Made up a batch last night but having used jeans material I find that it is reluctant to accept a spark from a flint and steel. Anyone else had this problem using jeans?
TIA
Stephen
TIA
Stephen
Char cloth
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Some fabrics, like denim, seem to hang onto fabric conditioner and for some reason that it makes poor charcloth.
The only other thing I find works is to *play* with the charcloth, it ought to be together enough for you to roll it about a little, very gently. That'll open up the fibres and give the spark something to catch onto.
cheers,
Toddy
The only other thing I find works is to *play* with the charcloth, it ought to be together enough for you to roll it about a little, very gently. That'll open up the fibres and give the spark something to catch onto.
cheers,
Toddy
I have used jeans and had no problems, we are in a soft water area though. I beleive the stuff in harder water can a give fireproof(resistant?) coating to materials washed in it. You could try unwashed denim or maybe rinsing in rainwater before making charcloth?
I certainly find that frequently washed materials won't catch a spark when charred. So I seek out unwashed waste cotton or linen.
I have tried to wash frequently a trial bit of cloth, but after 4 washes it was still happy to char and take a spark. So I guess it is a few more washes than that that causes my problem. (And I do live in a hard water area).
I have tried to wash frequently a trial bit of cloth, but after 4 washes it was still happy to char and take a spark. So I guess it is a few more washes than that that causes my problem. (And I do live in a hard water area).
Folks,
Can anyone advise on the best method for making charcloth? I'm thinking an old baccie tin or even a pellet tin with a pinhole in the top. Is this sensible?
Can anyone advise on the best method for making charcloth? I'm thinking an old baccie tin or even a pellet tin with a pinhole in the top. Is this sensible?
not the "only" way, or the "best" way just "My way" it works for me, and works well, I've never had charcloth made this way fail, it even worked at the summer moot with dozens of bushcrafters watching me light the "story fire"
I use a bath salts tin with a screw cap and about a 500ml capacity.
It takes two tightly rolled cotton tea-towels and works brilliantly, much to my surprise as it is quite thin walled and has/had a rubber seal strip in the lid.
I drilled a hole in the lid the same size as a small dowel stopper and placed it sideways on the BBQ!
Used two packs of fuel the first time but only since, not sure why, I may have placed it differently the first time. Now I pile the charcoal over it to thoroughly heat through.
Works extremely well and produces industrial amounts of char cloth (means I don't have to do it too often, important as SWMBO doesn't know I've done it!)
Don't know if that's of any help?:togo:
Just noticed the previous post, never thought of using dish cloth! Bet it works better than tea-towel!
Good tutorial too!
It takes two tightly rolled cotton tea-towels and works brilliantly, much to my surprise as it is quite thin walled and has/had a rubber seal strip in the lid.
I drilled a hole in the lid the same size as a small dowel stopper and placed it sideways on the BBQ!
Used two packs of fuel the first time but only since, not sure why, I may have placed it differently the first time. Now I pile the charcoal over it to thoroughly heat through.
Works extremely well and produces industrial amounts of char cloth (means I don't have to do it too often, important as SWMBO doesn't know I've done it!)
Don't know if that's of any help?:togo:
Just noticed the previous post, never thought of using dish cloth! Bet it works better than tea-towel!
Good tutorial too!
I think i posted this once. I use kerosene wick cut in sq. a shoe polish can a brasslite stove on 1/2 oz. of fuel alcohol is just the right time to do it no guessing. Any alcohol stove will work just got to know how long to keep in on.
As tadpole says there is no real way to do it. I copied his way and came up with my way to be honest, it's pretty hard to not do it right!
The advice I got was to use loose weave cloth, like the white with blue stitching dish cloths you get out of lidls etc or car polishing cloths. I used an old polo Tshirt which has little squares in it to catch a spark, I think denim may be a bit tightly woven but it should still catch if you could slash it up or rip it and loosely crumple it together.
Cheers,
Alan
The advice I got was to use loose weave cloth, like the white with blue stitching dish cloths you get out of lidls etc or car polishing cloths. I used an old polo Tshirt which has little squares in it to catch a spark, I think denim may be a bit tightly woven but it should still catch if you could slash it up or rip it and loosely crumple it together.
Cheers,
Alan
OK, I'll see what I can do with this lot...
OK so less than 1 hour later I'm a charcloth expert
...
Cloth cut to size and nail banged through the lid...
Get the fire stoked in the hobo...
About 20 mins later after the jet flame has died, the hole blocked and the lot has cooled...
Test piece lit with firesteel...
Got to say it's a simple process - even for me
Thanks guys.
OK so less than 1 hour later I'm a charcloth expert
...Cloth cut to size and nail banged through the lid...
Get the fire stoked in the hobo...
About 20 mins later after the jet flame has died, the hole blocked and the lot has cooled...
Test piece lit with firesteel...
Got to say it's a simple process - even for me
Thanks guys.
Will work fine Matt, I cook until the smoke stops coming out of the small hole in the top of the tin
^Post edited Rik ^
^Will work fine Matt, I cook until the smoke stops coming out of the small hole in the top of the tin
I knew I recognised that thing, it's neighbour is sitting beside the sink just now
it's an Ikea cutlery drainer, cost well under a fiver, iirc.
Nice tutorials gentlemen
cheers,
Toddy
it's an Ikea cutlery drainer, cost well under a fiver, iirc.
Nice tutorials gentlemen
cheers,
Toddy
Mike,
As Toddy says - it's an Ikea cutlery drainer which I think I first saw Wayland use for such a purpose.
There is another way - just by way of diversity.
Get a length of copper pipe, about 6 inches or so.
Squeeze or hammer one end flat, but leave enough room at the corners to allow the smoke out.
Roll up your piece of cloth and poke it into the open end of the pipe.
Wearing a glove, stick the pipe, open end first into the ashes/soil at the bottom of your next open fire.
Rake some embers around the pipe and wait for the smoke to start - and stop.
Rake the embers away from around the pipe and knock the pipe out of the fire to cool.
Once cool, you'll find the open end blocked with a plug of soil and ashes which will knock out - followed by the roll of charcloth which will have shrunk inside the pipe so doesn't get stuck.
I'm almost tempted to make something a little more involved - in which you can make the charcloth and store it, airtight, for some time!
Ogri the trog
Get a length of copper pipe, about 6 inches or so.
Squeeze or hammer one end flat, but leave enough room at the corners to allow the smoke out.
Roll up your piece of cloth and poke it into the open end of the pipe.
Wearing a glove, stick the pipe, open end first into the ashes/soil at the bottom of your next open fire.
Rake some embers around the pipe and wait for the smoke to start - and stop.
Rake the embers away from around the pipe and knock the pipe out of the fire to cool.
Once cool, you'll find the open end blocked with a plug of soil and ashes which will knock out - followed by the roll of charcloth which will have shrunk inside the pipe so doesn't get stuck.
I'm almost tempted to make something a little more involved - in which you can make the charcloth and store it, airtight, for some time!
Ogri the trog
Airtight? So will I ruin my char-cloth by keeping it in the char-tin (avec hole) in my tinder pack?
I don't think so, I have kept my char cloth in the same tin as it was made, and never had a problem, my char-cloth is a bit too 'Fragile' to not keep it in a tin of some kind, so it seems logical to me to keep it in the tin it was made, I wrap the tin in a plastic bag, but just to keep the soot off of all my other gear, and of course in the event of a real downpour, its no use if its wet
Yep.
I keep mine in the shed. In a plastic bag or a closed glass jar it does fine. Anything else starts failing me as the weather goes damp and cold. But, if you are using a Swedish fire steel it isn't so bad as if using true flint and steel.
Well my tinder pack stays inside the house when I'm not out camping. I think though I'll use a cigarette filter as a plug for the hole to be sure.
Thanks guys.
Thanks guys.
