As you said a bit further up the A12. Didn't get to do it as they were on their bikes playing. Didn't want to stop them from burning off excess energy. Will be trying it tonight instead so will let you know how it goes.
Pete.
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Wish me luck!
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As you said a bit further up the A12. Didn't get to do it as they were on their bikes playing. Didn't want to stop them from burning off excess energy. Will be trying it tonight instead so will let you know how it goes.
Pete.
Again it almost didn't happen, oldest had homework. He had to do interesting sentences using his spelling words whilst combining adjectile phrases with connectives and similies. I don't even know what that means - poor kid, he's only 8 and he's not even half way through school.
Anyway after finishing his four sentences we prep'ed for making the fire. We used cotton wool balls that were dipped in wax then used the fire steel and hacksaw blade to light it up. We also had our little twigs at the ready plus some other large twigs.
Here are his efforts:
Preparation.
First attempts at lighting
It's alight
A bit more alight
Dropping it into the hobo stove
Well and truly going now and a happy little face - well done Austin.
Anyway after finishing his four sentences we prep'ed for making the fire. We used cotton wool balls that were dipped in wax then used the fire steel and hacksaw blade to light it up. We also had our little twigs at the ready plus some other large twigs.
Here are his efforts:
Preparation.
First attempts at lighting
It's alight
A bit more alight
Dropping it into the hobo stove
Well and truly going now and a happy little face - well done Austin.
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Nice work that man 
I have another session coming up next week with a primary school group.
I'll use the same charcloth/sawdust/hay nest and see how they get on.
Incidentally, I was watching one of Ray's DVD's on a plane yesterday and on the opening sequence he is clearly using his firesteel with the bevel of his knife, not the back.
Does anyone else do that? I was shown (and use) to use the back edge, partly because you don't soil the bevel with soot.
I have another session coming up next week with a primary school group.
I'll use the same charcloth/sawdust/hay nest and see how they get on.
Incidentally, I was watching one of Ray's DVD's on a plane yesterday and on the opening sequence he is clearly using his firesteel with the bevel of his knife, not the back.
Does anyone else do that? I was shown (and use) to use the back edge, partly because you don't soil the bevel with soot.
I thought that too - but if you look realy closely it is the spine of the knife...it is just the light/camera angle...only a goon would use the blade edge...
Yesterday afternoon was my second session working with kids; another primary school group.
I'd got my patter worked out a bit more and when I called my firesteel a "Dragon's Sneeze" it caught their imagination!
I used the same format as last time, me showing them a simple sawdust/hay nest with a charcloth "egg" in it, along with a message about always watching your fire and making sure you put it out properly.
I also learned not to take anything for granted in terms of their abilities, as a couple of them really struggled to get sparks with the firesteel. I was working with them collectively, but only lighting one fire at a time, and as luck would have it the young lad who was struggling most was the first one of the group to try it. As I was not going to let him fail, the rest of the group had to sit and wait for him (which they did), and when he finally cracked it I think I was as pleased as he was.
I definitely chose the right activity for young children; it needs a little bit of technique but can be mastered and is rewarding when they do it.
I've been very lucky so far; great weather and two great groups of kids. Watch out for my later posts after encountering bolshy teenagers (as I will do some time).
I'd got my patter worked out a bit more and when I called my firesteel a "Dragon's Sneeze" it caught their imagination!
I used the same format as last time, me showing them a simple sawdust/hay nest with a charcloth "egg" in it, along with a message about always watching your fire and making sure you put it out properly.
I also learned not to take anything for granted in terms of their abilities, as a couple of them really struggled to get sparks with the firesteel. I was working with them collectively, but only lighting one fire at a time, and as luck would have it the young lad who was struggling most was the first one of the group to try it. As I was not going to let him fail, the rest of the group had to sit and wait for him (which they did), and when he finally cracked it I think I was as pleased as he was.
I definitely chose the right activity for young children; it needs a little bit of technique but can be mastered and is rewarding when they do it.
I've been very lucky so far; great weather and two great groups of kids. Watch out for my later posts after encountering bolshy teenagers (as I will do some time).
This coming Saturday (10th), is the site Open Day for the project I volunteer with.
We are expecting 40 or so people from 10 local primary schools and I am on fire lighting activity duty.
After the contextual stuff about why we show youngsters how to light fires in the woods, followed by the fire/combustion cycle and fire safety I have all my toys ready to go:
Birch bark
Cramp balls
Clematis down
Reed mace seed head
Dry hay
Modern firesteel
Flint and steel
Charcloth
Pump Drill
Bow Drill
"Giant Bow Drill" designed to be worked standing up by a team of 5 youngsters. The cord is wrapped and pulled by large toggles, the bearing block is a seasoned Ash branch which can be easily held by small hands.
Fire extinguisher....
Hopefully there will be some action shots I can post later; so far the weather is looking to be dry.
This will be the first time I've done any demos to/with a large audience including adults, hence including the friction kit. The showoff in me is looking forward to it so I hope I don't mess up!
We are expecting 40 or so people from 10 local primary schools and I am on fire lighting activity duty.
After the contextual stuff about why we show youngsters how to light fires in the woods, followed by the fire/combustion cycle and fire safety I have all my toys ready to go:
Birch bark
Cramp balls
Clematis down
Reed mace seed head
Dry hay
Modern firesteel
Flint and steel
Charcloth
Pump Drill
Bow Drill
"Giant Bow Drill" designed to be worked standing up by a team of 5 youngsters. The cord is wrapped and pulled by large toggles, the bearing block is a seasoned Ash branch which can be easily held by small hands.
Fire extinguisher....
Hopefully there will be some action shots I can post later; so far the weather is looking to be dry.
This will be the first time I've done any demos to/with a large audience including adults, hence including the friction kit. The showoff in me is looking forward to it so I hope I don't mess up!
So, how did it go???? I'm dying to see some pics. It is a brave thing to do with kids, not sure i could handle it but i suppose when you get on a roll you kind of pick up the game a bit and it gets easier, i know it does with adults!
I love the "Dragons sneeze".
I love the "Dragons sneeze".
It went really well, thanks.
I was working like a mad thing from about 11.00 until 5.00; once one person came over and took an interest it kind of snowballed and I had youngsters and adults alike all getting stuck in. By the end of it my kit looked like there'd been a riot and I had been looted!
Every method was tried/used and I was very impressed with a father/daughter team who got an ember with the bow drill at the first attempt; obviously their instructor must have been a bit good...There was a father/son team using the "giant standing up drill kit" who also cracked it first go. The younger kids all took to the dragons sneeze/charcloth, whilst some of the older ones and the adults all cracked using the flint and steel.
As I was so busy I didn't take any pics, but I know that there are at least two good ones of the pump drill and stand up drill in action, so I need to get those off the camera of the other volunteer who took them. I'm back on site for two days this week so hopefully over the weekend I'll put them up.
One thing I learned from the day was that two people are needed to run a session like that otherwise all your charcloth disappears as kids come back for another go!
It took me a while to get them, but here are a couple of shots of how I spend some of my time:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1184/firedemo1.jpg
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6851/pumpdrillaction.jpg
There are lots of others but they all show the faces of the kids I was working with so I thought I'd err on the side of caution. Paranoid, I know but there you go.
I am now well set up with iron pyrite and amadou, so was maybe thinking of dressing more appropriately next time...
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1184/firedemo1.jpg
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6851/pumpdrillaction.jpg
There are lots of others but they all show the faces of the kids I was working with so I thought I'd err on the side of caution. Paranoid, I know but there you go.
I am now well set up with iron pyrite and amadou, so was maybe thinking of dressing more appropriately next time...
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