Acquiring clear ice is the challenge. The first time that I made fire from ice I bought an ice block from a dispenser and then cut, shaved, and formed a lens using a pruning saw. My warm hands smoothed the surface.

I always had trouble trying to create clear ice at home. I was able to find clear ice at a nearby stream where I fashioned a nice lens but the same weather under which the ice formed was also cloudy and prevented the solar capability of sunshine.

While surfing the web I saw an advertisement for a clear ice making device for beverages that could make a sphere. I have used a glass sphere as a lens to make fire and so decided to acquire the ice maker so that I could demonstrate this remarkable fire craft method.

I acquired the clear ice kit and was happy with the resulting sphere. As I rubbed it in my hand the frosty surface became clear and usable.

Here are some observations and suggestions when using ice.

– Once the ice is exposed to sunlight it will begin to melt so the ice will begin to shrink and drip. Prop your tinder at the edge of an elevated support so water drops will miss the tinder and not pool next to it.

– While holding the ice lens be careful to allow full exposure to the sun’s rays to maximize the effectiveness of the focal point on the tinder.

– As with all optical methods it is best to select dark material for tinder and if it is fiberous, pinch it tight to create a flat surface on which to focus as there is no focus on fluff. The condensed material also transfers heat and helps to create a coal.

My next goal is to cut the ice sphere in half to increase the focal distance. It will be fun to have this capability for my personal use as well as the ability to demonstrate to others.

NOTE: Size/diameter makes a difference in an optical tool. Using a 2″ ice lens is difficult to ignite tinder. I used some charcloth with my tinder successfully. A 5″ ice lens for example would not require that advantage. Also, make sure that the skies are clear before you venture out to use this method.

The two native stones most often used in North Carolina where I live is ryolite and quartz. Of course flint is a preferred material but when flint knapping I often practiced using the glass bottoms of beer bottles which prompted me to consider a ceramic alternative for use with a steel striker.

I think it occurred to me when we had a small kitchen accident where a Corell Ware bowl broke and as I picked up the pieces I knew that I had to try it. Sure enough I was able to catch a spark on a piece of char.

I wanted to demonstrate this at some classes so I searched for this vintage China at yard sales, thrift shops, and antique emporium and was able to acquire a number of pieces.

It’s fun to explore new materials and see the surprise on observers faces when doing demonstrations. It’s also nice to expand my knowledge on usable materials that can be used in a pinch.

I have seen a number of posts on social media where cordage has been made from plastic beverage bottles. By creating a jig from wood that incorporates a knife blade, a plastic bottle can be cut into a thin ribbon that spirals the circumference along the length of the bottle. I wondered if that plastic ribbon could be used as cordage for a bow.

I made a jig, made the plastic “cord”, and found it to be strong but slippery and unweildy. My plan was to make an Egyptian Style Bow with a knot around the middle of the spindle with cordage wound above and below it. This method does not depend on friction to spin the spindle but just unwraps and rewraps with each stroke of the bow.

Because the ribbon was unwieldy, I cut slots at each end of the bow that were perpendicular to the bend, tying one end into a fat knot and wrapped the other end around the handle to allow for adjustable tension.

As I stroked the bow back and forth it performed beautifully and I brought the resulting char to a smoldering ember.

As mentioned above there are many materials used for cordage but now you know of yet another resource should others be scarce or not available.

I was unable to acquire the large ball bearings needed to accomplish this feat and so resigned it to my bucket list. However recently I viewed a video that showed the use of a hammer, aluminum foil, a very rusty disc, and a treated cloth used as tinder to recieve the sparks.

In pursing this method I tried striking foil on top of various rusty items without success. I finally contacted my mechanic friend and asked him if he had any scrap brake rotors that were rusty and fortunately was able to acquired some.

At first I tried to strike the rusty flat disc surface with a ball peen hammer using the flat end but had almost no sparks. Then I used the ball peen end and had better results. Then it dawned on me that the teacher demos used 2 ball bearings for a reason that the curved surfaces provided a single point of contact for effective kinetic energy transfer so I chose to strike the “hat” portion of the rotor that had a curved surface and “presto”! Great sparks were achieved.

To capture the sparks I applied a spirit accelerant to a cloth and layed it next to the metal surface that I was striking. When attempting this it is important to exercise caution as the accelerant can be quite volatile so a pair of tongs can be useful to remove the ignited tinder to a safe place and enabling a way to smother it out for additional safety.

So now you know a another method to create a fire that would make MacGyver proud and might be needed in an emergency situation.

The cotton fiber strands run parallel while having compressed “ribs” that create a convenient square shape with a straight edge. Having a straight edge is desirable for a controlled flame.

I modified the can’s lid and bent the edges down to create a small “table” inside the can to press against the wick to hold it in place.

Something else that I found helpful is how to lite the wick. Once a wick is dipped in oil it can be difficult to lite. If the edge can be squeezed to shed excess oil, wood ash or charcoal carbon can be applied as a catalyst to recieve the ignition flame more quickly.

Once lit, I enjoyed the flame for a couple of hours before needing to adjust the wick.

Being curious about shelf fungus I
collected a local shelf fungus and cut it open but was disappointed to find no “trama layer” referred to as amadou because it wasn’t the right kind of fungus. Upon further research I learned that fomes formentarious grows on dead birch and beach trees that resemble a horse’s hoof and there are scant finds outside of my area.

I did learn that he bottom layer of shelf polypore funguses known as hymenium contain minute tube-like structures that can have a capillary effect and a narrow slice can be used for a wick in a slush lamp so I decided to try it out.

I used an empty sardine can for my vessel and poured in vegetable oil for fuel. I cut a slice of the bottom layer of my fungus and initially soaked it briefly in the oil. When I removed it, I wiped off the excess oil then lit the flat bottom edge until it took flame to prime it for use.

As with any wick, the exposed length of the wick determines the size of the flame. Excessive length will produce a large flame but will also exhibit much smoke and soot.

I’ve used slush lamps mainly for light but I wanted to see if I couuld cook, much like a Inuit qulliq stove so I positioned a metal cup containing some shallow water above the flame. The wick stayed lit for over a half hour but it only managed a pre-boil. It was enough though for a delicious instant oatmeal meal.

However the hot wire of this article is heated by friction and can be accomplished by using simple materials found at home or perhaps with your camping gear. This method has been described in military survival manuals using wire, wood, and gun powder.

This is very similar to the fire thong method that uses natural materials, particularly a rattan vine used as a thong to rub a light dry wood to develop char that is heated by rubbing to create a live coal/ember.

The difference here is that a thin wire is used instead as a thong and is rubbed long enough to heat the wire so when it is removed and layed in contact with a pile of gun powder a flame results.

In this case the gun powder has been removed from a cartridge ahead of time to recieve the hot wire for ignition. Tinder is placed adjacent to the gun powder to catch and sustain the flame.

This is a survival method and removing a bullet from a cartridge to obtain gun powder can be risky so care should be taken, especially with center fire ammunition. I disassembled three .22 caliber rim fire cartridges by holding the casing by hand and removing the bullet with pliers.

Creating the fiber roll

The simplest fiber source are 100% cotton balls that can be unrolled, stretched out, and given a generous sprinkling of ashes on top. Then it’s tightly rolled lengthwise into a cylinder that when complete looks like a cocoon. As experience is built there are other
“Fire Roll Tinder Variations” that can also work.

Prepping the fiber roll

The fiber roll is placed on the bottom board and the top board is placed over the fibre roll and is repeatedly stroked in one direction to compress the roll until it smooths out and takes the shape of a pencil. This process initiates heat in the roll.

Stroking the roll

Now the back and forth stroke action begins. It helps to lean over the board to generate greater friction for increased heat. After many passes at some point you should feel some resistance where the roll kind-of grabs. It’s not uncommon to smell smoke so after a few more rolls it’s time to stop and remove the top board and view the roll for a dark spot and perhaps smoke.

Finding the ember

You should be able to feel a hot spot and I have found it helpful to prop up the roll vertically against the boards that allows the internal heat of the roll to build upward much like you might hold a bird’s nest upward with an ember in the center to maximize the heat. A small black char spot begins to appear and a slight breath on the roll should reveal an ember that you can let build and in turn place in a tinder bundle to work into s flame.

I have often pondered how similar a rubber band is to a worm or perhaps they can be fashioned into a bug or minnow.

Using my knife I fashioned a small minnow and thought I might coax a pan fish that typically hang out around my dock. To my surprise I caught a good sized bass instead. As I pulled it up to the dock it broke the line! I was dismayed but it did prove that my improvised lure worked!

For now I exercise catch and release when fishing at my pond and I’m quite sure that I’ve caught this one before as illustrated by the photo of our last encounter.

I made another improvised lure using a smaller hook and to my surprise I hooked more bass but they they all got off and I concluded that a larger hook was needed to be effective with bass.

I believe that a small hook works well with pan fish but a different rubber band shaped more like a grub or insect might appeal to them better and perhaps using it at a different time of day may yield more success.

I recommend experimenting with rubber bands for fun and with the prospect that rubber bands might be a good addition to your tackle box or survival kit.

Some years ago I got a personal look at the aftermath of an accidental
Spontaneous Combustion fire and soon afterwards I tried a similar set up to see if I could replicate it but I think that I didn’t give it near enough time for the heat to build.

Since then my research indicates a 6 hour time frame is common so I was inspired to try again. In preparation of this effort I bought some boiled linseed oil and a cotton mop head. I also gathered a few combustible cotton rags that provided insulation that is key to the process.

I took a small cardboard box and layed a cotton shirt at the bottom then drizzled some oil over it. Next I layed the cotton mop head on top and thoroughly drizzled oil all over it, both internally and externally. Next I drizzled oil on the rest of the rags that I layed on top, leaving a two inch opening in the center. Finally I lowered the box’s two end flaps over that. This project was conducted outdoors.

Keeping the oil soaked material somewhat bundled allows the heat caused by the drying effect of the boiled linseed oil in to build the temperature enough to ultimately reach ignition.

At 2.5 hours I checked it and felt that it had a slightly elevated warmth. At 3.5 hours it was very warm and I could see some very slight smoke emerging so I grabbed a chair to observe it as it progressed. Occasional breezes would increase the smoke a little more until after 1.5 hours I could not resist blowing on the thick smoke to coax it further. I sputtered and coughed with watery eyes but finally I spotted a small orange ember!

I was excited and could not wait for it to naturally reach full combustion on it’s own so I intervened and fetched a scrap piece of water pipe to use as a blow pipe and was rewarded with a spectacular flame!

This was a proof-of-concept project that made me feel like MacGyver! It would be a very odd circumstance that would require this method to start a fire but now I have it in my bag of tricks if ever needed.