Okay, I have a confession to make. I don't know how to start a fire with a magnifying glass.<br><br>Actually, the real stumbling block is turning a glowing spark into an actual flame. I did finally manage to do it, just a few minutes ago, after about 45 minutes on the patio, but I may have cheated ; I had a small pile of magnesium shavings embedded in the napkin I was using.<br><br>Basically, what I've done in the past is to take a napkin or piece of tissue paper and roll it up into a fairly tight cylinder. (I figure this provides a natural chimney effect.) I find it helps if the tissue paper is a dark colour, or if you can put a black dot in it with a pen, that will absorb the heat from the magnifying glass. (Okay, that's cheating too; I should be able to do it with dead leaves and pine needles, but bear with me.) As long as there's no clouds, and the sun is fairly warm, I can get the paper cylinder to smoke merrily on its own; if I blow hard on it, it will glow brightly, But until today, no flame. <br><br>Today, as I said, I took a small pile of magnesium shavings and rolled them up in the paper napkin. I figured I'd have no problem producing a flame with this. It took a while, but eventually I got the napkin cylinder smoking/glowing. But all it wanted to do was smoke, and glow, and get shorter. Eventually it shrunk to about 1/3 of its original length (I estimate). I was standing there wondering what to do, when all of a sudden it burst into flame in my hand. I quickly threw it to the ground and stomped on it.<br><br>So what happened? Did the magnesium flakes finally catch fire? I was sure they were all up at the end that had burned away. Or is that normal behaviour? <br><br>I can start a fire with matches, or with a flint striker; I started one with a pile of magnesium shavings and an empty Bic lighter, just to see if I could. But everything I've read seems to indicate that once you have the glowing spark, the job's done; and that's the part that's got me stuck. <br><br>Am I on the right track and just need to practice some more? Or am I missing some key step?<br><br>Thanks in advance.Okay, I have a confession to make. I don't know how to start a fire with a magnifying glass.<br><br>Actually, the real stumbling block is turning a glowing spark into an actual flame. I did finally manage to do it, just a few minutes ago, after about 45 minutes on the patio, but I may have cheated ; I had a small pile of magnesium shavings embedded in the napkin I was using.<br><br>Basically, what I've done in the past is to take a napkin or piece of tissue paper and roll it up into a fairly tight cylinder. (I figure this provides a natural chimney effect.) I find it helps if the tissue paper is a dark colour, or if you can put a black dot in it with a pen, that will absorb the heat from the magnifying glass. (Okay, that's cheating too; I should be able to do it with dead leaves and pine needles, but bear with me.) As long as there's no clouds, and the sun is fairly warm, I can get the paper cylinder to smoke merrily on its own; if I blow hard on it, it will glow brightly, But until today, no flame. <br><br>Today, as I said, I took a small pile of magnesium shavings and rolled them up in the paper napkin. I figured I'd have no problem producing a flame with this. It took a while, but eventually I got the napkin cylinder smoking/glowing. But all it wanted to do was smoke, and glow, and get shorter. Eventually it shrunk to about 1/3 of its original length (I estimate). I was standing there wondering what to do, when all of a sudden it burst into flame in my hand. I quickly threw it to the ground and stomped on it.<br><br>So what happened? Did the magnesium flakes finally catch fire? I was sure they were all up at the end that had burned away. Or is that normal behaviour? <br><br>I can start a fire with matches, or with a flint striker; I started one with a pile of magnesium shavings and an empty Bic lighter, just to see if I could. But everything I've read seems to indicate that once you have the glowing spark, the job's done; and that's the part that's got me stuck. <br><br>Am I on the right track and just need to practice some more? Or am I missing some key step?<br><br>Thanks in advance.