TrophyHusband 0 #1 October 12, 2006 i just bought one and it doesn't seem to work. i scraped a pile of shaving about the size of a quarter and placed cotton ball soaked with alcohol next to the pile. i made tons of sparks, all going right into the pile of magnesium for quite some time with no results. i continued frantically making sparks until finally the cotton balls caught on fire. i rolled the flaming balls aroung in the magnesium and it still didn't catch on fire except for the occasional spark from a piece of mag lighting up. is this normal, or did i just get a shitty piece of magnesium? i'll be hunting elk alone this year and if i put one down in the evening, chances are very good that i will end up staying all night with the animal. i need to be certain that i can start a fire. "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jheadley 0 #2 October 12, 2006 A lighter works pretty well... But the magnesium blocks do work very well. Get a jigsaw blade to put around the little chain, so you'll never be without a blade. It already has a hole in it. Instead of striking the flint, make a long scratch down the entire length. Also, dryer lint makes the best tinder. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #3 October 12, 2006 Cotton balls with petroleum jelly in them work very well, too...Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #4 October 12, 2006 I was shown a different way to start a fire, but haven't tried it. Get a big bunch of lint from the clothes drier. Melt and drip parafin wax on it. Once it cools, put it in a water tight container. When you need a fire, pull out a little bit and use it to get some kindling going. Not sure of the exact amount of wax to put on the lint, but seemed to work in the example I saw. Might be worth playing around a bit for a cheap way to start a fire.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #5 October 12, 2006 They worked for me.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #6 October 12, 2006 i'll have a lighter with me, but they don't work very well if they get wet. i'll also have some waterproof matches as well as strike anywhere matches with me. i'm even making dryer lint as we speak. the thing is, if i'm in a situation where i have to make a fire, i'll be cold, tired, bloody, and very possibly wet. there are wolves and bear in the area so my nerves will be on edge. i want to make damn sure i have the capability of making fire. "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #7 October 12, 2006 i'll try that. i intend to try a few things here at the house before going into the woods. i'll also buy a mag fire starter of a different brand and give that a shot. "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #8 October 12, 2006 I also remember seeing a baby blow torch that uses a replaceable butane lighter as a fuel source. Stick that baby in a ziplock bag and you should be able to start just about anything.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #9 October 12, 2006 if its light enough and cheap enough, it would be great. "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #10 October 12, 2006 I used to roll up newspaper really tight and soak it in melted parafin wax. Worked like gangbusters. Then I just started getting the mini starter logs, cheap and no effort."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #11 October 12, 2006 Quotemagnesium fire starters, do they work? Yes. Exceptionally well. There is a very, very, VERY small knack to getting it, but it is NOT difficult at all and the initial burn is EXTREMELY hot. Everytime I see the folks on "Survivor" trying and FAILING I laugh out loud.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sockpuppet 0 #12 October 12, 2006 Surgical spirit. Great for treating cuts/wounds and could start the sun going again if it needed to. I usually put some SS and use a mag flint to start that o some tinder, never failed yet. ------ Two of the three voices in my head agree with you. It might actually be unanimous but voice three only speaks Welsh. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawndiver 0 #13 October 12, 2006 Don't know how well they work for starting fires, but they sure do liven up a campfire when you just throw the entire bar into it!_________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #14 October 12, 2006 Go to a cigar shop. They should have plenty of the baby butane lighters there. From cheap to posh.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jheadley 0 #15 October 12, 2006 QuoteGo to a cigar shop. They should have plenty of the baby butane lighters there. From cheap to posh. Get a good one. I've bought two cheap ones, one broke after a few uses, the other was broken right out of the box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #16 October 12, 2006 so what's this very very very small knack you speak of? "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhaig 0 #17 October 12, 2006 the way I do it is I shave the magnesium bits into the tinder. Dryer lint was mentioned, or cotton balls with petrolium jelly. I also like some frayed rope strands. Fray them and dry them before you bag them. Make a tinder ball about the size of your head, put your special tinder (petrolium jelly cotton, twine, lint and magnesium or any variation) into the top of it in a bowl shaped indentation. Then shave sparks (don't strike them) from the back of your magnesium firestarter. Once one takes on the tinder, the magnesium flakes (supported by the tinder) will have enough air around them to start to take as well. Blow on the tinder ball and rotate it to get most of it burning and then carefully place it in the center of your fire-lay. You are smart to practice this in your back yard several times until you get it. I also snicker at the survivor people. They have a knife. And they had several days if not weeks to prep for this show. You'd think they'd take that time to master starting a fire in their destination's environment (tropical as of late) using only local materials and a blade.-- Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #18 October 12, 2006 QuoteEverytime I see the folks on "Survivor" trying and FAILING I laugh out loud. They seem to not know that the handle is for shaving off a pile of magnesium. It's kind of like seeing someone with their sunglasses on their head walking around saying, "Have you seen my sunglasses?""I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lekstrom10k 0 #19 October 12, 2006 The last time I saw one of those torches it was part of a portable soldering kit from Radio Shack. It seems to me you could take the soldering tip off and use it as a torch, and as you said it was refillable If you want to read a short story about what you will be doing try {To start a fire by Jack London}. The dog was no dummy. As for the magnesium , Once it starts you cant put it out similar to phophrus so be careful.As kid we used to take wooden matches and dip them in hot parafine and make our own waterproof matches, they also burned longer and more wind proof, Also consider a magnifying glass as a back up Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #20 October 12, 2006 Steel and flint work really well. Ok, before you laugh too hard at me, I'm dead serious. I used to be in a frontiersman reinactment group. Take some old 100% cotton shirts, cut them up and charcoal them. That's the bases of your tender. Then some dry grass and such, make a "birds nest" with the charcoaled cotton in the middle. A couple of strikes and you'll have cinders. Some gentle blowing and you'll have a quick flame. Its so very simple and has worked very well for many many many years. Simplicity works best. I still carry that setup when camping. When my matches get wet and my lighter runs out of fuel, the piece of steel and flint I carry always work. Besure to get real flint. The other crap that people sell *can* work, just not as well.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #21 October 12, 2006 QuoteCotton balls with petroleum jelly in them work very well, too... Magnesium should work really good... And cotton balls swabbed in vaseline work really well.... ! We used em in survival school. You can store a ton of em in film canisters, and who cares if they get wet, there waterproof.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 334 #22 October 12, 2006 Yeah, well, we used to get down from a skydive and make an oil painting. I guess we still could, but digital photography works just fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #23 October 12, 2006 QuoteYeah, well, we used to get down from a skydive and make an oil painting. I guess we still could, but digital photography works just fine. Maybe its the prescription pain meds, but man that was funny.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #24 October 12, 2006 Quote Yeah, well, we used to get down from a skydive and make an oil painting. I guess we still could, but digital photography works just fine. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
