anyone ever ACTUALLY use a magnesium fire starter ?

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Chip

Chip

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I had a couple hours today to go through my gear and decided to re-review my emergency essentials kit. I've had a mag fire starter for YEARS and never even tried to use it...sooooo...in the comfort of my own home (hearth) and with a variety of knives (small Sw. Army to Rambo) I've been trying to shave magnesium large enough to light. All I'm getting is tiny tiny flakes. The magnesium block is way harder than I thought it would be. I can't imagine I'd get a fire started in the cold, damp and wind.

Is it possible there is softer magnesium or do I just need to work on the knife technique ?
 
I do not think you need large shavings. In fact the smaller ones will take a spark easier. You don't need much as magnesium burns very hot, just enough to get other tinder going. A small wad of 0000 steel wool will also take a spark easily (light from a fire steel), but that chunk of magnesium is really light and will last seemingly forever.
 
As Ducttape said, the "shavings" should actually be more like powder. Make a small pile around the size of a quarter or a little less, strike it and poof.
 
I have used one several time, but not in a few years. The smaller flakes the better. I run my knife completely perpendicular to the magnesium block, much like grating cheese. You need a fairly big pile to obtain a good flair up. I spent lots and lots of time trying to get it right, and it can become very frustrating. Once you get a good pile, you have essentially one shot...so make it a good one, lol. It will flair up pretty nicely, and make sure you have something to feed it with, because you don't have much time.

I eventually got tired of it, and just stick with waterproof matches now. I can't imagine trying to do the whole process in the cold, damp and wind! It would not be a good situation.
 
Yeah. :mad:

I've now gotten a decent little pile of flakes, dust and tiny ribbons of the magnesium on my hearth...no wind, no darkness, no snow, no sense of impending doom, able to scrape together what I've shaved off (not losing the dust and flakes to the wind and dirt) and have sat there striking the sparks long enough to get a small, powdery burn to occur. There's no way it would have lit anything near it. I believe you'd need quite a pile of dust, flakes and shavings to get a fire started - which you could pre-shave and have available in your kit. Just heading out with the magnesium - well - I decided I had a MUCH better chance of slicing a dangerously large gash in the hand holding the magnesium then getting a fire lit anytime soon.

I'll stick with butane and "strike anywhere" matches in my emergency kit. Thankyouverymuch !

I'm going to try the old bow stick method tomorrow. At this point I have higher hopes for that then the magnesium.
 
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Chip, I think the problem is your not in a hurried life threatening situation. Trying breaking a hole in some ice or taking a quick dip in the pool with your cloths on and then tell us how it works.;)
 
The trick with mag fire starters is the tinder that you use (fuel that will catch with only a spark). The best stuff that I've found in my experience as an outdoor educator teaching kids about "survival" is Jute. You can buy it in twine form at your local hardware store. Take a 2-4 inch piece of 3-5mm rope, fray it all up, and roll it into a ball. Put this under some birch bark and you're good to go.

Jute_small.jpg
 
So are you skipping the shavings of magnesium and just going for the spark ?
Mine sparks fine. It was cutting/grating off and setting the shavings ablaze that I doubt I'd be able to do in the cold.

Regardless. For me the work involved was too dangerous and unproductive. I encourage anyone who carries magnesium to try it first. I may shave some piles and add them to my tinder stashes.
 
wax paper works very well both to catch the shavings and to ignite. wrap the block up in a decent sized piece and tear off little squares as needed. fold it a few times to make a little "bowl" to catch the shavings.

but have the whole fire all set up and ready to light, including a nest of very flammable something to dump the burning waxed paper in. you only have a few seconds.

or carry a lighter.
 
Instead, I melt old candles and pour the wax into cardboard egg cartons filled with wood chips. I've never used more than one "egg section" to start a fire. The wood chips are leftovers from woodworking, and the candles are usually those decorative ones and were headed for the trash too.
 
If you've been watching season 3 of survivorman, he's been using batteries a lot lately to make fires. batteries and steel wool to short the contacts...

I use those eggcrate material from HP toner cartridges and some plain b&w newspaper to start fires in my wood stove and a butane lighter... :)

Jay
 
Jay H said:
If you've been watching season 3 of survivorman, he's been using batteries a lot lately to make fires. batteries and steel wool to short the contacts...
Click to expand...
mmm, just don't breath the fumes of those burning batteries.

Jay H said:
I use those eggcrate material from HP toner cartridges and some plain b&w newspaper to start fires in my wood stove and a butane lighter... :)

Jay
Click to expand...
Sure, but what fun is that ? I tried the bow stick method yesterday afternoon. :rolleyes: That requires experience selecting the correct components. I finally got a good bow turning the "drill" in the "hand socket" and "fire block". I got the drill spinning great, but I think the drill and fire block wood were too dense and so all I got was exercise and a black spot in the block, no embers. Maybe I gave up too soon. I'm interested now, though, and will try again.
 
Chip said:
Sure, but what fun is that ? I tried the bow stick method yesterday afternoon. :rolleyes: That requires experience selecting the correct components. I finally got a good bow turning the "drill" in the "hand socket" and "fire block". I got the drill spinning great, but I think the drill and fire block wood were too dense and so all I got was exercise and a black spot in the block, no embers. Maybe I gave up too soon. I'm interested now, though, and will try again.
Click to expand...
Never tried it myself, but you might find the following set of instructions on building and using the bow-drill helpful: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13499/13499-h/13499-h.htm#171

(From "Two Little Savages" by Ernest Thompson Seton, an early naturalist, 1860-1946. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Thompson_Seton. A semi-autobiographical tale of two boys growing up on the frontier. Lots of woods-craft info.)

Doug
 
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Chip said:
mmm, just don't breath the fumes of those burning batteries.


Sure, but what fun is that ? I tried the bow stick method yesterday afternoon. :rolleyes: That requires experience selecting the correct components. I finally got a good bow turning the "drill" in the "hand socket" and "fire block". I got the drill spinning great, but I think the drill and fire block wood were too dense and so all I got was exercise and a black spot in the block, no embers. Maybe I gave up too soon. I'm interested now, though, and will try again.
Click to expand...

The way I saw it demonstrated up close was a small pile of black fluff built up in the burn hole and chimney by grinding away, that's why one wood should be soft, then while grinding he put more pressure on the drill to make friction combustion on already hot wood, bingo. A burning ember. :cool:

Chech this out.

http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Fire-with-Sticks

I'm going to make one just for thr fun of it.
 
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Chip said:
mmm, just don't breath the fumes of those burning batteries.
Click to expand...

He's not burning the batteries, but just shorting the contacts, enough to spark and light the kindling material. Heck, ash dust from fires aren't good for you either and I'm sure we all are breathing in some dust from campfires, etc! Maybe we should all carry propane catalytic heaters and breath tubes... :D

Jay
 
If you've read the book "Deep Survival" he claims about a year of practice to get the Bow & Drill method down. ;)
 
Chip said:
Yeah. :mad:

I've now gotten a decent little pile of flakes, dust and tiny ribbons of the magnesium on my hearth...no wind, no darkness, no snow, no sense of impending doom, able to scrape together what I've shaved off (not losing the dust and flakes to the wind and dirt) and have sat there striking the sparks long enough to get a small, powdery burn to occur. There's no way it would have lit anything near it. I believe you'd need quite a pile of dust, flakes and shavings to get a fire started - which you could pre-shave and have available in your kit. Just heading out with the magnesium - well - I decided I had a MUCH better chance of slicing a dangerously large gash in the hand holding the magnesium then getting a fire lit anytime soon.

I'll stick with butane and "strike anywhere" matches in my emergency kit. Thankyouverymuch !

I'm going to try the old bow stick method tomorrow. At this point I have higher hopes for that then the magnesium.
Click to expand...

When I have used mine - Just playing around or lighting a campfire - The magnesium scrapings glow white hot and flare up a bit. I was always impressed with the way it lights. Maybe someone sold you aluminum :D
 
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