I posted earlier in the month, a recipe for making fire starter balls from cotton balls and petroleum jelly, (and then covering the balls with wax to help alleviate the PJ messiness). After reading posts about all the various commercial forms of fire starters, I decided to attempt making a reliable waterproof and wind resistant fire starter that can be made in the home or in the field.

First I tested the difference between PJ and wax....the difference is insignificant, they are both fuels and they burn at a similar rate; the main difference is PJ is messy. Also while trying to compress the cotton balls, PJ would become more solvent and the cotton ball would not compress therefore, I ended up with large grape-olive size fire starter balls. So I decided removed PJ from the equation.

Next I decided to add magnesium flakes. Magnesium is the compound that makes gag birthday candles spring back to a healthy flame after being blown out. In this application magnesium chips will keep these little balls-o-fire (BOFs) blazing in the wind.

Recipe:
Melt candle wax in a double boiler (or it can be melted in a solar oven easily) and let the wax cool a bit. An electric burner is preferable (no open flame).

Make magnesium chips. Magnesium is very soft and easy to file. I clamp a magnesium block in a vise with a piece of newsprint paper underneath to collect the chips. I use a medium wood rasp and make a teaspoon full of chips; it takes just a couple of minutes and will make many BOFs.

Take a single cotton ball and dip just one small portion of it in the melted wax, (so you have about a nickel size spot wet with hot wax). Next, dip this waxed portion of the cotton ball into your little dish of magnesium chips letting a healthy bunch of chips stick to the wax. Let the cotton ball sit and cool for about 15 to 30 seconds, just enough so you don't burn your fingers on the wax as you work the ball.

Next take the cotton ball and fold the wax with the magnesium chips attached, into itself and start needing the ball with your fingers; it will be warm; keep compressing the ball as the wax cools. You should end up with a compressed ball about the size of a large pea. Let it cool while you prep the next cotton ball. After the waxed and chipped balls are compressed and cooled, take tweezers and quickly immerse them in wax one more time. Let cool.

A spark from a flint is more likely to make flame when it lights upon microscopic fibrous materials. Breaking up a BOF to ready it for the spark is important. The more loose fibrous cotton exposed, the easier it will be for a spark to hit the cotton fibers and ignite a flame. So tear the BOF in half and raise the cotton fibers with a tool or your fingers.

When I was experimenting with these BOFs in the kitchen, I scooted one that was lit, off into a pan of water.... It stayed floating and lit within the pan of water for about 1 minute (sizzling and complaining but lit). I haven't had a windy day here but have tried to blow one of these out....No chance...not with all the magnesium mixed in, the flame just starts back up immediately.

So, for all you do-it-yourselfers, give it a try. I'm done with fire starting. I'm off to my next project....finding local magnetic variation by using a shadow stick.

Pretty cool! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
I like that you followed up on your previous experiment.

What is your comparision to the taking of spark?
Your BOF vs. PJ/CB
As easy as PJ/CB
Not quite as easy, etc.

sounds great. Keep us posted on further developments

Very cool ! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Gonna make me some this weekend ! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Very cool - I'm going to try this soon... I am a bit worried about "cold hands" being able to use these effectively. I assume it's not too tough to NOT compress them so badly and keep a mix of both pea size and bigger...

Any ideas on which waxes burn longest?

Anyone out there know a good source for magnesium blocks of this type? A little too pricey to grind up a magnesium and flint fire starter (ala Doans??)

I use the Leatherman pliers to get the ball torn up and loosened up and the cotton nicely frayed. As far as types of wax, I just use plain old candle wax. I melted down candle stumps that we had around the house. You'll have a 3-5 minute burn-time for each BOF which is plenty of time to get your accumulated tinder materials started.

Blocks of magnesuim that come with a strip of imbedded flint web page are available in most sports, camping and big-box stores. These are actually knock-offs of the military types. There's enough magnesium in those to make hundreds of BOFs.

I actually prefer these old types strikers, probably because I'm used to them. So I can't give an opinion on these newer forms of sparkers. Anything that makes a spark will work....even a 9 volt battery and steel wool will work.

If I use scraps, mine are going to give off some nice aroma too... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'll have to see if we have some unscented votives or something laying about.

I read that the anodes in older water heaters were often made from either magnesium or aluminum.