Tinder experiment.

ilbruche

ilbruche

Joined
Jun 19, 2007
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I made up some little tinder balls using candle wax and sawdust. They look like deer poop. I did a little test to see how well they burned.

They take a little while to get going, about 15 seconds of direct flame. They reach full burn at about a minute and a half. Peak burn lasts about 2 minutes. At about 4 minutes they start to go out but you can blow the remaining coals for about a minute and a half.

The unlit ball.

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One minute.

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Minute and a half.

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At 2:30 the wind fails to blow it out.

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Still going at about 3:15.

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Most of the wax is burned off by the 4 minute mark.

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The remaining coals last a minute and a half.

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The downside was that they were hard to light. It was windy out today and they would blow out before they got fully burning. Once they got going I had a good 2 minutes where the wind wouldn't knock it out. Probably not the best for starting a fire initially, but good for producing a lasting flame that will ignite kindling. I packed up a bunch in an old chewing tobacco pin and added some extra sawdust for cushion. Then sealed the tin with electrical tape.
 
maybe you could crumble them up into smaller pieces and add a base tinder?

i bet those saw-dust balls of yours would make an excellent second stage tinder.

good read thanks.

JC
 
jca21 said:
maybe you could crumble them up into smaller pieces and add a base tinder?

i bet those saw-dust balls of yours would make an excellent second stage tinder.
JC
Click to expand...

That was what Spookypistolero suggested. Put one in the middle of a PJ soaked cotton ball. They burn quite well, but getting them started requires a little help.

The main benefit is all you need is wax and sawdust to make them.
 
I took some round cotton cosmetic pads and dipped 1/2 into wax, left the other 1/2 dry. They take a spark, & light up super quick, and then the waxed 1/2 burns looong.
 
Has anyone used the coghlan's emergency tinder? They are like small cylinders that are wax like. I used some and found the same kind of results like you ilbruche with your tinderballs, initially they take some time to start but once going are very good, especially with some fatwood kindling. Also, they are a little cubersome in unraveling (which needs to be done for better success using a fire steel).
 
next time less wax? and maybe try to dip in water then light just to see water profness (sp)
 
If you can't start them with a spark, they aren't really "tinder" in my book. More like kindling.
 
Ilbruche,

Man I was hoping that you were gonna say that they were made from amboyna dust!
 
DD: They can be submerged in water, broken in half, and the ends will still catch a spark and flame on. I've used them many times for camp fires. A lot less messy than bringing charcoal fluid. I have them in the truck, ATV and a stick in the pack. :)ss.
 
Ilbruche: I wonder if the coarseness of the sawdust would make a difference. Maybe the real fine dust, almost like powder, would be easier to light? Good trial for when one may have to make do instead of using store-bought.:)Regards, ss.
 
straitshot said:
Ilbruche: I wonder if the coarseness of the sawdust would make a difference. Maybe the real fine dust, almost like powder, would be easier to light? Good trial for when one may have to make do instead of using store-bought.:)Regards, ss.
Click to expand...

It's kinda a mix of both. Most of it is very fine stuff from the belt sander, then file dust and microplane shavings.


Mneedham...waiting for your pins to arrive. Got one nessie to do then it's on to yours. Did you want the matching firesteel?
 
Maybe they need a little cotton string as a wick sticking out of them to make them easier to light?

BB
 
ILBRUCHE - "The downside was that they were hard to light."


Ilbruche, if you wrap the wax/sawdust ball in wax paper with a "twist" wick of the paper at the top, you won't have any trouble lighting them. At least, that's what I use and have never had any problem.

How I make mine is to use the sections from a cardboard egg carton to pour in the hot wax and sawdust. When dry and hard, just cut the sections into individual pieces, wrap in wax paper, and voila! Great firestarter. :thumbup:


Also, as BEEPERBOY suggested, you can place a wax soaked piece of cotton string in the wax/sawdust while it's still liquid, and that'll work well, too.

FWIW.

L.W.
 
Ilbruche,

Thanks. BTW, didn't mean to hijack a meaningful thread, but I have to admit that I'm fired up about that knife!
 
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