# Fire Starters



## darkzero (Nov 8, 2009)

My buddy saw the various fire pistons offered at CPFMP. He asked me to make one. Without having a reamer I decided to try & make one anyway. 

The body measures 3.5" long. The piston measures 4" long & I gave it a brushed finish. I made a threaded brass end for better grip & replaceable should he decide to use it for impact if even needed.

The next one will be done on the new lathe with a reamer & probably in titanium. We'll see if it works tomorrow, hope he's got the char cloth ready.


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## bluwolf (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Will,

Nice little project there. Did you cut both the internal and external threads on the lathe?

Mike


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## cmacclel (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Very nice work.

Mac


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## wquiles (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Great work and nice finish on all of the parts :thumbsup:


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## darkzero (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Thanks fellas! 




bluwolf said:


> Will,
> 
> Nice little project there. Did you cut both the internal and external threads on the lathe?
> 
> Mike


 
I cut the external threads on the piston with lathe only. I used a tap for the brass end simply cause it was quicker to do & I had one.



Well it works! :twothumbs


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## SFG2Lman (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

is there a thread for what these are and how they work? i know they make fire...but i have never heard of one before

edit: nevermind i used the search function...i like these


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## rizky_p (Nov 8, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

it is basically a compression piston, when you heat up air quickly by compressing it get hot. Hot enough to burn the the tinder/cotton or some other stuffs to start your fire with. I saw someone build using minimag.

why not add a flashlight at one end?


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## choffman (Nov 9, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



rizky_p said:


> why not add a flashlight at one end?


 

+1 what a great idea

....and add a little storage compartment for an extra o-ring or 2

very cool FP, nice work. I've been meaning to turn one myself.

Craig


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## ironhorse (Nov 9, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Are you going to make any to sell?


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## Torque1st (Nov 9, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



rizky_p said:


> -snip-
> why not add a flashlight at one end?


Making the other end a flashlight might be a little hard on the flashlight lens and electronics if you slam it into a rock for fire. Besides if you have batteries it is usually easier to carry a little container of steel wool to start fires.


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## darkzero (Nov 10, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



choffman said:


> ....and add a little storage compartment for an extra o-ring or 2


 
You read our minds. I'm actually going to make use of the brass end cap & make that a compartment for grease & will also add the ability to hold three spare orings. :thumbsup:




ironhorse said:


> Are you going to make any to sell?


 
Was not planning on it. There are aluminum & titanium versions offered for sale on CPFMP which I don't want to interfere with. I may make a few to sell but that's about it & not for sure. Pretty much everything I do is built upon request.


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## Justintoxicated (Nov 11, 2009)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



darkzero said:


> You read our minds. I'm actually going to make use of the brass end cap & make that a compartment for grease & will also add the ability to hold three spare orings. :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




But I like your design better! I was thinking you could fill the storage compartment with grease.


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## darkzero (Jan 3, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

I added a few things on request (excuse the dirt, it's a user)....


Storage compartment for grease or char cloth with an oring to seal the compartment. Grooves to hold two spare orings (the storage compartment oring can be used as a thrid).






Notice the black thing inside the storage compartment....






In case he runs out of charcloth, there's a ferro rod to save the day.






I think I will make a few titaniums ones. I have most of the material already.


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## matrixshaman (Jan 3, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

:thumbsup: LOL that's great ! A backup fire starter (ferro rod) inside the fire piston. Nice work and cool idea.


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## darkzero (Apr 26, 2010)

My buddy asked me to make a ferro rod holder a while back. I thought it came out pretty nice so I thought I'd share.

Ferrocerium rods are similar to the magnesium fire starers except you don't need flint. As you scrape the ferro rod it throws spark unlike magnesium where you gather a pile of shavings then ignite it with a flint. So with the ferro rod you can actually start a fire by throwing the sparks from a distance if you do it right.

It's 3.5" long & 5/8" in diameter so it fits the palm nicely & is pocket friendly. The ferro rod is 5/16 in diameter & 1.5" in length not including the threaded part. It was originaly longer so I cut it in half. I threaded the rods so they can be changed when needed. It's a common thread (5/16-24) so anyone can use a die to cut the threads for replacement rods without needing a lathe.

Lesson learned, don't machine the ferro rod too fast & dry or the chips will ignite! This happened to me on the second half of the rod as I was facing it. It scared the hell out of me. Some non combustible cutting fluid took care of that.


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## precisionworks (Apr 27, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Very nice work 



> don't machine the ferro rod too fast & dry or the chips will ignite!


+1

The first lathe I ran was a good sized LeBlond, probably 16" or 18". I was machining magnesium round stock at a rate that was just a little fast & the chips were dropping red. The machine lab instructor nearly had a coronary


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## darkzero (Apr 28, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



precisionworks said:


> Very nice work


 
Thanks Barry, that means a lot coming from you. Although it looks simple & may not be that much work for you pros but it was a pretty good project for me as I'm very very anal about my work even though this is meant to be _used_.


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## precisionworks (Apr 28, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



> it looks simple & may not be that much work


That's a challenging series of operations ...

OD thread the ferro rod to correct thread depth (usually means thread wires or a thread mic).

Inside thread the rod holder to achieve a nice fit with the rod.

Outside thread the rod holder body to size then inside thead the matching body part.

Four threading ops, each of which have to be perfect, is no easy job. Most people would not believe the time you have in that project & that's before the body is finish grooved.


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## darkzero (Apr 28, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



precisionworks said:


> That's a challenging series of operations ...
> 
> OD thread the ferro rod to correct thread depth (usually means thread wires or a thread mic).
> 
> ...


 
I'm glad that I know enough now to appreciate all the hard work involved that all you machinists perform & vise versa. 

Yup, used a pitch mic for the external threads on the ferro rod. Man these are not cheap even on ebay! I waited patiently & scored a mint one with interchangeable anvils.

Thread is 5/16-24. Pitch diameter measured about .2831" which is in spec for a 3A thread. No idea what the internal thread measures as I don't have any means of measuring it. Went by feel from what I was taught & it seems to be about 3B class. No big deal here as it's not a space shuttle part but it was good practice.


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## gt40 (Apr 29, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

awesome work!


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## wquiles (Apr 29, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



gt40 said:


> awesome work!


+1

Will's attention to detail is very impressive. He always had the right modding skills and mindset, but now that he also has the machining tools, his work envelope has just expanded dramatically :thumbsup:


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## darkzero (Apr 29, 2010)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

Thanks fellas!


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## vadimax (Feb 19, 2018)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*

You know, I am perfect in reviving dead threads. Here comes another one.

Just a moment ago I’ve got a SOTO pocket torch XT. Made in Japan. At least what is written on its body. The body is molded of two polymer parts. And both of them feature casting burrs not removed:







You see these burrs reflecting light on the edge... To be sincere I had much better opinion of Japanese manufacturing. And here they have omitted edge clearing operation entirely. At the same time polymer parts themselves have been molded very precisely.

Now I am sitting and finishing the task with a knife they have skipped from manufacturing process :ironic:

The world is going to Hell


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## HarryN (Mar 25, 2018)

*Re: My First Version Of The Fire Piston*



vadimax said:


> Now I am sitting and finishing the task with a knife they have skipped from manufacturing process :ironic:
> 
> The world is going to Hell



Or - perhaps your skills are useful for helping others with lower eye - hand coordination? I think sometimes people underestimate the value of their artistic skills because it is difficult for them to understand why other people cannot do it. My wife is the artist in our house, while I can barely color with crayons inside of the lines.


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