Match Safe Build input...

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

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Mar 19, 2007
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Okay - I have been talking to Keith at K & M Match Case (great guy by the way) and I wanted to run some thoughts by you guys.

I am a professor at a local college and I just took a Basic Machining Class where the instructor (retired ISD teacher) is looking for a final project. I ran by a match case by him and he liked it. It includes cutting an OD, boring, internal and external threading, milling, and knurling - so it is a winner there.

I wanted to ask yall - what would be the PERFECT match case. I know Keith's is damned fine (I ordered two and some compasses to boot) but is there anything you would add to the project as we are getting ready to AutoCAD some drawings up. These would NOT be for sale as I would not want to compete with Keith - but for projects for students. I want them to be workable though.

Here is what we need:

1) Length we are thinking about a little over 2 3/4 inches to accommodate REI Stormproof matches.
2) Inner Diameter
3) Width of material (it will be made from aluminum)

The rest should be suggestions by you guys! Help us out. I will post pics as I make a prototype.

TF
 
A built in firesteel. Attached to the center of the cap on the inside. (like a dropper bottle cap)
 
Those are some nice match cases...Might have to get me a few of those...HMMM maybe a ferro rod attatched to the housing some where....and a blaze orange lanyard so you can see it if you put it down...and if it could be made float that'd be nifty too.
 
zman308 said:
A built in firesteel. Attached to the center of the cap on the inside. (like a dropper bottle cap)
Click to expand...

That's a good idea and I would add that maybe a match case cylinder with both ends removeable...one could have the ferro rod attached and when threaded onto the main body, it would have the ferro rod sticking up in the center and you could open the other end and place the matches around it???

ROCK6
 
You would have to add quite a bit of inner diameter to have a ferro rod on the inside. I also worry about matches rubbing up and down on ferro rod. Maybe mounting it on the outside would be a better idea.

Sort of like the DOAN fire starter. You could use a ball end mill to chamfer a section and simply epoxy a length of Ferro Rod to the outside. It would look clean and be replaceable at that point.

Just thoughts.

TF
 
Yeah, that's true about the diameter as I just looked at my K&M match case and you don't want it much thicker than that. Another option for external mounting could be a simple Kydex sheath with fire steel loop??

ROCK6
 
You could also use a small ferro like the one on a bsa hotspark THey can be had cheaply and are great if you saw the handle off it could probably be attatched to the body of the match case without being overly obtrusive.
 
TF,

I like the idea of an attached ferro rod. Narrow blanks are available. I've been toying with ideas that protect the ferro rod so I'm drawn to the elegance of a rod inside the cap which turns around and is rethreaded into the case. That being said, I've carried a BSA Hot Spark in my pocket for more than a year without any protection in soggy Seattle and it is no worse for it. (Other than having lost some weight starting numerous fires.) I'm sure an externally attached, mag bar style ferro rod would be fine.

Another idea that I think would be useful is work in a scalpel attchment point on one end, so the case could be used as a scalpel handle. Many of us have the scalpel blades in our PSKs, but they would be much more useful if we had a handle to attach them to.

-- FLIX
 
Maybe a recess in the inner/outer lid for a backup button compass? Not sure about size though. Great project! ahhh they apparently already have a compass - scratch that.

J.
 
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Improving on the K&M design is a tall order. The only thing I can think of is that it'd be nice if it were Type III anodized instead of Type II, as the finish tends to wear when you carry it in your pocket every day. That's pretty cosmetic though.
 
I've seen someone who decided to put SureFire's "it can saw through a lesser flashlight" claim and did literally cut through a Maglite using a Type III HA SureFire with a knurled barrel. They didn't cut it in half (it's not a saw blade!), but they cut through into the battery compartment. Type III anodizing is badass.
 
This might sound like a dumb idea but what if you made it out of Magnesium. Make it kind of a flat oval shape, drill the center for your matches, thread it for a cap that could be attached to a lanyard and run a ferro rod down one side. Granted your match safe is going to get kind of funny looking after a little use but if the intention is to keep it in a kit and use it only in an emergency then it might make sence. One piece of gear serving two purposes.
 
Talfuchre said:
You would have to add quite a bit of inner diameter to have a ferro rod on the inside. I also worry about matches rubbing up and down on ferro rod. Maybe mounting it on the outside would be a better idea.

Sort of like the DOAN fire starter. You could use a ball end mill to chamfer a section and simply epoxy a length of Ferro Rod to the outside. It would look clean and be replaceable at that point.

Just thoughts.

TF
Click to expand...

I like the idea of the ferro rod on the outside. How about milling the other side flat and resin bonding some diamond abrasive (something like this) to it so it can also be used as a basic knife sharpener ...
 
Good project. The match safe needs to be water-tight and hold matches. In that respect, I don't think you can improve much on the K&M design. For me, the cord holding the cap sometimes gets tangled up, so you might be able to improve on the closure. Second issue is that the metal striking surface is somewhat difficult to use - mostly because of the small size, but also because it doesn't work quite as well as the box. You could cut a recess somewhere to glue in a better striker. You could also texture a surface on the outside to use as a striker, which would let you make it longer. Other than that, I can't think of any possible room for improvement (and the "improvements" I listed might actually be downgrades.)

You could mill the outside into a different shape - maybe hexagonal. Could mill the base into a different shape - maybe to accept a narrow strap for use as a belt loop (think something along the dimensions of the wrist strap on small cameras, but shorter). Lots of variations possible with the knurling pattern - could do spirals, multiple bands, vary the size, etc.

If there are any design classes, you could let students design their own variations on the sealed case.
 
I simply glued emery cloth to the inside of the lid of my K&M case. It's much more useable as a striking surface now. Knurling the inside of the lid might work, especially if you're going with the Type III anodizing.
 
I am thinking that if we use knurling on the outside - we should make it shallower to act as a striker. I will experiment with knurling and strike anywhere matches to see what works.

Ball milling an area for a ferro rod would be easy.

I am seeing that from this thread - these 'improvements' may be in vein. It is already just about right. ;)

TF
 
Talfuchre said:
I am thinking that if we use knurling on the outside - we should make it shallower to act as a striker. I will experiment with knurling and strike anywhere matches to see what works.

Ball milling an area for a ferro rod would be easy.

I am seeing that from this thread - these 'improvements' may be in vein. It is already just about right. ;)

TF
Click to expand...

I say keep is simple. The more you add, the more things that can to wrong, or break.

Knurling on the outside for grip, and a lanyard to hold cap and case together.

Simple IMO is the way to go.:thumbup:
 
I myself wouldn't waste my time trying to figure out a way to attach a ferro rod, and still keep it easy and cheap to build. If you have to carry the rod, just make the case I.D. .050'' larger so you can carry an .125'' ferro rod in it. That extra little bit would more than likely be enough so you wouldn't give up any space for matches, and ONE MATCH is about the same size as the .125'' rod.

Taking into account there is some wiggle room for matches in the case already, .050'' should be enough. If not, ream it out another .010 until you get the same match count including the rod.


What I wouldn't mind seeing is a different way to attach the cord to the body. Maybe something like the cap on a MINI MAG FLASHLIGHT. Then make the bottom flat and polish it to a mirror finish. You could then have a small signal mirror to use using the two handed aiming method. Put a piece of tape over the finished surface to protect it until needed.

While the mirror isn't huge, it would serve the same purpose as the small compass in the cap, and very small ferro rod on the bottom, it's better than nothing.
 
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