November's Challenge Discussion Thread

how big of a magnifying glass did you use, and what were you burning?

I've had good success with leaves, pine straw, and scorpions :D.
 
ocnLogan said:
how big of a magnifying glass did you use, and what were you burning?

I've had good success with leaves, pine straw, and scorpions :D.
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I was using one I got from the dollar store.
magnifying+glass.jpg


It is about 3 inches across. I was trying to ignite a pile of cattail fluff.
 
Squeeze the cattail close together. When you have an amber, blow and try to cover with some other tinder. Blow some more and you'll have fire!
 
Pitchwood/Fatwood , same damn thing. Regional terminology is all. I got to making fire last night and got to thinking char cloth should be allowed providing you make it yourself using a fire you created as part of the contest. I tried charring up some leave, no spark. I tried charring up some punkwood, no spark.
 
Ok I need some help. I thought the rod would be the easy one. Problem is I have always used cottonballs lint or some such tinder. On today was my second attempt still no luck. The first time I used a dead dry pine branch and made lots of little curls took about a cup or so and put it in my fire pit. No luck. So I made more tried it today still nothing. Got some nice and dry grass and had a little better luck but still didnt move from a glow to a flame. It did rain a few days ago but the shavings are dry the grass may have a bit of moisture but didnt seem bad. I dont have a good rod its not the gobstopper or what have you. Today it was windy I blocked it with my body but didnt build a shelter or anything that fancy. Any tips? I dont have cat tails or milk weed on my property was just trying to use stuff I had right here.
 
I don't know what you could be doing wrong....technique maybe???


I was able to get my stuff lit no problem.

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I was just stopping in to say that I got most of mine done. I think I'm gonna need to go out and find a couple more tinders because I wan't able to get all 5 fires.
 
Psyop said:
Ok I need some help. I thought the rod would be the easy one. Problem is I have always used cottonballs lint or some such tinder. On today was my second attempt still no luck. The first time I used a dead dry pine branch and made lots of little curls took about a cup or so and put it in my fire pit. No luck. So I made more tried it today still nothing. Got some nice and dry grass and had a little better luck but still didnt move from a glow to a flame. It did rain a few days ago but the shavings are dry the grass may have a bit of moisture but didnt seem bad. I dont have a good rod its not the gobstopper or what have you. Today it was windy I blocked it with my body but didnt build a shelter or anything that fancy. Any tips? I dont have cat tails or milk weed on my property was just trying to use stuff I had right here.
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I did pretty much the same thing. I couldn't get flame until I scraped a pile of wood scrapings on top of the curls. The scrapings are what actually caught on fire first for me. If you look at MyWifeThinksImCrazy's picture you will notice the very fine looking fuzz near the bottom of the shavings pile. That is the stuff I am talking about. Just put your knife blade perfectly perpendicular to your wood piece and scrape up and down. Easy peasy. I don't if that will help you but it worked for me and it was only the second time I have ever gotten a ferro rod fire started.
 
moosez45 said:
Flint/steel and natural tinder.

You need fire to make a charcloth, and unless you're using natural cotton fibers, i.e. off a cotton tree, I would go with not gonna happen. Its prepared tinder, gotta rule out charcloth.

Look into some of the tinder fungus and see what grows around your area.

Moose
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Moose,
I re-read the original rules for this challenge and it says "All tinder must be natural tinder, found or created in the woods. What does that mean? Means find it or make it.".
So, my understanding is, if I made the char-cloth there in one of those fires, then it's allowed as per the original requirements. Is this a correct interpretation?
I know since, you said use anything (so, it's OK anyhow), but I just want to clear this up...
 
He (the moose) came on a few posts back and said Charred cloth is ok to use.
 
moosez45 said:
Ok, I just got to thinking right after I hit post, just above, here's the deal, use whatever you want.

You wanna use charcloth, go for it, you wanna use store bought fatwood, go for it, but when the contest is judged, we will be taking into consideration all the materials used.

I'm saying this, because I want EVERYONE to at least try something new, but it doesn't matter, really as long as you are doing something.

So, for your flint and steel, use some charcloth, or some fatwood, its all good as long as you are doing something.

Moose
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:D

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Moose
 
moosez45 said:
Light refraction- use it if you got it, but you better know how and what you are doing, or its a waste of time. Be creative.

Moose
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How many bonus points if we go Dave Canturbury style and use urine in plastic bag? lol:D
 
9point9 said:
How many bonus points if we go Dave Canturbury style and use urine in plastic bag? lol:D
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I like Dave, but we don't pass out Canterbury Points, Lundin Hugs, Hawke Hell Yeahs, or Stroud Stars.

I love those shows, they are fun to watch and entertaining, just keep in mind, entertainment is what they are all about, with a little bit of useful info thrown in.

I would rather see you try the bag of piss/fire, as opposed to nothing, but I would like to see some creative, non urine soaked ideas.

If you see something on TV you wanna try, go for it, I'm interested. :D

Moose
 
I hear you. That was not a serious post.:D

I thought it was ridiculous when I saw him try to do it.

There is no possible scenario in fire starting where I would go that route. lmao
 
9point9 said:
I hear you. That was not a serious post.:D

I thought it was ridiculous when I saw him try to do it.

There is no possible scenario in fire starting where I would go that route. lmao
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Yeah, I kinda gathered the cyber sarcasm, and if you could tell, there was quite a bit on the return post. :D

Moose
 
Moose I put up some vids in the challenge (NO BH# !! NO Becker Knife!!) Shame Shame on me but I thought what the Heck!! I hope its COOL if not KILL THEM ! ( NO WORRIES!!) If its Cool I have one more with the big fire ball in the sky.

Thanks!!
 
jcl-MD said:
Moose I put up some vids in the challenge (NO BH# !! NO Becker Knife!!) Shame Shame on me but I thought what the Heck!! I hope its COOL if not KILL THEM ! ( NO WORRIES!!) If its Cool I have one more with the big fire ball in the sky.

Thanks!!
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With posts like that one, you might have number before you get a knife. :D

Moose
 
5th Vid up!

THANK'S Ethan / Moosez and to all Beckerheads for the Challenge !!

GOOD STUFF!!!
 
Well, today after work, and before it got dark, I tried to make some nice tinder with my BK9. I tried making fuzz, rather than curls. I piled it all together, and got out one of my firesteels.

I tried for like 15 minutes to get it going before I had to go inside and start my homework.

Sparks shot everywhere, but nothing else happened.

I am officially a firesteel n00b :(.

Looks like I need more practice before I can practice for this :(.
 
ocnLogan said:
Well, today after work, and before it got dark, I tried to make some nice tinder with my BK9. I tried making fuzz, rather than curls. I piled it all together, and got out one of my firesteels.

I tried for like 15 minutes to get it going before I had to go inside and start my homework.

Sparks shot everywhere, but nothing else happened.

I am officially a firesteel n00b :(.

Looks like I need more practice before I can practice for this :(.
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Try placing your firesteel against whatever your tinders on tip down and on the surface (for better control) without your tinder. Strike away hard. Focus on where your sparks are concentrated. I know they will go all over the place but after a bunch of strikes you will see where they land most often based on how you strike, arm angle etc. Put ur tinder there. Me I tend to pull off at the last moment and being a righty I end up throwing sparks off to the right. So I set up to the left of my bundle and the sparks fall center mass. Remember this was all a learning process for everyone at one point or another and no one if us got it right straight out of the gate. You can also practice with non sectioned tinder and then move onto your entry once you got it down. Cotton balls work well.
 
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