Fresnel lens fire

[SpookyPistolero]

I started my first fresnel lens fire since I was a kid today. Been a good couple decades! I've never broken down and bought one, but Ben of Ben's Backwoods sent me a really neat one with my last order. I saw outside this afternoon and used it on a fuzz stick.

I had one 'failure' when some clouds got in the way for a few minutes (the obvious and inevitable drawback to these) but when it came back out I had fire in a minute or two. Good stuff!

The best part is it requires no effort at all, except the eye strain of staring into concentrated sunlight to make sure it's focused properly.

Anyway, an interesting and lightweight addition to the fire kit. :thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Yeah its a nifty trick isn't it spooky? I found that it works brilliantly (pun) with charcloth or punkwood then blow that to flames with a tinder basket like you would fint and steel. Last weekend, I got my charcloth to ember in about 10 s.

 

[Snake Dr.]

Being a Liitle Fire Starter as a Child I've started many a Fire with a Magnifying Glass, I'll have to check them out at Ben's BackWood's, I know I'm getting the Hudson Bay Tinder Box with the built In glass fire starting len's from Track Of The Wolf, http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(gg...atId=1&subId=4&styleId=10&partNum=TOBAC-BOX-B

 

[TheGame]

Glad to hear you got your first Fresnel fire in a while. I recently got an ember with one and some charcloth. Albeit, I didn't attempt the fire, due to a lot of people being around at the time.

 

[pict]

On a sunny day tinder fungus will form a coal before you can get the beam totally focused, the stuff is amazing. Char cloth lights very easily as well. Mac

 

[Bushman5]

I used to use a 6" round magnifying glass to bring nuclear war on all the big black ants that swarmed our old farm. Its scary how fast that big lens would light wood on fire or melt plastic.

 

[Ravaillac]

I've tried lens lighting in the middle of summer and it didn't work all that well. Agreed I had a very cheap lens.
Yet if you compare to how hard it is to get a box drill fire it is probably worth trying.

 

[pict]

Form a tinder ball like you are going to make a friction fire, cedar bark, whatever you have available. It really helps if the center of the tinder ball contains a coal extender like cat tail fluff or other plant wool.

Use the lens to create a coal, don't try to actually light something on fire with the lens. I have used a splinter of railroad tie and got the point to start burning like a glowing ember. You could also try dry, punky wood. Wrap that coal into the tinder ball and blow it up to flame. Char cloth or tinder fungus gives you an instant coal to work with but making a coal with a lens isn't difficult. Mac

 

[Diomedes Industries]

When I use my plastic fresnel lens with charcloth - it takes like 5 seconds to have a little burn spot I can blow into a flame. I am always amazed by this!

TF

 

[kgd]

Last weekend, I got my charcloth to ember in about 10 s.

When I use my plastic fresnel lens with charcloth - it takes like 5 seconds to have a little burn spot I can blow into a flame.

Dammit T - you're always 1-upping me

 

[Don Rearic]

My Dad bought me this Jason telescope in the 70s. I was using this beautiful red sun filter to look at the sun, it was amazing! I dropped the lens out to change it and then went to the bathroom. You need to be careful when you do that.