Posted: 10/23/2007 6:13:26 AM EDT
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My char cloth (char-foo) cooking dose not seem to be working. I have made char before and had it catch the spark just fine. The last two batches have not worked very well at all, I used nearly the same method as before. Method: Two altoids tins well used with one can having a single nail hole in the lid and the other can with two nail holes in the lid. Batch one I used a Hanes white cotton T shirt cut into one inch squares and put it into both cans. Batch two I used a cheap white cotton wash cloth from the dollar store cut into one inch squares and put that into both cans. Here is the only difference in the batches I made before. I cooked the new batches on my gas grill. The batches that worked before were done on a charcoal fire. I would not think that would make a difference. Any advice? Ron |
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what type of "failure" are you having? Maybe the difference was in the temp of the source fire? Were the cloth bits treated at all with anything? washed prior? chemical/soap contamination may play a part... were they 100% dry when you attempted lighting? Need more details to help. I'm not caliming to be a guru, but only offer "thoughts" on what I'd look for... |
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The failure is that the cloth will not hold a spark. The materials were not washed, no color added I don't think.(white tshirt and wash cloth, both 100%cotton) Both materials were dry before cooking and attempting to lite. You may be onto something with the temp that they were cooked at. That seems the only variable that changed. Is char cloth that fenikey?(sic) Ron |
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Ron, Is it possible that they were over cooked? I'm not 100% sure, but there may be a difference between brown/black and BLACK. I'd bet it'd be worth a few experiments to toss a 1" square in your box, leave it on the heat for X number of min/seconds etc, then repeat adding a little time then look at the different variations, then test them for fire-ability (I made up a new word today  )Whole thing shouldn't take over an hour or so to do, then you'd know what "color" equates to about how much time on the fire. May be nice to have an oven temp gauge to see how hot the fire is to replicate it with a little exactness in the future. If you are able to do this, please post your results here for the rest of us to add to our kit of knowledge. Thanks and good luck< Britt |
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Altoids tins do not need extra holes by the way. The hinge holes work fine. I've never made char cloth on a grill, only on fire but this is what I'd try. Fold the cloth tightly and place in tin. I wouldn't cut it and my tin would be full. Put it on the heat source. Watch the gases coming off the cloth and out the hole. Gas may or may not ignite. When the gas ceases I'd bury the tin in the dirt to cut off all air and let the cloth finish charring. But I'd start with using denim. I've had poor results with thin cotton materials. Denim always works for me. The grill may in fact not be hot enough, but I suspect it is. Overcooked charcloth still will catch a spark. Undercooked will not. In my experience. Good luck and please let us know how you work it out. |
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Okay, I think I figured something out but I’m not quite sure what. I cooked up another batch of char cloth using a grill with a wood fire. I used the same cloth materials and the same altoid tins. The off gassing through the holes started to occur much faster and stopped sooner on the grill with a wood fire than on the gas grill. The cloth cooked faster on the wood fire, about 20 minuets. I have always taken the tins off the fire and let them set out to cool. I have not ever buried them. I took several pieces of char cloth out from each tin, a top and bottom piece. I wanted to know if the top pieces cooked as well as the bottom pieces. I started striking a spark onto the char and all four samples held the sparks well. I tried some pieces from the middle and received the same results. Maybe the gas grill, using propane is producing more water vapor in its burning process than a dry wood fire dose. Also maybe the faster cooking time on the wood fire allows for a better char. The cooking time on the gas grill was about 40 minuets. Well I have a good batch of char cloth now and in the future I will use a wood to cook my char. (char-foo-back) Ron |
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I used to do flint and steel compititions when I was younger (buckskinning re-enactments / rendevous) . I used a small metal tin with a hole in the top . it could have been an altoids can but it was already black when I got it. the absoulute best material I have ever tried or seen used was cheescloth. the very loose weave would catch a spark and hold it. I'd use a few pieces inside of my "birdnest" (made from old bailing twine) . when making the charcloth I'd put a few pieces into the tin (30 or so) and close the lid . if it was packed to tight they wouldn't char as well , and the blacker the better . I'd then place the tin in the fire on some very hot coals and when it started smoking I'd light the hole. when the flame went out I'd take the tin out of the fire and let it cool. the char cloth would be storred in another tin until use. the problem with most fabrics is the weave is too tight and the spark will bounce off . try the cheescloth and you'll never go back. I got mine at a fabric store years ago and never ran out , I still have it with my old flint and steel pouch. |
Thanks, I will pick up some cheese cloth and try it this week. Ron |
EXCELLENT post and how to. 
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| +1 that's what I use. I've never had good luck with campfire attempts, and always use the BBQ grill now. Once the smoke stops coming out of the hole I pull it off the burners and let it cool. Cotton T shirts seem to work, but old blue jeans seem to catch a spark better for me. |
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I juat made char cloth for the first time this past weekend. It worked perfectly. I read somewhere to use cross stitching cloth (monk's cloth) as it is real nice weave and remains flexible. I dug out some of my wife's old cloth (over 10 years old) and went to work. Recently I picked up a tin at Cabella's for $1.50 or so (formerly had honey roasted nuts in it) that would hold about a quart or a bit more and used a small nail to make a hole in the lid. I fired up my coleman stove and lined the bottom of the tin with 1.5"x1.5" squares. Put the lid on the can and then the tin over the burner on about a medium flame. It smoked a bit and then after a few minutes, the smoke slowed down quite a bit. I took that as a sign to take the tin off the flame and stuck the nail in the hole right away so no air would get in the tin. After the tin cooled, I opened it and it looked perfect. Got my fire steel a gave a piece a good shower of sparks and it took to smoldering immediately. Blew on it and boy did that thing get hot and smoldered for at least a minute with me blowing on it. SWEEET! Well I kept making char cloth the same way for the nex hour. This started getting old as i was only getting about 7 pieces done at a time. I decided I would experiment  . I filled the tin with what was left of the cloth, about 20 - 30 pieces and fired it up. I turned up the heat a little bit to make up for the volume. Now, you want to talk about smoking!! It was pouring out of the tin something aweful. After a bit of time the smoke died down and i pulled the can off and let it cool. When I opened the can... Surprise... every piece came out perfectly . Now don't get me wrong, i messed a few up until i learned how much smoke to watch for but all in all it was successful. To attest to the durability of the cloth, I just finished rouling up about 20 pieces into a 35mm film canister to throw into my alice pack for survuval supplies for hunting the week after Thanksgiving. Good Luck, JP_Diver |