Whoooo Hooooo!!!!!

[screened porch]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77365440/PICT0004.JPG

Speaking of tinder, which is often best collected with a Norlund Voyager hatchet like the one we're discussing here, my dad used to say that the secret of flint and steel isn't in the flint or the steel, but in the prepared tinder.
Even I can get a glow from char-cloth, but that's about it. I haven't yet tried soaking cord or cloth (or cotton balls) in Spectracide stump remover.

To get back to the hatchet, I've got one and I love it.
I don't think the little ones have that rim in the eye. Although I kept the handle mine had, I'm sure I took it off to fool with it, and I'd have noticed, i hope.

 

[Square_peg]

I used a small piece of copper pipe with one end sealed as the tube and a slightly smaller galvinized spike as the plunger. The copper pipe has a smooth interior. I carefully filed two shallow grooves around the spike and fitted rubber o-rings into them. I cut the tip of the spike off flat and drilled a small depression into it. A piece of charcloth goes into the depression. Slam it together and voila! Fire - about 1 in 20 tries.

By the way, I would really like to see a picture of your fire piston.

OK, I have to make a correction here. I think the pipe is brass not copper. When I chose this pipe I browsed the hardware store looking for the pipe with the smoothest interior, assuming that this would be best for making an airtight seal. Additionally, the prototype galvinized spike piston has been replaced with a piston made from a bolt. Now on to the pics.

You put a small bit of charcloth in the divot in the end of the bolt and then rapidly slam the piston into the tube. The rapid increase in pressure causes spontaneous combustion of the charcloth. I kept my divot small seeking to increase the compression ratio. It's similar to how a diesel engine works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_piston#History

My piston is only successful about 1 in 20 tries. It needs improvement.

 

[omniviking]

Nice little hatchet, they are pretty sweet, they are a little thicker and split nice and the sharpen up good to for chopping. they are a great all around tool.

 

[ljcsov]

I really want to find one of these. I'll have to keep searching!!