18th Century Period Fire Lighting Methods. Ebook.

Authors, historical, living history, authenticity, flint and steel, burning glass, reading glass, fire-bow, Mountain men, woodsmen, woodsrunners, books, reading, experimental archaeology, plant tinder, fungi tinder, tinderbox, fire lighting, 18th century, 17th century, 19th century, survival, Indians, primitive, fur trade, French and Indian War, Revolution, historical trekking, long term wilderness living, colonial, Australia, North America, cooking, heating, Reenacting, Reenactment, 

Primitive Fire Lighting-Flint & Steel & Fire Bow.

Title: Primitive Fire Lighting
ID: 9784776
Category: History
Description: “Primitive Fire Lighting”, is a hands on guide to how to make fire with flint and steel and fire bow. This includes some history, a variety of methods, tinder plants identification, and tinder production, tips on fire place construction and use, how to prepare and lay a fire, wet weather fire lighting and magnifying glass fire lighting. The skills and methods in this book will be of interest to a wider range of readers including survivalists, historical re-enactors, bush-walkers and campers, historical–trekkers and even historical novel writers. Although the plant identifications list is mainly Australian it also has some information for England, Europe and America.
Publisher: Keith H. Burgess
Copyright Year: © 2010
Language: English
Country: Australia

Table of Contents
Illustrations. 4
FOREWORD. 6
FLINT AND STEEL FIRE LIGHTING. 8
PLANT FIBRE TINDERS: 11
TINDER PREPARATION. 15
Tinder preparation-charring: 15
OTHER FLINT and STEEL FIRE LIGHTING METHODS: 16
Emergency methods: 17
A WORD ABOUT BLACK POWDER: 17
THE CAMPFIRE FIREPLACE: 18
READING GLASS/MAGNIFYING GLASS FIRE LIGHTING 20
WET WEATHER FIRE LIGHTING. 21
A FINAL WORD OF CAUTION. 23
FIRE-BOW FIRE LIGHTING. 24
Introduction 24
FIRE-BOW FIRE LIGHTING. 25
A Brief Overview. 25
The Parts of the Fire-bow. 26
The Bow. 26
The Drill Piece. 27
The Fireboard. 29
The Tinder-board. 30
The Bearing Block. 31
The Bowstring. 32
Tinder. 32
Making Fire. 32
Making Cordage. 37
The Step for making Cordage. 38
AFTERWORD. 40
Fire steel suppliers. 45
About the author. 45

5.83" x 8.26", saddle-stitch binding, white interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (100# weight), full-colour exterior ink.
Cost: Book $11.00 US. Plus P&P. Download $7.00 US

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Trekking Finds. Foraging. Fire, Food & Drink.

We left early this morning on a scout, it was overcast but I saw no immediate threat of rain. We travelled up over Dragon's Tol & went as far as Hazard Valley, the latter named for a close family friend who went under before he could get his cabin built in that valley. These attached images are from this scout.

This is a Polypore Bracket Fungus, likely a Lietiporus Portentosus or Ryvardenia Cretacea, they can be difficult to tell apart, but both make excellent tinder & are worth collecting if you are getting low on tinder.

This is another Polypore Bracket Fungus that grows in the North, America & England I believe. This is Piptoporus Betulinus or Birch Polypore.

An Australian Native Bee hive in a dead tree (New England NSW). Honey is a good food, can be added to water & keeps for years, & it has antiseptic properties & can be used on open wounds.

These native bees have no sting.

Goonagurra/Grass Tree, Kangaroo Tail, or Yacca. There is a similar plant that grows in America known as Yucca. This Yacca plant cant be used for making spear shafts, you can suck on the nectar or put the flowers in water to make a tasty drink. Natives have been known to let this ferment to make an alcoholic drink. The ends of the leaves once pulled can be eaten & the sap can be used as a glue. When the flower stems have dried, the inner core makes good tinder. Dried leaves makes excellent light kindling.

Fire Lighting Problem-Not Enough Tinder.

One of the problems I have noticed of late is people having trouble making fire with flint and steel. Either the kindling is damp, or hard to take fire. In either case the problem has been a lack of enough tinder.
Instead of blowing and blowing until all the tinder is spent, add more tinder to your smouldering tinder. This tinder does not have to be prepared, you can just add a plant tinder as is and it will char when in contact with the smoulding tinder you are already using. This will add heat, it will also last longer until the kindling has caught fire.

Uncharred Bracket Fungus added to my tinderbox.

Uncharred Punk Wood added to my tinderbox.

Plant Tinders 4. Final.

Plant Tinders Part 3.

Flint and Steel Fire lighting Without Charred Cloth.

A Scouting Trip.

Last weekend my wife and I had to go scouting for wood. Being a forest and not woodland the trees are fairly close together so we had to find a route where by we could get the wagon in. We could have gone up the flats in the bottom of the valley, but there is a header stream that runs through this valley and the ground is soft and easily damaged.
We cut our way through to each fire wood source as we went, and occasionally stopped to take in the view and see what we could find. These images are from that fire wood scouting trip.

Ryvardenia Cretacea, a bracket fungi used as tinder. This one on a Stringybark Tree.

On the ground beneath the same tree we found another bracket fungi from last year which had fallen from the tree.

Two more bracket fungi growing on a Mountain Gum.

In the cleft in this Stringybark Tree, center of photo, is a bees nest.

A section of bark has been removed from this tree with an iron axe. Possibly to make a shelter or a cover for something.

There are three scars around this tree where it looks as though it has been cut with a stone axe, taking off two sections of bark. The third cut is quite high, so someone would have had to climb this tree to remove this bark.

Fire Steel versus Ferrocerium Rod.

Some people do not realise that there is a difference between a ferrocerium rod and a traditional fire steel used in flint and steel fire lighting. With this short article I hope to correct this misunderstanding so that new comers to 18th century living history are not misled.

The Ferrocerium Rod.

(1) A ferrocerium rod is not made of steel. Despite being advertised as a "fire steel", it is NOT a fire steel. A ferrocerium rod is made from manufactured flint material, much like the flint in a cigarette lighter.

(2) A person will learn little of fire lighting lore from using a ferrocerium rod unless they study other fire lighting methods. A ferrocium rod will light any small kindling material providing it is dry. It will not light a candle.

(3) If a ferrocium rod is dropped, it can break. The shorter the pieces of broken ferrocerium rod, the less affective its capacity to make fire.

(4) Skill wise, using a ferrocerium rod requires no more skill or knowledge than using a cigarette lighter or matches.

(5) Ferrocerium rod users often carry a limitied supply of cotton balls and other types of prepared kindling materials. When these are used, they cannot be re-used. This type of kindling is not readily available in a wilderness situation.

(6) The use of a ferrocerium rod relies on having a piece of steel or a knife in order to create sparks.

The Fire Steel.

(1) A fire steel is made from carbon steel and creates sparks when struck correctly by a hard sharp edged rock such as flint; chert, agate, quartz or other similar rock types.

(2) Using flint and steel leads to learning more about plant tinders and fire lore in general. The method of using flint and steel for making fire goes back several hundred years.

(3) If you drop a fire steel it is not likely to break, but if it does it can still be used for making fire.

(4) It takes a certain skill to use a flint and steel for fire lighting, it also requires some knowledge of plant tinders and different kindling types. Users of flint and steel tend to be more dedicated to research and experimentation and are better prepared for making fire in all weather conditions.

(5) Tinder is always carried along with a flint and steel. Tinder can be used to light a candle and a lit candle can be used to light damp kindling.

(6) Tinder plants are found in the outdoors and they are easily prepared. By using a tinderbox the tinder lasts longer and if you collect a fresh supply of tinder plant material whenever you see it you will never run out.

Simple Woodcraft Experiments 1 from Buzzard Bushcraft.

http://buzzardbushcraft.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/simple-woodcraft-experiments-1.html?showComment=1330399120693

Primitive Fire Lighting-Flint & Steel & Fire-Bow. 30% OFF!

Primitive Firelighting
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“Primitive Fire Lighting”, is a hands on guide to how to make fire with flint and steel and fire bow. This includes some history, a variety of methods, tinder plants identification, and tinder production, tips on fire place construction and use, how to prepare and lay a fire, wet weather fire lighting and magnifying glass fire lighting. The skills and methods in this book will be of interest to a wider range of readers including survivalists, historical re-enactors, bush-walkers and campers, historical–trekkers and even historical novel writers. Although the plant identifications list is mainly Australian it also has some information for England, Europe and America.                                          

Part Five. A Closer Look At Flint and Steel Fire Lighting.

Kindling versus Tinders.

There has to be some division between tinder and kindling, otherwise it can become very confusing for the beginner. Tinder is a plant material that will catch and hold a spark struch from a steel with a sharp edged hard rock such as flint, agate, quartz or similar rock.

Kindling is the material that takes fire. This can be dry grass, coconut fibre, teased stringybark, dry leaves, teased rope or similar fibres which are used to take flame from the smouldering tinder. Kindling is also small twigs, sticks, dead dried grass tree foliage, wood shaving created with your knife, feather sticks also created with your knife or any similar dead dried plant material.

A selection of steels including a piece of a metal file files smooth on both edges, and a selection of siliceous rocks L-R quartz, agate, English flint, Australian flint, an English gun flint, and another piece of agate.

TINDER. Ryvardenia Cretacia, a bracket fungus that grows in Australia.

TINDER. Cattail seed head, called Cumbungi in Australia, but grows in Ireland, Scotland, England and Europe.

KINDLING. The teased fibres of the outer bark of the Stringybark tree.

KINDLING. Dried grass.

KINDLING. Sisal rope fibres.

KINDLING. Dried leaves.

Normally when preparing to make fire it is wise to collect at least three sizes of kindling in three different piles, the light kindling such as dreid grass etc, small twigs or similar, and larger sticks. Once your fire is going well, you can add some larger wood to keep the fire going and produce some real heat for warmth, drying clothing, or cooking.

In the same way as the kindling types above are easily recognisable as being similar to one another, so are the tinder types and rocks. Once you know what you are looking for, new tinders, rocks and kindling types will be easier to identify/find.

Part Three. A Closer Look At Flint & Steel Fire Lighting.

What do I do if my tinder is damp or wet?

Well there are several things you can do, but the best advice I can give is don't let it get wet in the first place, and always carry extra spare tinder in your pack.

1)You can dry it in the sun, or you can put some in the fork of a low twig in a tree and let the breeze dry it.
2)You can use a sewing needle to pin it to a tree so it will dry in the sun and or breeze.
3)If it is raining place some tinder inside your frock so it will dry on the material and from your body heat.
4) sprinkle some gunpowder on the tinder and strike sparks on that (keep hands and face clear of upward flash!).

What can I do if there is no dry kindling to start a fire?

1) There usually is dry kindling to find if you know where to look and know what you are looking for. Dry leaves, grass and twigs can often be found under fallen trees and even in hollow trees. DO NOT dismiss single leaves or strands of dry grass. Collect everything and keep it dry.
2) Check dead branches still on the tree. These often dry first in the wind oir breeze. Some may even have the dead leaves still attached.
3) Always carry a candle with you which you can light from your tinderbox by dripping the wax on to the smouldering tinder and blow into flame. This lit candle can then be placed underneath damp kindling twigs so they will dry out and take fire.

This is my greased lether fire bag. In this I keep some small amount of dry kindling grass and twigs, a candle stub, and my tinderbox.

I carry my fire bag inside my greased leather belt pouch. The fire steel is tied to the buckle so it cannot become mislaid or lost.

This is another type of fire bag carried seperately on a strap over the shoulder. It is made of leather and is greased, but it will admit water if it is submerged. Note the candle that is carried in this bag, and again, the steel is tied to the bag.

This is one of three gunpowder wallets or bags that I own. At least one is always carried in my knapsack. When this greased wallet is empty of gunpowder, I use it to contain spare tinder (This is documented).

“   takes fire readily from the spark of a steel: but it is much improved by being kept dry in a bag that has contained gunpowder.”

Samuel Hearne, Northern Canada, 1772

 “Fierce winds and blowing snow reduced the men to huddling among large rocks, unable even to start a fire.”

Samuel Hearne, Canada, 1770.

“This induced me to resolve not to travel more by land without my gun, powder and shot, steel, spunge  (punk wood) and flint, for striking a fire…”

Patrick Campbell, 1792.

I am having trouble getting the sparks to hit the tinder.

1) Make sure you are striking the steel a downward blow with the flint, NOT striking the flint with the steel.

2) The sparks come from the steel, not from the flint.

3) Make sure you are not holding the steel too high above the tinderbox. If you are having trouble hitting the tinderbox with your hand, then you need more practice and more control. 

Part Two. A Closer Look At Flint and Steel Fire Lighting.

This is my brass tinderbox which I carry with me when in the woods. NOTE, it does NOT have a hole in the lid. A hole in the lid would only let in damp and ruin the tinder inside. The tinderbox is used to prepare plant tinders, but you do not need a hole in the lid, and you DO NOT place the tinderbox in the fire.

Tinder is prepared by simply charring directly in the fire on the end of a pointed stick. Once charred on the outside ONLY, it is placed in the tinderbox and the lid is closed to smother the smouldering tinder.

The misconception regarding the hole in the lid comes from the item below.

Above is a tin used for charring linen or cotton cloth. You will note it has a hole in the lid with a twig stuck in it. This is a modern invention, NOT a period one. In the 18th century charred tow rag was used in the homes, rarely in the wilderness. A person travelling from his/her home may well use charred tow rag in their tinderbox, but a woodsman or woods woman would not.

Amadou was also sold to households in England and Europe by tinder sellers. In this case the Amadou was treated with potasium nitrate to aid in its catching a spark.

Tow rag was charred directly in the fire, placed in the tinderbox, then smothered by placing an inner lid on top of the tinder. The same type of preparation was done using wooden tinderboxes. 

18th Century Historical Trekking. PART TWO. VIDEO.

Kangaroo Dung As Tinder.

Not the best tinder to use, but there is plenty of it about if you can't find anything else. However, I have only used it with reading glass fire lighting.

The lighter dung in the far left pile is what to look for. It is more sun bleached than the other two piles.

A good one!

And some more.

But would you see it on the trail? This is where observation & experience count, it is not something you start practicing when you urgently need to find some tinder.

I found this punk wood beside the trail. Not all punk wood, but enough around the wood to use for making fire, & better than Kangaroo dung.

It actually took longer to make fire than this video shows, but I had to edit. Regardless it did work.

I DID IT! Quote from a satisfied member.

Recently I joined a forum called Aussies Living Simply, & as is my want I started a discussion called Fire Without Matches. After a lot of questions & advice given, one of the members posted the following message.

I did it, I charred the punkwood as instructed, turning it into tinder, then using my home made steel and a pice of quartz that I collected from an old mine, made a spark, caught it with the tinder and then blew it into a flame..........and just to prove to myself that it wasn't a fluke, I did it again....and again, yep pretty happy with myself right now.

Thanks Keith.

For me, I guess this is part of why I like blogging & sharing. I just love it when it all comes together.

And Another!

docfire said...

Let this make you happier Keith, I just did the same thing yesterday, based on your instruction. Annealed a file and ground it down before rehardening, and used the charred punk and quartz also. I'm in Alaska, if that lets you know how universal the technique is. Thanks, I love the blog.

18th Century Reading Glass Fire Lighting.

Gunpowder Tinder Fire Lighting. AND Reruns!

I am going to be posting my videos here for a while, some of them if not all of them, some of you have seen before. BUT, there are new people following this blog now who may not have seen these videos, and despite my best efforts to get the information out there, I am still recieving emails asking how do I do this & that.

One lady wrote & said "I am confused (you & me both Lady!), I thought fat wood was kindling not tinder!?" Well of course she was right, fat wood is kindling & NOT tinder. But the person advising her was using a ferocium rod & calling it flint & steel (Arrrrrg!!!). So for those of you who are into traditional ways & primitive ways, I will commence to post my videos.

What Is Tinder, & What Is Kindling?

What is Tinder, & What is Kindling?



Please note that what I am talking about here is traditional materials, materials used in the making of fire with Flint, Steel & Tinderbox. ( I am NOT in any way referring to materials used in the making of fire using the modern ferocerium rod ).


TINDER.


Tinder is a plant material that will catch & hold a spark from flint & steel. It can also be used to transfer an ember from the fire-board of a fire-bow. The dust created during the function of a fire-bow is also tinder.

KINDLING.


Kindling is the material that actually takes fire when brought in contact with smouldering tinder. Dried grass, teased Stringybark bark, coconut fibre, teased natural rope, a birds nest made of fine natural materials often including the aforementioned plant materials. Kindling is also small twigs & sticks used in the initial making of fire.


The so called “tinder nest” is NOT tinder in the true sense of the word, it is kindling. Fat wood is NOT tinder in the true sense of the word, it is kindling. Neither of these plant materials will catch & hold a spark struck from flint & steel.