DIY live fire emergency fire starter

[Idleknight]

Hello,

I quite like the look of the live fire tins and fancy making my own version.

Link for reference for anyone who hasn't seen the live fire tins
http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/live-fire-emergency-fire-starter---original-size-16576-p.asp

So it looks like a sliding tin which is easy to source, with some kind of mixture containing beeswax and some fluff in to allow it to take a spark.

Any ideas what the fluff or mixture is? I will likely experiment to see if I can do it, but would be interested if anyone knows.

 

[Bishop]

Not 100% sure but ordinary Paraffin wax + cotton wool seems likely.
Though at £10 a tin I'm hoping there's something more special in it so...
Perhaps some citronella oil for bug banishing aroma and a pinch of powdered hexamine fuel tablet for a longer burn time.

 

[Idleknight]

Yeah, its a good product from what I can see, but a tenner a tin is a bit much.
I think the fluff is the main aspect as it needs to be able to take a spark after being scraped up.

 

[Hammock_man]

Vaseline, cotton wool and a 8 tins from the pound shop. 8 times 30 minute burns for same price. Plus smooth lips and make up removed for free !!!!

 

[Idleknight]

There are many different ways to make fire lighters, I've done the poundshop run a while back. Also used up the recycled wax I had the other weekend. The idea of this thread is to recreate a product on the market at home.

But you are right it will turn out more expensive than a lot of the fire starters I have experimented with. The only advantage I can see of the way the tins work, is once the fire is established, you can slide the tin and put the lighter out. Therefore it can be used multiple times.

 

[z_bumbi]

The only advantage I can see of the way the tins work, is once the fire is established, you can slide the tin and put the lighter out. Therefore it can be used multiple times.

A bit of pipe and some jute or cotton rope dipped in paraffin? Fluff the end of the rope so it takes a spark. Draw the rope back in the pipe when done and maybe even an endcap to make it easier.

 

[Hammock_man]

Truly not after a flame war ( !!!!) but it is not that hard to get a tin that closes and should it not go out I still have 7 other tins. If it is waterproof you need then a cotton wool ball dipped in melted candle wax to seal, still has a fluffy centre.
Having one to hand is nice, not my issue. A tenner for a "shiney" is out of my budget.

 

[Idleknight]

Oh don't worry I agree the shop bought product is not worth a tenner.

I want to see if I can make it myself for much less and see how it matches up to the other methods I use. I've seen the original product sold and even added to knife sheaths (TBS), so assume there must be some advantage in using it.

The great thing about bushcraft is we can use whatever methods we like, expensive ones, cheap ones, home made ones and collected from nature. If I was aiming for a cheap fire starter, I would use the birch bark I've collected from the woods, kept in a old tin.

 

[Corso]

They are pine scented from what I've read

 

[Bishop]

assume there must be some advantage in using it.

Yes, it's main advantage is it's 'shelf stable' for want of better description. It can sit quite happily for years in a survival kit unaffected by seasonal temperature variations, humidity, rough handling or river dunking and still work when needed.

 

[Nice65]

They are pine scented from what I've read

Coolio! Nothing like a bit of added value to justify the price of some wax and fluff.

 

[Hammock_man]

is it's 'shelf stable'

How long before candle wax goes off?? Understand a bit of cotton wool could get damp over a year but an "Egg" of cotton wool with a wax shell works for me. Inside stays bone dry and is easy to crack open and take a spark.

 

[Monikieman]

Does anyone do makeup pads dipped in wax. I do them in a wok and we call them prawn crackers! Totaly waterproof, take a spare easy, don't cost a tenner, fantastic shelf life. Now, all I need to do is make them 'tin shaped' and find a tin!!!

I suppose there's loads of ideas but if you want one in a tin that you can reuse then......

 

[Idleknight]

First attempts

The left one was just layered cottons with beeswax on. Looks OK, but did not take a spark, not enough fluff.

The right one was the 2nd attempt, I decided to soak the cotton in a bit of ethanol, the idea being is either the ethanol would take a spark, or it would stop the cotton soaking up too much wax and being resistant to sparks. However the beeswax just formed a layer on top.

Cost wise the tins are about 50p and if I got the mixture right I could reuse them. Then its only a tiny amount of beeswax which does not cost much.

[/IMG]

 

[Toddy]

Why these specific tins ? Little vaseline tins cost about a pound or three for two. The stuff is useful, the lid fits well and the tin is robust. Nicely shaped it slips into a pocket, pack of handbag
The empty tins make really good stashes for waxed cotton pads…just dip one end and the other pulls apart excellently to take a spark or catch from a glowing ember.

Those little sliding lid rectangular tins are nice, but, see thon open flat end ? it catches on stuff and eventually it bends and snags.
Fits nicely into specially made leather holders though…..at great expense.

The old bit of rope in a metal ferule/tube works really well for a matchcord.

M

 

[Corso]

I always thought it looked more like paraffin gauze dressings in a tin to me

 

[Monikieman]

I get the OP wanting to replicate the original. It's sometimes just one of those things in your head Toddy!!

Sometimes meh heid is like a burst couch wi' ideas

 

[KenThis]

I've been meaning to get around to making something very similar myself.
I've even got the same tins.

I wanted one type to be a flat emergency beeswax candle. I'm still thinking about how to lay the wick.

The second type I wanted what you do. I haven't done it yet but I intend to use cotton wool and beeswax.
I'm either going to take a wad of cotton wool dip it in beeswax and then push it into the tin.
Or I've been thinking about some sort of arrangement where I roll a piece of dipped cotton wool around an undipped piece before putting it in the tin.

I know that cotton wool balls dipped in candlewax will take a spark after being broken open and the inner fibres teased a bit so hoping for something similar but reuseable if you can cut off the burn by closing the tin.

I'd be keen to read of any further experimenting and I'll let you know my results when I finally get round to it.

I also have a tin of live fire and I take it with me but hardly ever use it partly due to price (though I think mine was closer to £5) but partly because for me it is more for psychological rather than practical use.
I like to know that I would be able to make a fire even in an emergency whilst simultaneously knowing I am incredibly unlikely to ever be a situation where I would need to rely on sparks on the live fire.

 

[Alan 13~7]

Hi Idleknight, how about trying Kapok as the fluffy spark catcher in your "diy" live fire tins?

Kapok is a mix of lignin and cellulose a fluffy yellowish fibre which surrounds the seed pods of the Ceiba pentandra tree. The fibre is light, resistant to water & very flammable.

Kapok_seeds

It takes a spark well,

It's Readily available on ebay & cheep

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kapok-Tin...9003? hash=item43ffa6045b:g:S3gAAOSwLnlWpP4H

OK 14g's dont sound like much but its loads of fluffy for your money cos it's so light

& by shaving small curls from a small piece of fatwood you can create tinder A.K.A . Maya dust, add some Maya dust to the fire tins mix for the aroma of pine that Corso spoke of.

 

[Robson Valley]

The 'kudlik' or 'Quilliq' is the soapstone carved, blubber-fueled oil lamp/light/stove of the Inuit.
In a snow house, the lit wick might be 6-12" in length for both heat and light (nice Youtubes of Mewolf lighting one).
The wick material seems to be any of several things.
a) cotton grass tops (which look a lot like the kapok, above)
b) lichens (probably particular speceis but if so, very hard to see)
c) crude cotton string (many short pieces of maybe 1" length).

Do you suppose that the kapok could be used as a wick without being rapidly consumed?