A possible alternative to Maya Dust?

[Fraxinus]

I had one of those bright ideas, you know the type, those that will get in trouble with the o/h or your mum.:evilgrin:
Well I have some birch bark harvested from a wind felled tree on a friends farm and as you know to get it to light from a spark you have to scuff it up a bit but then a slight breeze and it's gone! So, I thought about pre-scuffing and saving it in a tin that could act as a windshield.......but that was not the bright idea I refer to!

This was:- :D

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EBWFj-LzcSc/U1YsOHwGIPI/AAAAAAAADuA/zqQ4nVTwfsQ/s512/Birch%2520Bark%2520Grinder.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J8_X-3Y3k6k/U1YsOpb9rnI/AAAAAAAADuI/2aenvE-QTiY/s576/Birch%2520Bark%2520Dust%25201.jpg

I got a small pinch of it to ignite with a ferro rod but it went out before I could get a pic and with the new fire alarm system here at Fraxinus towers using more is a no no so further testing will have to wait for the next trip out but I am very hopeful of positive results. This could be a more easily accessible alternative to Maya Dust.
I will let you know how I get on. :D

Rob.

[Paul De Fitter]

Hmmmm
Interesting, looking forward to seeing the results.

[OakAshandThorn]

T^ There's an idea! :)
Awaiting your findings :D

[Peaks]

Good idea!
To avoid domestic disputes....I wonder if you could use a cheap pepper mill or coffee grinder?

[Valantine]

You can get grinders at a low price now in places like tesco

[Tigger004]

Nice one, I too await your findings.... It's nice when someone else does all the hard work and failures....lol

[Fraxinus]

It's nice when someone else does all the hard work and failures....lol

Let us not talk of failure.....an unwanted result from an experiment is merely a step towards the right experiment :innocent:
I hope :D
I will post my results either way but my plans for saturday have been altered due to work, such is life!

Rob.

[FishyFolk]

If you collect the paper thin outer lose layers of a young birch the tree will take no damage, this is about to fall off in the first heavy wind anyway.
And it will ignite at a spark. No need to prepare it. Just gather it in a ball, and light it with a ferro rod. Then use thicker and coarser birch bark f.eks from a deadfall to build up the flame,
as the thin stuff will burn off in a minute or so...

[Rasputin]

If you collect the paper thin outer lose layers of a young birch the tree will take no damage, this is about to fall off in the first heavy wind anyway.
And it will ignite at a spark. No need to prepare it. Just gather it in a ball, and light it with a ferro rod. Then use thicker and coarser birch bark f.eks from a deadfall to build up the flame,
as the thin stuff will burn off in a minute or so...

Thats the stuff I use Rune, It works fine ! heres 1 I made earlier :campfire:

[Sylvanbilly]

Thats the stuff I use Rune, It works fine ! heres 1 I made earlier :campfire:

U use a bic lighter Ken
Hehe

[Rasputin]

U use a bic lighter Ken
Hehe

This is mostly true Bill but if you look in my fire pouch you will always find ( Betula papyrifera ) or paper/canoe birch and several other tinders. But yeh Ime lazy most of the time and use the lighter pmsl

[Sylvanbilly]

hehe, I know ken just kidding:ashamed:, ive seen you array of impresive starters and it was very generous of you to of given me some goodies out of it, couldnt help having a little wind up though.:jumping-joy:

[Fraxinus]

If you collect the paper thin outer lose layers of a young birch the tree will take no damage, this is about to fall off in the first heavy wind anyway.
And it will ignite at a spark. No need to prepare it. Just gather it in a ball, and light it with a ferro rod. Then use thicker and coarser birch bark f.eks from a deadfall to build up the flame,
as the thin stuff will burn off in a minute or so...

Thanks Rune, that kind of info is priceless.:D
The bark I have is stripped from a wind felled tree so is full thickness, hence my initial idea to pre prep it.
I read somewhere that the purchased maya dust could be ignited with a spark from flint and steel but my home made maya dust (from drilling into resinous pine knots from a work project) took a fair bit of ferro rod action to get it going and was time consuming to acquire. The birch bark alternative seemed, to me, a viable alternative. It may well yet prove to be but.....I am now thinking of processing just the paper thin outer layer you mentioned.
I am working up at the farm it was sourced from on saturday so will try to gather some then.

BTW:- No harm came to the original poster after SWIMBO found I had used her spice grinder... A) because I washed it up:D and B) I pointed out that cinnamon was a bark and peppercorns are harder and she wizzes them up at will! :innocent:

Rob.

[Fellows]

Good stuff mate. If u get birch and scratch it a bit (thicker the better) eith ur knofe blade, a ferro will ignite it also; pnly.of u forget ur tin of treats that is

[Fraxinus]

Update:

It is a resounding FAIL

I think the real problem is that the spice grinder does not produce fine curls that one gets by scraping with a knife, the whizzed up bits glow and even smoke for a couple of seconds before snuffing out. It was worth a try though, if only so you lot don't have to have a go :D

Rob.