"Fire Pipes"--Any interest?

[FortyTwoBlades]

A piece of kit I like to carry is a 6" section of an Easton "Jazz" arrow shaft for use as a lung-powered bellows. It concentrates the breath to a TREMENDOUS degree and makes breathing a fire to life a lot less of a hassle. I found a good source for some .035"-walled 1/4" aluminum tube and thought it might make a sturdier but still light-weight alternative to an old arrow shaft. I'd cut the the tubing to length and bevel the ends to round off the sharp edge. Any interest in such a thing?

[Bowman1911]

I use an 11' aluminum straw from 7/11. 99cents & weighs next to nothing. Even comes anodized in safety orange. Well, & a few other colors too, but I see the orange the most.

[baldtaco-II]

I've got a couple of bits of old radio aerial I use for that. They telescope from about 3-4” to more than 12”. Keeps the face out the smoke and lets you keep blowing and seeing when doing a project using a hot coal to burn through blah.

[FortyTwoBlades]

I use an 11' aluminum straw from 7/11. 99cents & weighs next to nothing. Even comes anodized in safety orange. Well, & a few other colors too, but I see the orange the most.

Oh wow--had no idea about those. Thanks!

[FortyTwoBlades]

Actually, looking at those online they seem to be a bigger diameter than I like to use for this purpose.

[HornyToad]

I use surgical tubing, about 24" long, with a brass tube on the end (about 4" long). I can get real far away from the smoke.

[mewolf1]

Soft Copper tubing works well too. Try pinching one end for better performance.

[VA27]

I use a pencil-sized basswood or cottonwood branch. A small length of steel wire heated red hot and pushed through the pith makes a 'natural' looking fire pipe.

[FortyTwoBlades]

Soft Copper tubing works well too. Try pinching one end for better performance.

The nice thing about using thin tubing is that it takes up less space for the same effect. A good method, all the same.

[DrivebyTrucker]

I carry a fabric stretched over a wire frisbee for fanning the flames once I have the fire going. It was free at a convention. I never thought about using an aid to fire the initial fire going. I didn't know 7-11 sold aluminum straws for slurpees. I should pick a few up. I was going to order a titanium one at some point.

[Salve]

I make a small hole using my forefingers and thumbs. No weight and I can stay a couple of feet from the fire. Very effective too.

[FortyTwoBlades]

I carry a fabric stretched over a wire frisbee for fanning the flames once I have the fire going. It was free at a convention. I never thought about using an aid to fire the initial fire going. I didn't know 7-11 sold aluminum straws for slurpees. I should pick a few up. I was going to order a titanium one at some point.

With the size of those straws (one fellow online was saying you could suck up a Bic pen in one) you might want to gently crimp one end.

[--J]

I like that surgical tube idea horny toad, compact and I'm sure it would come in handy for other tasks too.

[hiwa]

Rick told me of a brass tube he carries in his kit for the same purpose , also useful as a drinking tube and other things. Definately something I am going to add to my kit. I'm going to try and find a stainless steel one. 6" seems a bit short though ; I might go a bit longer like 10". I can always reduce it if need be.

You could also use it to blow foreign objects out of receivers or knife pivots , etc.

[FortyTwoBlades]

Rick told me of a brass tube he carries in his kit for the same purpose , also useful as a drinking tube and other things. Definately something I am going to add to my kit. I'm going to try and find a stainless steel one. 6" seems a bit short though ; I might go a bit longer like 10". I can always reduce it if need be.

You could also use it to blow foreign objects out of receivers or knife pivots , etc.

Exactly!

Like I said, 6" is just the best for packability and getting things started. For one for use once the fire was actually going pretty good I'd want a 12" one, but that's a little less packable unless it goes in a main compartment or something. Might offer those too, though.

[eyeeatingfish]

I like the idea of a telescoping type so you get the packability, with the ease of a longer tube, with the effect of a smaller hole at the one end.

[357fan]

Heck yes, I'd be interested!