I am a scout leader for 11 year old scouts. I wanted a fun activity to do with them for our meeting. I remembered making tinder kits when I was young with laundry lint, wax, and egg carton. I wanted to do something similar to that. I searched youtube and came up with wax cotton balls. I bought some cheap candles, cotton balls, and some boxes of matches at the dollar store. Next I went to a pharmacy and asked if I could buy a few pill bottles (they charged me .25 cents each). We chopped up the candles and melted them on low heat. While this was happening we discussed the importance of tinder and why you should have some with you. After the wax was melted I had the scouts dip the cotton balls (you will need tongs or needle nose pliers) and set them on a tray to dry. After they were dry we went outside with one waxed cottonball and one plain cotton ball. We set the untreated cotton ball on fire and timed how long it burned (about 20 seconds). Next we lit a waxed cottonball and timed it (we didn't let it burn out, we put it out at 2 min.) When the boys got cold we told them to put it out. The two boys could not blow it out. After failing to blow it out they covered it with snow. These cotton balls create an awesome little flame! The activity took about an hour (which was perfect!). Fun little project to do with your kids. Makes a cheap and awesome addition to your back pack. I sent the kids home with a pill bottle stuffed with waxed cotton balls and a box of matches inside of a ziplock bag (for water resistance). I did let the parents know that I had given their children matches.

Saw that............great thing to have around.

If you have an old empty wood or plastic thread spool.........
place 1-2 rubber bands through the middle.
Take two used wood matches (or safe) and go through the loop ends of the rubber bands on each side of the spool.

Break one short enough to be inside the side surface area of the spool and wind up the long one and then place down onto a flat surface.

the unit should travel.................

the short match may need to be anchored with a small nail or pin, to work at its best.

Can we have a pic!!?

link

If you search U-tube there is a video on using straws to make water tight containers for cotton balls and other things.

I have taken a toilet paper tube and shredded paper, stuff the paper inside the tube and pour melted wax into the tube. makes a great fire starter.

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Carpriver.

We used to take a strip of newspaper (remember newspapers?), couple of inches wide, and the length of the page. Roll it up. You end up with something about as thick as a cigar and a couple of inches long. Tie a piece of string around the middle, to keep it rolled.

We used either binders-twine (which is made of sisal)

https://www.google.com/search?q=bind...w=1024&bih=605

or cotton "postal string". You want a natural fiber.

You'd drop these little newspaper bundles in a pan of melted paraffin. Fish 'em out with a fork and let 'em dry on wax paper.

They make great firestarters.

If you are going to melt wax, you really should use a double boiler. "Low heat" is a wonderful idea, but a double boiler cannot get hotter than 212.

If Mama don't like the idea of candle wax in her cooking pan, use a tin can sitting in a pot of water.

We used a 3-pound coffee can, but they are something else that, pretty much, does not exist any more. Like newspapers.

Added: when you tie them, you leave a little tail of string, couple of inches long. That acts as a wick, to make lighting them easier.

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I always take precautions

Another quick and easy one is cotton balls or lint balls from the dryer dipped in petroleum jelly then stuffed into old 35mm film canisters or the like. They light quick and will easily get a fire going.

Great thread.

Takes me back to my days as a Cubmaster/Scout Leader.

OP - Thanks for all you do for our youth.

YiS

Rich
Eagle Patrol

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Take your time, fast. J.Hughes

Thanks Nevada Ed for providing the description, and nocheesue4u for providing the video link. I see now what you're talking about -- it's a toy, and pretty cool too!. Got to admit, though, that your post's placement in the thread led me to believe this thing was going to be some sort of flaming chariot!!!!

Maybe if we dip the thing in wax and figure a way to strike one of those matches....

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Ed,
Thanks for the memories. I distinctly remember my dad making those for me when I was a little boy, he called them a "Tractor". I will guess that has been in the neighborhood of about 58 years ago. I'll have to make one myself in the next day or so.


terry

Here is an idea for another fire project. Fire Pistons. They should enjoy it, learn a little physics and end up with a nifty fire starter. These type fire starters were common in parts of Vietnam. Pretty simple and these instructions work.
Illustrated & Detailed Guide To Making A Fire Piston

I personally use some commercial fire starter, some waxed matches and some course sand paper for my in the sticks emergency fire starter. Take the sandpaper and cut it so it fits in a plastic snooze can lid. Shape the fire starter so it fits in the bottom and leaves a 3/4" gap side to side in the center. Place the matches in this slot. Turn the sandpaper rough side to the lid, close it up and then give it a couple wraps of colored electrical tape and leave a doubled over easy to grasp end. Fits in your pocket and will stay in good shape forever. Worked for me one Dec when my brother and I flipped a canoe over in a slushy river trapping. Soaked, bitter cold and going to be in real trouble. Had a fire going quick without having to look for tiny dry stuff. Maybe saved our rears. I call it Jim's Sure Fire. Patent pending of course.

Have you considered pencil sharpener shavings as a tinder, they to will absorb petroleum jelly or bees wax.

terry

How about a balloon powered boat?

I bought one for our granddaughter, the way her mother acted, you would have thought I gave her a loaded 629.

I guess balloons are a no, no,,,,,,,,,,,

New parents do not like the toys of our youth.

Just what is wrong with a half pound of lump carbide??

This just looks like so much fun!!



What is wrong with 30,000 cubic feet of acetylene?

Thanks for the fire-starter tips. Since most of my camping has been done on motorcycle trips, I have never had to rely on tinder. A motorcycle carries its own supply of "tinder".

Our usual method was "the desert candle": Cut the top off a beer can, about a third of the way down. (A moto-camper will always have a beer can.) Fill it half full of gasoline. Build your fire (tepee or log cabin style) around it and light the gas. It will burn slowly enough to light all your wood, even long enough to dry out wet wood.

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Not in jail.

While you, on the other hand, will burn up in a New York minute!

You are kidding about the gasoline, right? Please tell me you are!

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Each year, we give each other small gifts at the office. Since the staff are all field biologists (except our one admin girl), I try to make mine something field oriented, such as a Cabela's multi-tool (on sale for $4.99==gotta be around $5), or a pocket flashlight.

This fall, I inherited some money and expanded my Ruger and Colt (and a couple of Smiths) collection. One thing I did was match my sidearms with a matching, quality knife and a fire-striker (all buffalo horn handled for instance). These are field guns, not show and tell.

Well, I bought a slew of strikers from Knives-ship-free. Ran about a buck apiece, if I remember. A short piece of shed antler for a handle. Buffed a little. Put it in an Altoid tin, painted Hunter Orange, together with a cotton ball, a small piece of candle, a short section of hacksaw blade for a striker, some sisal twine and a small box of all weather matches.

One biologist is just introducing his son to hunting and wants to make one for him.

Potassium permanganate and Glycerin work a treat too.
Angel hair steel wool and 9 volt batteries are another good one.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

It works just like I said. Burns like a candle. I didn't believe it until I saw it. Don't kick it over, though, or you could have a problem.

And park the motorbikes well back from the fire.

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Not in jail.

Orange ceramic flower pot full of powdered aluminum and a bunch of sparklers to light it. There will be plenty of hot left even after it burns through a couple of inches of steel. Weeeeeeee, I love stuff that burns ad booms. The carbide will start a toasty fire alright.

Parents now days, my old man was always showing us boys how to make interesting things happen. But, somehow I think that I wouldn't last much longer as a scout leader than my brother did. It wasn't that big a fire. As he said nobody was hurt and whats a small tent and a few sleeping bags LOL

PS. when showing kids how to warm the ground by building a fire on it first, make double sure they move ALL the coals before they setup on it.

He must have a diesel motorcycle.

Hey nocheese, while I spent some 20 odd years as a scout master I think I showed just about every kind of fire starting there is. We actually got to the point that we could go an entire camping trip without using a match. Would normally start the younger scouts off on the hot sparks. For fire starters, I have shown them the rolled newspaper/wax, cotton ball/wax, and my wife's (Girl Scout) favorite paper egg cartons/dryer lint/wax. Since I play with blacksmithing stuff I would normally made my senior scouts a true flint and steel kit. Can start a fire in about 30 sec. with it, using the char cloth to catch a spark. Have added a few pictures of my "kit'.
Larry

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I have never tried flint and steel. It looks difficult!

Long time Scouter. Flint and steel is the best. Always look for tinder in nature or make it. Always carry matches or a lighter for backup. Doesn't take any space or compromise weight in the backpack.