Burning Steel Wool

stevetexas said:
Just as note....United States Navy SEALS have used this method of fire lighting in serious conditions.

We did not consider it to be for a prank. I am just guessing now, however *deleted per USN regs*

I wish that I could tell you who I am and where I have been. Instead, I must wait for some of you to call me a liar. I want to kick something.
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Dude, are you OK? you might need to go for a walk or do some deep breathing excercises, I did not read anyone say it is only good for a prank or that you are in any way lying.

Starting a fire with steel wool or any fine wire that you can short across a battery is worthwhile knowledge. Chris
 
Hey Steve...

stevetexas said:
Hi NORMARK :) ,

Let us imagine an Airplane crash. In the USA, most normal survival tools have been taken away by the Government. We are allowed to keep a small 2 cell flashlight. Call it a "minimag".

TRIMMED
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Yes I believe it is possible with a mini mag, under the proper conditions..Batts would have to be Fresh, good quality. Wire would have to be PERFECT for it to glow.

Too thin and Poof it'll blow (like a fuse). Too thick and you'd just warm up a wire,, if that...

It's possible,, but VERY difficult to do...

I'd look around for a better battery,, or stack some up from different devices..
Camera, cells, laptop ect ect..

Another way of doing it,as long as you have a decent power supply is using the graphite from a pencil..One of those clicky pencil with the really thin lead would require less energy to glow. I've used this method as an electrical "fuse" many times and is reliable as long as the lead doesn't break and you have sufficient power. 2 New D cells will work.

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Normark said:
Hey Steve...



Yes I believe it is possible with a mini mag, under the proper conditions..Batts would have to be Fresh, good quality. Wire would have to be PERFECT for it to glow.

Too thin and Poof it'll blow (like a fuse). Too thick and you'd just warm up a wire,, if that...

It's possible,, but VERY difficult to do...

I'd look around for a better battery,, or stack some up from different devices..
Camera, cells, laptop ect ect..

Another way of doing it,as long as you have a decent power supply is using the graphite from a pencil..One of those clicky pencil with the really thin lead would require less energy to glow. I've used this method as an electrical "fuse" many times and is reliable as long as the lead doesn't break and you have sufficient power. 2 New D cells will work.

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
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Eric. I was all set up to chew your ass out.....then I realised that you had a point. Rats.
 
Hey Steve..

No problem...

Just to add...

This fine copper wire can be found in communications equipment, such as cables to headphones, inside of headphones possibly, and cables with an outer sheathing of woven wire....

Inner cores of speakers may also have this type of wire..

This is quite possibly some of the tinnest wire that would be available...

Another possibility would be a shard of carbon fiber, which is also conductive, however I don't know it it would glow when power would be applied..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
FLIX said:
Steel wool (#0000) is one of my favorite tinders to carry with me. (Not the only one!) ...It has (at least) one nonfirestarting use in one's kit, namely pollishing a metal surface for reflective purposes.
-- FLIX
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It's also a fine way to keep anything steel bright and clean. Can take off a lot of patina as well, that's just part of the character IMO.
 
I remember in electricity and woodworking classes at school we had these DC power plugs for things likes soldering tools that we would put steel wool over to get get lots and lots of sparks. It never got red hot but the sparks could easily have lit dry tinder.

Anyway, in cadets one of the methods we learned to start fires was to use a radio battery hooked up to some wire or steel wool. That would get red hot in under five seconds (and disintegrate in another 10-30). We used it once in a survival situation by shoving the wire spring from a clicky pen into the battery's sockets then sticking that into some sawdust that we managed to find. We had a big fire that night.

Clicky pens are easy enough to get and their springs work great.
 
Hey Guys...

jho...

jho said:
in cadets
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You've just given away that you are Canadian... :)


It should also be said when playing with Batts,, especially high power ones,, that if you short out the + and - the battery could in fact overheat and Explode..

Play carefully...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
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