Pitchy wrote:A warning about these things, be sure the container ya use is strong enough to handle the pressure.
I was putting a piece of tissue in a veterinarian syringe and slamming it and watching it light. Dern thing blew up like a fire cracker and shrapnel went everywhere.
So be careful gents.
To add to Pitchy's good safety warning.
You really do 'NOT' need to slam a fire piston.
Nor do you need a sledgehammer, mallet, or hammer of any kind.
If the fire piston is made right & you’re using good char cloth it
should fire with little difficulty.
1. Insert the char cloth loaded piston into the cylinder just to the point
it starts to get tight with compression.
2. I use a two-hand hold on the cylinder with the end cap of the cylinder
firm against the bony part of the palm of my hand.
3. put the end of the (dowel rod) piston against something very firm that
isn’t going to move, such as a tree trunk or a large rock.
4. All that’s left is a good hard very sharp “body into it” shove with the
palm of the hand that is against the end cap of the cylinder.
All your really striving for is to hit that magic pressure value to generate
the required heat to fire the char cloth.
O and one other thing, have the tip of a knife on the ready to dig the lit
char cloth out of the piston cup. Char cloth burns very hot. ‘don’t ask’
