Posted: 1/28/2012 6:12:04 AM EDT
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I've read a couple stories about guys getting stuck out in the wilderness, and due to wind and/or lighting etc, not being able to control their shavings and get a fire started.
To combat this I shave my magnesium down at home onto a manilla folder and then pour it into an old plastic camera film container. These get thrown into my bag with the sparkers. Two big advantages, when fire is needed its instantaneous, and two, my knife does not need re-sharpeing in the field. Problem is - shaving down the magnesium is a painstakingly slow process. I've tried different knives, hacksaw blades, screwdrivers etc. But all to essentially the same effect. I was wondering if anybody out there has had any luck with different methods? Im thinking a milling bit on a drill press at a slow speed might do the trick. Any thoughts? Thanks |
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the drill press is the way to do it and the shaving wont blow away because the will be long and all bunched up. the way this guy did it. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_17/653114_DONE__98__magnesium_shavings_ALL_FOR_NOW.html&page=1#i11144638 |
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Quoted:
Place the mag bar in a tin to catch the shavings and use ~1/2" drill bit. http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt206/ramjet_02/Arms/DSC_1067copy.jpg http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt206/ramjet_02/Arms/DSC_1069copy.jpg Yep...+1 |
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the easiestn thing is to not use magnesium shavings. I gave up on that shit decades ago. It's slow, painstaking, a pain in the ass, blows away in wind, and is generally not worth the trouble. I used to carry a small length of hacksaw blade on the mag flint sparker, but found it (the blade) better for sparking than making shavings...
If I'm going to carry a 35mm film canister (damn, they're gonna be hard to find now!) it will be filled with cottonball/vaseline tinder. As a matter of fact, that's whats in my kits now. Actually, I don't use the 35mm's often. I've found I get a better seal and more durable case by cutting a fired 16 ga shell to about 2" long, stuffing it full of tinder, cutting a fire 12 ga to about 2 1/2" and the sliding the 16 ga with the tinder inside the 12 ga. Water tight against any downpour and dunk in the lake. When I want magnesium I carry a 3 foot length of magnesium ribbon. Its paper thin, 1/8" wide. I don't use it for tinder (the cottonball/petro jelly works better). I wrap this loosely around a stick, leave a tag end about 8 inches long sticking out, and leave this near the fire. It lights easily and throws an INCREDIBLE amount of light. Its like an arc welder. good for signals.... |
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Quoted:
the easiestn thing is to not use magnesium shavings. I gave up on that shit decades ago. It's slow, painstaking, a pain in the ass, blows away in wind, and is generally not worth the trouble. I used to carry a small length of hacksaw blade on the mag flint sparker, but found it (the blade) better for sparking than making shavings... If I'm going to carry a 35mm film canister (damn, they're gonna be hard to find now!) it will be filled with cottonball/vaseline tinder. As a matter of fact, that's whats in my kits now. Actually, I don't use the 35mm's often. I've found I get a better seal and more durable case by cutting a fired 16 ga shell to about 2" long, stuffing it full of tinder, cutting a fire 12 ga to about 2 1/2" and the sliding the 16 ga with the tinder inside the 12 ga. Water tight against any downpour and dunk in the lake. When I want magnesium I carry a 3 foot length of magnesium ribbon. Its paper thin, 1/8" wide. I don't use it for tinder (the cottonball/petro jelly works better). I wrap this loosely around a stick, leave a tag end about 8 inches long sticking out, and leave this near the fire. It lights easily and throws an INCREDIBLE amount of light. Its like an arc welder. good for signals.... So how many would you need? There's quite a few sales of these going on right now. You could probably hit up the Geocacher websites for some as well as they use them pretty often. |
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Quoted:
the easiestn thing is to not use magnesium shavings. I gave up on that shit decades ago. It's slow, painstaking, a pain in the ass, blows away in wind, and is generally not worth the trouble. I used to carry a small length of hacksaw blade on the mag flint sparker, but found it (the blade) better for sparking than making shavings... If I'm going to carry a 35mm film canister (damn, they're gonna be hard to find now!) it will be filled with cottonball/vaseline tinder. As a matter of fact, that's whats in my kits now. Actually, I don't use the 35mm's often. I've found I get a better seal and more durable case by cutting a fired 16 ga shell to about 2" long, stuffing it full of tinder, cutting a fire 12 ga to about 2 1/2" and the sliding the 16 ga with the tinder inside the 12 ga. Water tight against any downpour and dunk in the lake. When I want magnesium I carry a 3 foot length of magnesium ribbon. Its paper thin, 1/8" wide. I don't use it for tinder (the cottonball/petro jelly works better). I wrap this loosely around a stick, leave a tag end about 8 inches long sticking out, and leave this near the fire. It lights easily and throws an INCREDIBLE amount of light. Its like an arc welder. good for signals.... I gave up on the cottonball/vaseline and switched to cottonball and gulf wax molded in the pulp paper egg crates. Cut in sections then stored in those tall round candy tins that Royal Dansk candy stick come in. If they get damp or wet they still work. I always carry with me a butane torch lighter and a throw away bic lighter found that either work great. |
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Quoted:
the easiestn thing is to not use magnesium shavings. I gave up on that shit decades ago. It's slow, painstaking, a pain in the ass, blows away in wind, and is generally not worth the trouble. I.. +1 Two words: char cloth |