View Full Version : Firepistons
I have been looking at getting hold of a fire piston, but being rather short on cash :-) I was hoping to try and make one.
I was wondering if anyone else had any experience of making fire pistons (or a source for extremely cheap ones :wink:
the only real instructions I've found so far are these:
The Fire Piston (http://www.onagocag.com/piston.html)
Any comments etc greatly appreciated!
I've made a few with some success.... I used bamboo.... double skinned so to speak (thin bamboo epoxied inside a thicker bit) with a wooden plug epoxied into the end to make the cylinder.... and a hardwood dowl for the piston with a wooden cap on the end for the plunger and a small hole for the char cloth to fit in the other end.
You must make sure the bore is dead straight..... use a thin dowl and wet and dry to get it smooth and straight. Make sure your seal is air tight (use a little grease or fat) :-)
They are not great, and i can't get them to light first time..... but you just remove the piston quickly to get more oxygen in .... replace it and give it another whack!!! sometimes it takes a couple of goes at this before the char cloth is lit..... but they do work.
:biggthump
Ed
Check this out (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=72&highlight=pistons)
and this (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=2300&highlight=pistons)
and this (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=3107&highlight=pistons) :biggthump
im sure you will find something there.. let us know how it goes!
also you might want to drop Jeff Wanger (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/member.php?u=164) a PM he owns www.firepistions.com and is the man in the know when it comes to these things
Jeff also used to sell fire piston kits that you can make up yourself ;-)
Ed