Make the ultimate ferrocerium rod with a fatwood handle

The ultimate ferro rod with fatwood handle

An extra large ferrocerium rod with a custom fatwood handle

Why use an extra large ferro rod?

In preparation for an upcoming winter outing, I purchased an extra-large ferrocerium rod. My main ferro rod to date has been a 3/8” diameter rod that is 6 inches long. It has served me well. If the smaller rod works, why did I just buy such a large new one?

The need for a large ferro rod basically comes down to the desire to maximize my chance of success when starting a fire. More sparks from the ferro rod improve the chances of successfully igniting the tinder. The amount of sparks produced is largely a function of how much of the pyrophoric material is scraped from the ferro rod. This, in turn, is largely a function of how much of the rod’s surface is effectively scraped.

Compared to my old 6” rod, the new 8” rod increase the surface area of the ferro rod that is scraped by 33%. That’s a significant increase. What’s more, over time the diameter of the rod can contribute to an increase in surface area as well, if the rod is consistently used on one spot, thus creating a flat surface.

A fatwood handle for the ferro rod

I had an idea to add a fatwood handle to the new extra-long ferro rod. This would serve two purposes. First, the handle will help to keep my fingers out of the way so I can use more of the rod's length for creating sparks. Second, in the absence of suitable tinder in the environment, I can scrape fatwood shavings off the handle itself.

Schematic drawing showing how to add a wood handle to a large ferrocerium rod

What is fatwood and why is so great? First of all, fatwood doesn’t describe a particular species of tree. Rather, it is a general term that describes dried wood that has been naturally impregnated with flammable resin. Many resinous trees — mostly conifers — are capable of producing fatwood.

The resins in fatwood make it very flammable. Fine fatwood shavings scraped from a larger piece will readily accept the sparks from a ferro rod. They will even light when wet. Once lit, fatwood produces a strong flame that is able to resist gusts of wind and is capable of igniting larger pieces of fuelwood. Finally, fatwood is a material durable enough to serve as a sturdy handle.

Making and mounting a wood handle to the ferro rod

Mounting the fatwood to the ferrocerium rod was pretty straightforward. First, I used wood glue to bond two pieces of fatwood together to make a single piece thick enough to serve as the handle. Next, I used a drill press to drill a 1/2" diameter hole into one end of the fatwood. This is the same size as the diameter of the ferro rod. The ferro rod came with a small lanyard hole in one end. I measured where this hole would be located with the rod inserted into the fatwood, then drilled a small hole through the sides of the wood. I used a hammer to tap a piece of brass rod through both the handle and ferro rod. After trimming the rod flush with the sides of the handle, I peened (hammered) the ends of the brass rod to prevent it from sliding out. Alternatively, you could use a few drops of Super Glue to keep the pin from sliding out.

Custom leather belt sheath made for the extra large ferro rod

A modified leather knife sheath for carrying an extra large ferro rod on a belt

Creating a custom leather sheath for the ferro rod

This is a pretty large ferro rod, so I reasoned that it needed its own sheath. I had recently replaced an old leather knife sheath because the bottom seam had started to come apart. I cut the lower end completely off the sheath so the rod could poke through the bottom. Next, I soaked the old sheath in water for about 20 minutes, then fit the rod inside. I manipulated the wet leather to take the shape of the rod and handle. To ensure that the rod would never fall through the sheath, I added two metal rivets to the bottom of the sheath. Finally, I added a leather strap with a snap to keep the rod from ever falling out the top.


Using fatwood to create tinder

The process for using the fatwood handle to create tinder is the same method one would use for any piece of fatwood. The wood is scraped to produce fine shavings. This is often accomplished with the spine of a knife that has been ground to have a sharp 90-degree edge. Invert the rod such that you are using the rod as the handle and brace the fatwood on a stump or other suitable surface. Use the spine of a knife to scrape up and down on one of the exposed corners of the fatwood. Ideally, a golf ball-sized bundle would be made. I may use smaller bundles to extend the life of my handle. However, I don’t have to be conservative. Because glue wasn't used, I can replace the fatwood handle down the road if I wear it down from use.



RESOURCES

* Some of the links on this page go to Amazon and some go to the website of my friend, Josh Enyart, The Gray Bearded Green Beret. I make a small commission on these referrals. I appreciate your support!

Troubleshooting campfire Problems Using the Fire Triangle

Sometimes a match alone won’t start a fire

In Part 1 of this series, we learned about the fire triangle and how heat, oxygen, and fuel are all needed for a fire. Next, let’s take a look at how we can use this knowledge to troubleshoot problems we might encounter when starting an outdoor fire. So, how do you start a campfire and keep a fire going?

Fire problems Associated with Heat

Problems with heat almost always have to do with not having enough of it. This prevents the pyrolysis process from happening. Without those gasses, there is nothing to react with oxygen, and thus prevents combustion. 

The fire triangle: heat fuel and oxygen

Fire built on damp ground

A tinder bundle that is lit on damp ground  -- or worse, on snow and ice --  will lose much of its heat in attempting to warm and dry the surface below. This may prevent adequate heat from getting to the next largest size of tinder or fuel

Solution: move the fire to a drier location.

Solution 2: build your initial fire on top of some aluminum foil which creates a barrier between the fire and the wet ground.

Solution 3: build up a structure of sticks or tree bark to get the fire off the ground. Dry materials are best.

Sparks can sometimes be too brief

Sparks from ferro rod are too brief

The spark scraped from a ferrocerium rod may be too brief to warm up and ignite your tinder. 

Solution: If using a ferrocerium rod, try incorporating some flash tinder. Flash tinders are extremely fine tinders that accept the smallest spark and then burn very hot and fast. This can help spread the initial flame to more of your tinder bundle. Common flash tinders include such as cattail fluff, milkweed fluff, and magnesium shavings. 

Pro tip: the ferro rod itself can be used as a type of flash tinder. Slowly and carefully scrape unburned shavings from the rod into your tinder bundle. This requires some patience and care. These ferro rod shavings will ignite within the bundle when you later use the ferro rod to shower the tinder bundle with sparks. 

A regular match may not provide enough heat

Flame is too brief

The flame from a match may not last long enough to light small kindling directly.

Solution 1: use finer tinder to allow the match flame to catch hold.

Solution 2: use a bigger match! There are several brands of large matches that burn longer and hotter. Consider the UCO Titan Stormproof Matches, which burn for 25 seconds.

Solution 3: use a flame extender. The flame from a match can be transferred to a small candle, a long sliver of fatwood, or strips of birch bark. This will give you a longer flame that can help you light less-than-perfect tinder. 

 Pro tip: some conifer tree resins are very flammable. A glob of pine pitch on the end of a stick can make a great flame extender.

Fire problems associated with Oxygen

Problems with oxygen most often take to form of an inadequate access

The Fuel is Limiting Airflow

It can be tempting to put a lot of fuel on a small fire but this can be a problem if it prevents enough air from reaching the system. A fire that isn’t getting enough oxygen will have diminishing flames and often a lot of smoke.

A fire needs good access to oxygen in the air

Solution 1 : Blowing and fanning a fire are well known solutions, but somewhat labor-intensive. Blowing can be made much easier and more efficient by using a small tube such as a pocket bellows directed at the base of the fire. 

Solution 2: Consider learning to build a fire lay. A fire lay is an arrangement of fuel into a structure that helps to ensure that adequate air can reach the fire. Common fire lays included the tipi and the log cabin.

Solution 3: If there is a prevailing wind, create a gap in the fuel out on that side of the fire. This creates an opening into which the wind can enter, effectively blowing on the fire for you. 

Solution 4: Finally, recall that hot air rises. This means you can dig a trench below the fire to provide air from underneath.

Pro tip: there is a fire lay designed to allow you to adjust the amount of oxygen available to a fire. My friend, The Gray Bearded Green Beret, has a great video demonstrating the elevator fire lay.

Fire problems Associated with Fuel

Damp Wood

The moisture in damp wood robs heat from the fire triangle. The heat energy is wasted in turning water into water vapor. This will delay or prevent the wood from reaching the point of pyrolysis. 

A flame source with its own integrated tinder

Solution 1:  Look for dry wood. The lower dead limbs of conifers are often dryer than what is on the ground. Look under logs, bark, or trees with a thick canopy. If you have a saw or axe, seek the inner portions of standing dead wood, which is often dryer. 

Solution 2: Use a lot more tinder. A very large tinder bundle -- especially one made of birch bark or fatwood, which will burn when wet -- can dry out your kindling and get your fire going. 

Solution 3: Use an accelerant to help things along. This could be a natural resource such as pine pitch or a commercial fire starting tinder which typically burn longer and hotter than most natural tinders.

Solution 4: use a flame source that integrates a long-burning tinder. Examples include UCO Sweetfire Fire Starters and UCO Sweetfire Behemoth Fire Starters, both of which burn for many minutes.

Pro tip: once you have a fire going, be sure to use it to dry out any damp or wet firewood.

Fuel Added Too Quickly

Adding too much wood too quickly can stifle a fire that is still being built. This is a combination of problems: not enough air reaching the fire and not enough heat to ignite the excessive amount of fuel.

Solution: only add more fuel, when you see flames extending well above the fuel that is already in the fire.

A dense mix of kindling sizes often works best

The Wood Pieces are Too Large

If the wood is very large, it will be able to absorb a great deal of heat before it breaks down and starts to volitilize gas.  This problem may show up as a weak or diminishing flame with the kindling or firewood failing to ignite.

Solution 1: make sure you have a range of kindling sizes mixed together. This mix should include matchstick, pencil, and then magic marker size pieces.

Solution 2: use and axe or knife and baton to split the wood. Dividing in this way the fuel reduces the mass of each piece while also increasing its surface area relative to its volume. This will help any applied heat to start the pyrolysis process.  

Fuel is Too Spread Out

It’s a very common mistake to have the tinder or kindling arranged loosely and too spread out. The problem here is that one burning piece of wood isn’t able to effectively heat any adjacent pieces. Said another way, each individual piece of kindling may burn in isolation, failing to support the larger chain reaction of combustion.

Solution: Bringing the pieces of fuel closer together. This allows all of the burning pieces to heat each other, reinforcing the combustion chain reaction.

Fuel Located in the Wrong Spot
Both heat and flames rise. Fuel placed too far to the side of a tinder bundle is unlikely to receive enough heat to ignite.

Solution: place your smallest and most dry tinder directly above your tinder bundle. This may require making some quick adjustments on-the-fly so be ready to act once the tinder bundle is lit.

Resources

  • UCO Sweetfire Fire Starters

  • UCO Sweetfire Behemoth Fire Starters

  • Fatwood

* Some of the links on this page go to Amazon and some go to the website of my friend, Josh Enyart, The Gray Bearded Green Beret. I make a small commission on these referrals, and I appreciate your support!