Help using a Magnesium bar!

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
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So, I had the afternoon off, so I started gathering supplies for my mini-PSK for my BK7 sheath.

While at the store I picked up a Coghlan's firestarter. And man, I first thought it was pretty great, I made one good size pile (enough to cover a quarter) and it lit great.

But then I got some wood, made some shavings, some small sticks and was prepared to start a fire. But I had trouble actually getting any magnesium off after I had taken off the corners. I tried using several blades in many different ways. I also used the back of one knife that has a ridged part, but I still didn't get much shavings.

Also, the wind was really blowing things around, and it was sprinkling pretty good.

This totally made me appreciate other methods of starting fires, especially firestraws.

So, any helpful tips for shaving this stuff?

It seems like it works the best in a big pile, so would this be at all beneficial to add to a fire straw? Maybe dipping the PJ soaked cotton into a magnesium shavings pile? Or would that just burn up my cotton faster?

Thanks!

Luke
 
I have always used vaseline cotton balls and a metal match, but I also picked up one of the Coghlans magnesium bars the other day. The only way I can get any to scrape off is by using the blade of a knife (I know that is not the way to do it, but the knife was already dull and I was planning on sharpening it later that day as well). The blade of the knife (a Triflex 780 Mora) shaved it off with no trouble. After using the knife, I tried using a variety of other things, the spines of various knives and a hacksaw blade, and couldn't get any to come off in any great amount, resulting in a useless fire starter. I was never planning on switching away from my cotton balls and metal match, but this just further reinforced what I had heard about the mag bar being pretty much useless.
 
I've used a magnesium bar and a USAF survival knife to start a fire in a slight drizzle. It was tough getting scrapings off the magnesium bar, but I would actually "strike" the bar with the blade to gash it and continue slicing down to get the shaving. I used the spine of the same knife to get a spark, and the fire lit fairly quickly. Again, I had to apply a fair amount of power to strike a spark. The knife blade was undamaged.
 
A good 90 degree angle like a knife spine, or a hacksaw blade always works for me as far as getting shavings. You need to get a nice pile about the size and thickness of a nickel. You also need some fine tinder placed under the mag shavings. I like to make sort of a nest around the shavings to keep them from blowing around, plus you can fold in the nest as you get a flame going.
 
It takes more time and practice and is not the easiest but it does work well when you are good at it. The best thing about the mag bar is it will last forever. I have one 30 yrs old and it is perfect. Put it in the bottom of your pack and forget about it till you need it.

Skam
 
ive never had odles of luck with the magnisium bars myself. I was going to throw in the towl on the flint and steel idea, until I bought one of the bigger thicker ones. I think its called a sweedish army firestarter. I forget the site I got it from, but a few places sell them. I know I just got a small handfull of dry grass and this thing threw some BIG HOT sparks! lit up the grass without any accelerant. I know I keep around one of the smaller diameter rods, but often use cotten balls, or vaseline soaked cotton with the smaller one. Im not sure why your having trouble shaving the magnisium off :confused: mine shaved fairly well with the little piese of hacksaw blade it came with, but I needed a good bit to light stuff, so had to practice judiciously, untile I found my larger flintandsteel. you might want to try using just a tiny section of the blade, and see if that works. Hope this helps! Good luck!
 
Maybe I was just spoiled when the Mora blade shaved off a bunch of magnesium very quickly. I had a pile about the size of a nickel in less than a minute. I shaved for five minutes with the hacksaw blade and didn't get that amount. I will carry the mag bar in my PSK because it doesn't way anything and won't take up space, but I just can't see myself using it over any of my other options which are much quicker, easier and I have more confidence in them.
 
naked said:
While at the store I picked up a Coghlan's firestarter. And man, I first thought it was pretty great, I made one good size pile (enough to cover a quarter) and it lit great.

But then I got some wood, made some shavings, some small sticks and was prepared to start a fire...
Click to expand...

The thing to remember about magnesium powder or flakes is, they do burn hot but they burn every bit as fast as they do "hot." You have to have proper tinder and fire built before you strike the sparking insert. Cotton Ball, Dryer Lint, 0000 Fine Steel Wool, Char Cloth. There are others but those are the easiest to obtain and keep dry in various containers.

Also, the wind was really blowing things around, and it was sprinkling pretty good.
Click to expand...

PPPPPP - Make a wind break before you start to place the fire.

So, any helpful tips for shaving this stuff?
Click to expand...

Small, cheap files or better files like you find in SAKs, Leathermans and Gerber Multi-Tools...hacksaw blades used as scrapers...
 
I've had no trouble with getting shavings from a mag bar,I just use a piece of hacksaw blade,which I take a course stone to until the spine is nice a square,or you can put a chisel edge on the blade,takes a little pressure to get shaving but I can get nice curls with out to much trouble.That being said I'll gladly take a firesteel,(ferro rod whatever you preffer to call them)and some treated cotton.
 
I use a mag block it's my only fire starter I carry in the field. I have found it easier to lay the knife on the ground edge up and shave the mag against it
instead of moving the knife against the mag block.

You have to make a nice little pile and bunch it up a little for best results. It should make a nice quick flame and then hold a red hot glow for a few seconds.


Also hold the knife edge at a slight angle way from you this will help you from cutting yourself if you overshoot the edge.
 
Remember, fire is a three part equation. Heat, Fuel, and Oxygen. Your heat source maybe very hot, but as stated before, short lived. As others have said, this takes a little practice, and the practice is tinder.

When I use magnesium shavings and spark and all I have is natural tinder, I make a tinder bundle like I would to put in a coal for a bow drill although I pack my fines a little tighter to hold the magnesium. I then light the magnesium and hope that it catches my tinder to flame. However, unless I have fine fiberous tinder, what I usually get is a coal which quickly has to be blown to flame.

Here is a link to give you an idea of tinder bundles...

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/tinder/bundles/index.html
 
Well, determined to get this right, I switch to a SAK blade, and that seemed to work much better than what I had been using, which were both big thick blades. Although, I had tried the blade on my leatherman, I just didn't try hard enough. I also think that "breaking it in" helped out a lot. Now I can get nice curlies!

So, how terrible is this on a knife blade? Would one of those mini-field crock sticks put the edge back on it?

L
 
I dont shave my stick, I saw bits off with a sak.

Tell you what, give my an hour and Ill show you a small tutorial?
 
I've been using a steel jig saw blade. I took one of those plastic spine's that come with report covers, cut it to size and slipped it over the teeth of the blade for protection.
Jim
 
So here is some pieces of wood I just sawed up with the OH fireman.
p9070001qf4.jpg


I then made some shavings, sawed some mag dust and made some small pieces of wood.(you can see my first try to the right)
p9070005ts3.jpg


After that I light her up and her it is at first.
p9070006hq3.jpg


Then going for a bit,
p9070008vz1.jpg


And going good.
p9070009dc4.jpg



So, just making sure you have the right sized wood to get it going, I think there are three steps to fire wood, Shavings, Small pieces and then larger. After

that its Icing on the cake.
 
How long does the actual fire steel last on the magnessium bar? I used mine just a couple of times and the rod shows slight wear down where I was striking. I mean there is a depression like it is straight bows under and then straightish again. I wonder if I'm striking too hard? I have had the same encounters with the wind and the hard scrapping with the mag bar. I agree with what has been said about having good tinder and smaller kindling for it to work properly.
 
Diamond Dog said:
How long does the actual fire steel last on the magnessium bar? I used mine just a couple of times and the rod shows slight wear down where I was striking. I mean there is a depression like it is straight bows under and then straightish again. I wonder if I'm striking too hard? I have had the same encounters with the wind and the hard scrapping with the mag bar. I agree with what has been said about having good tinder and smaller kindling for it to work properly.
Click to expand...

I've stared around 10-15 and I have a nice little depression, but I'm pretty hard on it.

How many times do you strike it for one pile of tinder.
 
Oh the last time it was windy and I couldn't get the dust to stay put, so I was using other tinder and I struck it probably around 15-18 times. I've since bought a swedish fire steel and striker and have not used it yet. Nice tutorial! I need to try sawing the mag bar next time.
 
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