Magnesium Firestarter Tips???

6431 Views 22 Replies 17 Participants Last post by bladerunner, May 15, 2008

Stealth_Hawk

Discussion Starter · Apr 9, 2008

I've been using a magnesium firestarter for over a year now, and it still doesn't cease to amaze me on how reliable and effective they really are. Such a simple concept really: a simple bar of magnesium, and a rib of ferrocerium. It is easy for a 14 year old like myself to use it, as well as many adults, and people of all ages with two hands and the ability to use a knife. But, as with anything like building a fire, setting up shelter, and taking care of hygeine in the outdoors, there are many ways to use it and many different techniques to starting a fire with the bar of magnesium. I simply try to sliver some flecks with my blade onto a leaf, or other kind of durable platform, and I sliver enough off to make a heaping pile of a nickel. Then, one run down the flint with the back of my blade, I have made fire. So what are some of the other techniques out there? Are there other reccomended ways of starting a fire with a MagBar? Well, please give me your tips. Thanks!

Reactions: 1

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

FredLee

· #2 · Apr 9, 2008

If you also carry cotton balls with vaseline,you can spend out a ball,fluff it so it captures magnesium flecks,and lite that.It burns a little longer.

Skippy

· #3 · Apr 9, 2008

My favorite would have to be dryer lint. My BOB has a ziplock bag that looks like a pillow when it isn't squeezed down

dutchdiablo

· #4 · Apr 9, 2008

FredLee said:
If you also carry cotton balls with vaseline,you can spend out a ball,fluff it so it captures magnesium flecks,and lite that.It burns a little longer.

quite right , good stuff! also Chapstick or Blistex achieves the same

MtnRescue

· #5 · Apr 11, 2008

Along with my mag bar, I also carry a 3" hack saw blade to file off nice fine shavings. Sparks up much easier compared to the shavings cut off with a knife.

riverrat

· #6 · Apr 11, 2008

Put a small portion of a hacksaw blade on the chain with it so you don't have to use your knife blade. I prefer the shavings from the hacksaw anyway.

Blacksmith44

· #7 · Apr 12, 2008

Skippy said:
My favorite would have to be dryer lint. My BOB has a ziplock bag that looks like a pillow when it isn't squeezed down

Dryer lint and vaseline mixed together and placed into an old film canister makes excellent firestarter.
And cheap too, though a tad messy to make.

2manygunz

· #8 · Apr 12, 2008

riverrat said:
Put a small portion of a hacksaw blade on the chain with it so you don't have to use your knife blade. I prefer the shavings from the hacksaw anyway.

How coarse of a hacksaw blade?

Brother Buck

· #9 · Apr 12, 2008

+++ for the hacksaw blade.
Not too coarse.
I also have a small file I use to touch up a machete or hatchet that I use to file a bit of the magnesium off with.
Don't breath any of the black fiber looking fumes if you get any off the burning metal. It's toxic as hell.
My ex used to make dryer lint punks with old crayons that she melted and made like a dough out of that and dryer lint.
She poured them into egg carton molds.
I never saw them used but she swore they would burn.
Anyone with kids might want to think about that maybe.

Calantus

· #10 · Apr 14, 2008

i like the blast match more, just me though.

Reactions: 1

Stealth_Hawk

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 14, 2008

Usually ferrocerium alone just won't get a fire going. The conditions have to be perfect and the tinder must be incredibly dry, but with the magnesium, heating up to a blazing, 5400 degrees farenheit, you can dry out tinder in a snap, as well as catch a flame to it!

jcdmd73

· #12 · Apr 15, 2008

Skippy said:
My favorite would have to be dryer lint. My BOB has a ziplock bag that looks like a pillow when it isn't squeezed down

best to only use all cotton lint....synthetic fibers will only smolder.

rhart

· #13 · Apr 15, 2008

I use the file on my Leatherman Wave to file off shavings and to strike the spark. This works like the hacksaw blade but I always have my Wave with me . The dryer lint or cotton balls work great, but if in the woods without any I've used the inner bark of a cedar tree with really good results.Take some bark and rub between both hands until it is shredded .

Stealth_Hawk

Discussion Starter · #14 · Apr 15, 2008

Over all, I think that the magnesium firestarter is the best firestarter there is, and it'll take alot of scientists to come up with anything better!

Reactions: 1

Allen

· #15 · Apr 17, 2008

I made a homemade fire rod today, I used lighter flints and a piece of wood
dowel. I cut a groove in the dowel, and used Elmer's glue to secure the
flints to the dowel. The scraper is a piece of hacksaw blade.
It works great on cotton balls.

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Stealth_Hawk

Discussion Starter · #16 · Apr 17, 2008

That's a nice firestarter!

Reactions: 1

2manygunz

· #17 · Apr 27, 2008

Calantus said:
i like the blast match more, just me though.

Blast match?

Stealth_Hawk

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 27, 2008

How much are ARMY sized firesteels if you find them in a Mil Surplus store? If I find them, I'll probably buy 3 or 4, since they're so rare in the US. Magnesium firestarters have way more advantages though... I like the idea of using a dead lighter to ignite the shavings, and saving the flint rod on your magbar.

xxxero

· #19 · Apr 28, 2008

I too use dryer lint. All of my clothes are cotton, so it works quite well.
I actually saw somewhere online, a fixed blade knife with a flint included that was housed in the handle and could be removed to start fires. It even had a notch on the blade near the handle to get a decent spark. I think it was about $30 . I am going to look into it eventually. Though i love my magnesium fire starter. Repetition and backups are the way to go, as you all know already.

Profitz

· #20 · Apr 28, 2008

Many lotions will work as well as they tend to have some concentration of animal fat in them and fat burns well. Frito Lay chips are excellent tinder if you have matches or a lighter. The amount of fat in them allows them to burn long and slow like mini torches almost. As far as catching a spark, maybe a frito lay scoop with a small amount of vaseline or some lotion. Catch the mag shavings in the scoop and then set off the sparks. It is something I will definately be trying myself since I know the chips burn.

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