Instructions on How to Make Charcloth for Firemaking Using Flint+steel or Firestick.

by garethllewelyn

11K3820

Intro: Instructions on How to Make Charcloth for Firemaking Using Flint+steel or Firestick.

If you have no matches or lighter you may need to create fire the old fashioned way
The sparks from your FLINT + STEEL need something to catch on to become an ember .
A SMALL LOSE WAD OF CHARCLOTH IS ALSO THE BEST THING LOADED INTO THE RECESS ON THE END OF A FIRSTICK PLUNGER
This ember is usually clean cotton cloth charred without oxygen like charcoal to become charcloth.
The clean burned out tin is pierced with a small hole and around 20 pieces of cotton loosely packed inside.
The lid is fitted and tin loaded onto low embers of fire for as long as smoke comes out of the hole (5-15 mins approx)
Pointed stick is inserted into hole as tin is removed from embers to stop air entering tin.
It will be hot, careful not to touch with fingers or hands use gloves and or tongs.
When cool, charcloth is removed and kept in airtight/watertight container for storage.
When struck by sparks or heated by compressed air in firestick, charcloth will smoulder until placed in a ball of tinder (fluffed up jute string is good) and blown upwards on to ignite tinderinto a little ball of flame.
Don`t blow downards as the tinder will burn you when it ignites.

STEP 1: Cooling and Blocking Hole in Tin.

Resist the temptation to peek inside untill tin cool or all will be lost.

STEP 2: End Product, Cloth Still in Sheets and Not Powdered Ash.

This is cool tin with the top off and charcloth inside ready for storing in airtight container.

STEP 3: Firestick and Tinder Ready for Glowing Ember.

The firesick works by compressing air so much that the charcloth in the recess at the end of the plunger starts to glow.

20 Comments

foo23220 15 years ago

Socks work well for char cloth. Even though they often have some other trace materials in them. They are thick, cheap, and everyone has a pair with a hole in them.

bears0 13 years ago

i dont haha i throw my socks with holes away

garethllewelyn 13 years ago

HoDe Ho...Get some more at the thrift store...!

spylock 14 years ago

Has anyone tried dryer lint?

garethllewelyn 14 years ago

No I havn`t...so long as the lint is not from synthetic material it might be good but it will still need the low oxygen charring to work as tinder, best use old cotton t shirt.

spylock 14 years ago

Yea,I use my used gunpatches,they work really well,but youre right I forgot about the synthetic stuff in most lint.

Hunter4000695 15 years ago

can you use jeans? I have a old pair that can't be givin to good will. so I was wondering if I can put them to good use

rownhunt 15 years ago

jeans work the best!

fallenspirit123 15 years ago

where did you get uor fire piston? its really cool looking!!!

garethllewelyn 15 years ago

Try Ebay or google fire piston for links to venders...G Hope you don`t mind me saying that uor is spelled "your"...regards, G

fallenspirit123 15 years ago

I like your fore piston/ fire piston, they look cool

oops56 16 years ago

I use 3/4 kerosene wick cut in squares. for mine a lot stronger

frogman5452 16 years ago

Great instructions. We have been making a slightly different "Char Cloth" by soaking coffee filters in a Potassium Nitrate solution and then drying them. They catch a spark very well and flame almost instantly.

gamer 16 years ago

whats a firestick? nice idea, by the way.

garethllewelyn 16 years ago

Google this and see that you can make one or buy one It`s a plunger with charcloth on the end that ignites under pressure. Think bike pump getting hot or a compression ignition engine that you can operate by hand. (diesel engine) Will help some more if needed...G

Aklash, The hunchback 16 years ago

i used to be abel to make it really really well but then i sorta lost the knack of it