, and yet another that always stays in the truck along with a magnesium bar/striker. Flint is plentiful around here, so that part is not a problem. I have had matches get wet, and lighters fail due to temperature and also just plain running out of fuel, so decided that I had to learn more primitive methods, and haven't had any problems since.

[waksupi]

What ever happened to your ‘99 Ways To Start A Fire Without Matches’?

You know, I recently came across that, and if I get time, I will type it all out, for people to try here. And it isn't 99, more like 20 something. Keep reminding me, I have the attention span of a ferret on espresso!

[longbow]

I tried making a fire piston from some hard copper tube and 5/16" coled rolled for a piston piston with an O-ring to seal (yeah, yeah, I know, not very traditional). I got lots of smoke but not much glowing ember. I figured it was due to heat loss in the metal but the Brits used to make brass fire pistons back in the early 1800's.

I should try again. They are pretty cool.

Longbow

[bearcove]

Bic's are useless. Try lighting one without using your fingers, just stumps! YOU CAN'T! and remember, you won't likely decide you need a survival fire until it is near that point!

No sir... carry a big ZIPPO! you can light it with two fists, and it will burn without you holding it! Use it as a sole heat source to warm your fingers, or as tinder to light other material.

I NEVER go without a fresh fueled ZIPPO

I wasn't implying a bic as a part of artic survival equipment. Just to start a fire. I start them when it is warmer most of the time. It feels good when its 50 degrees too.

Sorry to have cause this to drift

[n.h.schmidt]

I have made several firepistons with thick walled brass tubeing and steel ram. They all worked fine. Likely you are not using enough force to get the char cloth to burn. I have also made a fire piston out of clear plastic. The tube is 1" and has a 1/2" bore. About a 5" stroke. It works nicely. It's very cool as you can see the cloth flash brightly at max pressure. A lot like a camera flash.
One steel and brass fire piston uses a tiny hole in the bottom. As tiny as I could make it. I drilled a .032 hole and hammered the opening to get it smaller. In use the char cloth is put down on something firm. The fire piston is set on top for the char cloth. The usual rapid piston stroke and you get a burning char cloth. That highly compressed air jetting out the hole gets mighty hot.
n.h.schmidt

[Blammer]

so if you put a drop of diesel fuel on a piece of cloth, and work it, will it light?

[waksupi]

so if you put a drop of diesel fuel on a piece of cloth, and work it, will it light?

I kind of suspect it may well put the piston through your hand.

[wills]

You know, I recently came across that, and if I get time, I will type it all out, for people to try here. And it isn't 99, more like 20 something. Keep reminding me, I have the attention span of a ferret on espresso!

Can you just scan it in a format you can post?

[waksupi]

Can you just scan it in a format you can post?

I'll cover some rough notes here, more an outline than anything. Some of this won't make a lot of sense in context, you can ask specifics after this is on here. I may not get it all put on in one shot.

Ignite char wood for fire horn before presentation for demonstration purposes.

Steels - carbon content, types, making

Flint and chert - include knives and scrapers, arrowhead sizes and uses. Preferences between flint and steel among the Indians.

Char cloth, char wood, cotton, flannels, tow

Tinders- dry grass, bark, moss, pine needles, cottonwood down, cat tail, etc.

Touch paper - Made by dampening paper, and saturating with powder, allow to dry. Place on cloth and cover lightly but uniformly with powder. when powder flashes, paper should be ignited.

Touch cloth, make same as touch paper

Tinder tube - made by rolling cotton material into a tube. Insert in tube, cane, weed stem, bone, etc. Char end to prepare. Relate about WW1 trench lighters, and carrying fragile tinders.

Fire horns - buffalo used o nteh plains, very ancient way to transport fire. Place burning ember in horn with punk, and cap horn.

Candles - how to light with flint and steel by placing char next to wick, until fuel is absorbed, and ignites.

Rushes - split corner from cat tail reed, soak in grease or oil

Betty lamps - Smae lighting method as candle

Grease lamps - handy pack along light

Sulfur matches - naturally occurring, readily ignites. Hot springs, volcanic sources. Wood splints can be of any wood, or rolled paper. Splints can be soaked in nitrate, but not necessary. Melt small amount of sulfur to dip some matches, show how to light, and describe early problems with developing matches.

Burning glass - was probably first developed in Italy, where glass was being worked very early. The invention was probably made by someone noticeing the magnification power of a drop of water. The use as a burning glass was most likely incidental, and found by accident.

Ice lense - A more primitive and fascinating way of making fire. Start with a piece of clear ice, 2-4" in diameter, preferably under an inch thick.
Use the heat of your hands to mold the lense. Use as a regular burning glass, fire can usually be achieved in under 5 seconds.

Lighting char with flintlock - place char under frizzen, ignite.

Lighting directly with a flintlock - place tinder at side of pan which is level full of powder. Tell why this is the only time to completely fill the pan on a flintlock. Cover safety considerations if using a loaded gun, from both the projectile, and high velocity gasses from the vent.

Igniting a powder train - tinder can be ignited with a powder train with a small charge of powder under tinder. make train 2-3' long, so the tinder is not blown away. Use reduced load, with light wad.

Firing patch to ignite (percussion firearms) this may be demonstrated at the same time as the powder trail as a dry patch may ignite at the same time as the trail ignites.

Spurs to ignite percussion caps

Method for modern powder - Dig hole 6" deep, 10" wide. Pull bullets from four cartridges. Put powder from 3 1/2 cartridges in a handkerchief or tail of shirt. Put in a nest of dry tinder in the bottom of the hole. Put small wad on top of powder left in remaining cartridge.
From the distance of 3-4 feet, fire into the powder ball. The rate of burn of modern powder should be long enough to ignite the tinder. Doing this with black powder will scatter everything to the four winds.
Same method can be used with shotgun shells. If using a .22, you will most likely need 20 cartridges for the powder. ball, full charge in cartridge case WITH BULLET REMOVED. Point out these are last ditch methods, and should not be played with casually.

Fire drill - tell the proper woods, for hearth and drill, tinder under board, or rawhide, splinter to remove spark, bearing rock and grease for hole.

Fire plow - description only for this, have not accomplished making fire this way yet.

Eskimo method - striking dry moss and sulfur between two stones. Remember bandages.

Fire piston, works on same principle of diesel engine.

[waksupi]

There are a few of these things I no longer remember just why I had them for this particular demonstration. For those who don't know, I used to travel around, giving demonstrations and lectures on primitive technologies. Wills wanted to know some of the methods I was using. Sorry it is kind of hard to follow as is, it made perfect sense as a memory jogger for me while doing presentations.

Materials list for demonstration

Flints
Char cloth
bow string
dry grass
flint or obsidian knife
ice
trade gun
cotton flannel
paper
water
rushes- pre-soaked in oil
grease lamp
fire piston
sulfur and splints
elevated hearth if possible
rush holder
steels
bow drill
bees wax
dry moss
scrapers
spur
linen
black powder
witches hair
fire drill
sling
container to melt sulfur
steel wool
hearth
grease
cottonwood bark
Cash tinder box
percussion caps
rifle with cartridges
modern powder
candles
Betty lamp
fire plow