Fire kits.

hushnel said:
When I was a kid living in Germany we used a lighter that was based on this technology for lighting fire crackers on the 4th of July. It had a flint striker like a Zippo and a dry cotton wick a spark from the striker would be caught in the wick, exactly like charcloth, and be held there until you ran out of cotton wick or you extinguished it.

If you are starting a fire with a lot of wind it would be handy to hold the spark and give you time to assemble and hold your tender and small stuff. It can be used to light up a cigar. It can take a spark from a fire and transport it to another point.

If you look at the old matchlock muskets it was this technology that made them work, though primitive this fire arm had much better timing than the first flintlocks.

It’s a simple technology but has it’s value.

Going Gear sells this lighter my brother and I used as kids in Germany.


For my purpose a simple piece of copper tube and a length of cotton does the job. I’ve got a bunch of these made up, if I can find them.
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Hushnel , could you please reiterate on your technique for using the slow-fuse tool ? I know it catches the spark on the end, but what have you found is the best way ?

Thanks
 
This is a WW11 vintage wick lighter like Hushnel described.
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My grandfather brought these back from his tour of duty in WW11. It was popular to use a spent .50 cal brass and make a housing for these so the cotton could be kept soaked in gasoline.
 
I got some cotton lamp wicks. Headin to the garage now to look for some pipe and make myself one.

That's neat the one you have from your grandfather.
 
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Found a .270 case and a lamp wick. Stuffed it in, and put some lighter fluid.
I'll play with it for a while, and see how it goes with a sparkstick ( ferrorod)
 
That should make for a nifty candle'ish thing, but I would think lighter fluid would be too volatile; an open container like that would be dry within hours.
 
what have you found is the best way ?
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To strike the slow fuse I hold the fuse between my pointer finger and my middle finger, I hold the flint between my thumb and pointer finger and strike the flint, the copper tube helps me hold the wick and control its proximity to the flint.

Mike, let me know when you make up a batch of strikers, if you can make up some two finger strikers they will fit in my smaller kits :)
 
I've got a 2 piece version of that.. I used waxed jute as my wick, and a lantern lighter as the sparker, or I can use my firesteel as well..
Here's a pic of my longer wick, that I used for the woodstove.. Been using it for about 3 yrs now, with no troubles.. Just have to frizz up the end a little and give it a spark..

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Here's a better pic of the sparker...

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I think Doc Primitive showed me about the sparker....

They work great wet, dry or cold..
 
hushnel said:
To strike the slow fuse I hold the fuse between my pointer finger and my middle finger, I hold the flint between my thumb and pointer finger and strike the flint, the copper tube helps me hold the wick and control its proximity to the flint.

Mike, let me know when you make up a batch of strikers, if you can make up some two finger strikers they will fit in my smaller kits :)
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I'll have to give that a try.. I've got some extra tubing around, and the dollar store's not far away..

Btw, did you get to try some of your napalm goo out ??
 
Btw, anyone ever tried using one of those sparkers for lighting an oxy-acetalyne torch?

The ones with sort of a little bowl, and a wire handle made of spring steel...you squeeze the handle and it scrapes a ferro rod on a rasp.
 
Yep I have one that I play with for my PJCB's ... They work, but has a few kinks to the lighting process for me.. Gotta use small pieces of cotton in the bowl for lighting, and then add the rest and put it with the tinder...
 
Btw, did you get to try some of your napalm goo out ??
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It won't light from a spark in this dry state, I crushed it and it still wouldn't, I put 3" of raveled jute under it and it caught then lit the dried NFG. At this point I'm thinking it's best fresh and wet, once dried it may not be any better than fatwood, the only characteristic that may prove useful is that once lit it becomes very sticky and attaches itself to anything you poke it with, don’t touch it but it’s easily picked up with a stick and moved.
 
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Thanks Hushnel !!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

With your slow fuse, do you burn it first to get it charred, or frizz it to get it to light from the flint ??
 
With your slow fuse, do you burn it first to get it charred, or frizz it to get it to light from the flint ??
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Yes, pre-char it. It is near impossible to spark lite the tight cotton until it is charred.
 
I just made another one with copper pipe and 3 dental cottons stuffed into the tube, but i rubbed vaseline into the cotton. I fuzz it out a bit, spark it, and it lights up like a candle and does'nt go out. Makes it easier to walk around if i need to and light several parts of the fire.

going to make another one, but after stuffing the dental cottons into the pipe, i'm going to solder an end cap on and soak the cotton with lighter fluid.
 
Why is that PR ?? Hell, I'm still trying to get one friggin deer with my bow !! LOL:D Be proud of your accomplishment brother!!:thumbup::thumbup: Be it with carbons or wood, it's not an easy task !!:)
 
Nah, a used dirty kit is just as good as any brother.. As long as it serves you well !!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
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