FScouter Posted February 8, 2002 Share Posted February 8, 2002 The PLC wants to do something different at the troop meeting and someone suggested to make waterproof matches. Does anyone have any experience at that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 8, 2002 Share Posted February 8, 2002 In the "olden days" when good Ol' BP and I were at Gilwell together we couldnt go to the local Wal-Mart or other such establishment and BUY waterproof matches, we had to water proof them ourselves. One way is to melt parrafin in a double boiler ( ask Mom or Grandmom if you dont know what this is, parrafin or a double boiler)then dip the match head in the hot wax. The sulfur tip will get a nice coating of wax that will make it waterproof. When lighting the match be sure to knock a bit of the wax off so the match head will strike the striker panel or if kitchen matches, before you strike it on whatever. An alternative would be to "paint" the matches with clear nail polish. You have to coat the match head with the polish and then hold onto it while it dries, if you put it down wet, it will stick to what ever it touches. Added fun will be asking the scouts to go Wal-Mart and buy the clear nail polish Again, this coating, even though it will be much thinner than the parrafin, will make the match harder to light. After you see a bevy of scouts dipping matches in hot wax or waving wet nail polish coated matches in the air, the walk to Wal-Mart to buy waterproof matches(OK, OK, I own stock in it)may seem like a really good idea. However, This is something else the PLC might want to try. Take a very small block of wood, maybe a half inch thick and an inch long and a half inch wide, or something of similar dimensions. Take a saw and score a 1/16" grove in the one inch length of the wood. Then, go to Wal-Mart (hey I have to think of my retirement, right?) and buy a pack of Ronson flints for a cigarette lighter. Drill a series of holes in the scored section of the wood block the same size as the flints, or a little smaller. Wedge the flints in the holes, be sure to get the flint at least below the score line, all the way would be best. Then, take a dulled piece of a hack saw blade (I guess you could use a new hack saw blade, but that wouldnt be thrifty) fit it in score line and pull down. You will get a shower of sparks what would have turned Tom Hanks in Castaway green with envy. This device will last for years. I have one that is going on 4 years old. Still works every time. For added effect have the shower of sparks hit some nice 000 or 0000 fluffed up steel wool and the kids will be amazed when they see fire from real flint and steel. Then shower with sparks some nice dry dryer lint and see how they react. If its during a campout, see who can make an actual fire using a magnifying glass. Or the lens of a mag light. (Hanks missed that one). Perhaps you could award a "Conch" to the patrol who starts a fire using one of their patrol members eye glasses. I guess what I am saying is dont play with matches, let them find alternative ways to make fire. I have a few other methods, but if I told you all of them, then you would be as smart as I. (this typed when OldGreyEagle was in an exceptionally silly mood)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FScouter Posted February 9, 2002 Author Share Posted February 9, 2002 OGE: Hey ! You can be in a silly mood any time you want! Life is way more fun that way. We're going to make real waterproof matches the good old fashioned way. And find some real waterproof pill bottles to put them in. But my mom would tan my hide if I used her double boiler to melt paraffin. Walmart is fine and I wouldn't want to spoil your retirement, but I would hazard a guess that 50 years from now the boys will remember the matches they made. That spark generator sounds mean. Are you sure you don't need a license or anything? (Luckily I save all my old hack saw blades. You never know when they might come in handy, and sure enough, my wife is wrong again!) The boys have used the steel wool and 9v battery method with some success. One kid is not so keen on it anymore after he put the battery in the same paper bag with the steel wool and dang near burned up the Klondike sled. I'll have to check out that Mag light method. Mine doesn't exactly have a lens, but it does have a parabolic mirror that would seem to work if the tinder could be properly placed. Have you tried the char cloth method, using a piece of chert or obsidian and soft steel? By the way, we sang the "Boy Scout Sunday School" at our last two campouts. They were begging for more verses! Life is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 I have tried the char cloth and rubbing two sticks and the bow method with resounding failure. I wish you guys well in all your pyrotechnic endeavors. Now, have you ever seen a campfire lit by a flashbulb? Speaking of which, do they even sell flashbulbs anymore? where can I find one? Anyone?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 I found this site since the last we talked about sunday school. Many of the verses are virtually duplicates, but theres almost a hundred verses, some of which are not proper Boy Scout material. But if its verses you want here they are: http://www.locksley.com/vintage/yfof.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekender Posted February 10, 2002 Share Posted February 10, 2002 As luck would have it, I was just melting some parafin today. Buy it at the grocery store in the canning section. My double boiler consisted of a camping pot and a soup can (clean and paper removed). Fill the pot half way or so with water, put the wax in the clean soup can. When the water boils use a pair of channel lock pliers to hold the soup can in the boiling water. It took about 4-5 minutes to melt one bar of wax. I was making egg carton firestarters for a webelo visit tomorrow night. If interested: you need a cardboard egg carton not the styrofoam type. fill each cup about 1/3 full of saw dust (I stopped by the hardware store and they gladly gave me all I wanted and then some) pour the melted wax into the cup until it almost crests to the next cell...sort of like filling an ice cube tray with water. One block of wax made ten firestarters. The wax will soak through the cardboard but should not leak. After the wax cools cut into individual cups. I put one in a 4 inch square of foil and lit it. It burned a solid 5 minutes and the flames covered the whole area of the foil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sctmom Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Weekender is right about the alternative double boiler method. Your mom will not kill you if you CLEAN the double boiler after using it for melting parrafin. For those of you saving old hacksaw blades, let me just say that Scouting is THE place for all us packrats in the world. Now, even get to save dryer lint! WOW! It can go in the garage with all the egg cartons, cardboard boxes and toilet tisse rolls. I was trying to make the egg carton fire starters this weekend. I had read somewhere to put a piece of charcoal in each section. Well, either I buy very small eggs or very large charcoal, because that wasn't going to work. Guess I'll try the dryer lint, it is all over my laundry room. My son and his friend enjoyed dipping rolled up newspaper into the parrafin last year. Just watch because eventually some one will want to stick their hand in the wax. Do you know they sell an expensive thing at stores (including Wal Mart) for women to stick their hands in melted parrafin to improve their skin????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekender Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 Well, I don't know if it would make hands softer but it should would take care of hairy nuckles...ouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FScouter Posted February 12, 2002 Author Share Posted February 12, 2002 OGE: I stopped by a professional photo shop and asked about flashbulbs. Apparently they haven't been manufactured for years. But I did get a source. This guy has got more bulbs than you can shake a stick at. Here's his link: http://www.flashbulbs.com/index.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 12, 2002 Share Posted February 12, 2002 Kewl, see what you do is get a syringe, inject your favorite accerelant to about 1/3 of the bulb full. Encase the bulb in a cardboard box full of strips of paper or somehting like that. 'Flash" the bulb by means of wires and a battery. Bury the wires away from the audience and the fire will start magically to the spectators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le Voyageur Posted February 12, 2002 Share Posted February 12, 2002 After you get through with waterproofing matches,maybe this could be your next project and put those matches to good use... http://www.fallingwater.com/pct2000/gear/KissStove.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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