Make Char Cloth

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Make Char Cloth

by Graywolf (/member/Graywolf/) (/id/Make-Char-Cloth/) 5 Steps + Collection Favorite

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About This Instructable 106,103 views 211 favorites

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Graywolf (/member /Graywolf/)

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primitive (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FXF/GESX/4UJET9K50HZ/FXFGESX4UJET9K50HZ.LARGE.jpg)

primitive/) survival (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keywordsurvival/) cloth (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-cloth/) can (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-can/) char (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-char/) make (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-make/)

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tin (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-tin/) fire (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-fire/) medieval (/tag/type-id/category-outside/keyword-

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medieval/)

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Char-Cloth/?ALLSTEPS Related
How to make char cloth. (/id/How-to-makechar-cloth/) by nattyclem (/member Make Char Cloth Easily at Home! (/id/MakeChar-Cloth-Easilyat-Home/) Easy Char Cloth (/id/HowTo-Make-Char-cloth-1/) by survivorman371 (/member /survivorman371/)

In this entry I will show you how to make char cloth which will aid you in fire starting the primitive way.

Step 1: Make the char tin

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4U/C4FX/X8WET9K50GR/F4UC4FXX8WET9K50GR.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FP4/I359/3Q9ET9K50IL/FP4I3593Q9ET9K50IL.LARGE.jpg)

Pocket Survival Tin (/id/Pocket-Survival-Tin/) by tomsweet65 (/member /tomsweet65/) Altoids Survival Kit 2.0 (/id/Altoids-Survival-Kit-20/) by BudgetBugout (/member /BudgetBugout/) See More (/tag/type-id/?q=)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FXF/GESX/4UJET9K50HZ/FXFGESX4UJET9K50HZ.LARGE.jpg)

You need a tin of some sort it just hast to be a closeable tin that is kinda air tight like a tin of mints or maby a altoid can. When you get your tin you need to punch a small hole in the top with a small nail or 4-5 cm, but dont make it to big no bigger that 1cm . this must be done or you risk the chance that the gases presurize the tin and it will explode. after that you are ready to char some cloth.

Step 2: Put the cloth in the can

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FP4/I359/3Q9ET9K50IL/FP4I3593Q9ET9K50IL.LARGE.jpg)

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you must not pack them in tight or by just throwing them in you should place them in gently like I did in the picture. Then put the cap on. also you must use 100% cotton for the cloth this is readlly avaliable by using a old tee shirt which I use and it works fine, but remember 100% cotton!

Step 3: Put it on the fire

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4U/C4FX/X8WET9K50GR/F4UC4FXX8WET9K50GR.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FHH/7A1F/2R3ET9K50HD/FHH7A1F2R3ET9K50HD.LARGE.jpg)

now just start a fire not a blazing inferno just a calm fire or you can use the embers (lots of embers, this usaly works much better) set it some where in the fire where it will not fall over and watch it you will eventualy see smoke billowing

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out or it might start on fire. dont freak out just let it burn itself out and when there is no more smoke coming out take it out. what ever you do DONT! take the lid off right away just wait a little while for two reasons. one it is probaly really hot! and two if you open it before it cools, the oxygen will rush in and might start the whole thing on fire. then you run the risk of getting burnt and you will have to start over because the cloth is all burnt away.

Step 4: Remove the lid

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FI0/BZHT/X7RET9K50J7/FI0BZHTX7RET9K50J7.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FME/WSXU/3ZFET9K50SU/FMEWSXU3ZFET9K50SU.LARGE.jpg)

Remove the lid :] if your cloth looks like the picture where it is brown then dont worry just cover the tin back up and put it back on. if it is very starchy or crumbles when you tuch it you over cooked it and will have to start over. but if is knida soft completly black and is not very fragile then it is perfect. then you should take it out of the can and seprate each piece gently like I have done

Step 5: Light it up

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FJS/WAUN/LEXET9K50S3/FJSWAUNLEXET9K50S3.LARGE.jpg)

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(http://cdn.instructables.com/FW1/V9YX/SJXET9K50QV/FW1V9YXSJXET9K50QV.LARGE.jpg)

now all you have to do is let anykind of spark fall on it and it will glow red with a hot ember but no flame or for all those teck freaks you can just use a lighter but it burns it up fast. for all you primitive and medieval people like me this is the exact way the people back then made char cloth

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Reply (C5GWVMUFI36FTNU)

DieCastoms (/member/DieCastoms/) says:

5 years ago

This comment is a little long, I apologize. Hopefully some will find it useful. I was
2 a member of the Wachussett Mountain Men, the Leominster Sportsmans' (/member Association, the N.M.L.R.A. and am a continuing reenactor and supporter /DieCastoms/)

of Living History. My Mountain Man name is Little Coon because as a child I was "always chattering and always getting into things". My father is a Rev.War period correct blacksmith and has made many fire starter kits. if you are interested in a kit, feel free to contact me. When making your charcloth, again, I must stress, ONLY 100% cotton will work. Anything synthetic will MELT instead! If you play with the size of the hole in the top of the tin, and get it small enough that you have a good steady flow of smoke, you can actually light the smoke itself. The can will not explode, because there is no oxygen in it, that's the whole point of doing it in a tin can. If you light the smoke you will get basically a candle flame. 9 out of 10 times, when the smoke finally burns out and will not re-light, the cloth is done. If you keep your char cloth, flint and striker and some rope fibers or DRY grass and a thin piece of leather in a TIGHTLY SEALING tin, you will always have what you need. Half bury a piece of charcloth in a 'bird's nest' of the grass or fibers and lay that on the piece of leather. Either hold the striker in one hand and hit with a GLANCING BLOW of a sharp edge of the flint, or hold the flint and swing the striker. One way will most likely work better then the other for you. Try to get AS MANY of the sparks to land on the charcloth as possible. Once you have embers burning in the cloth, pick the entire pile up using the leather like a pot holder and blow through the fibers gently like if you were cooling off a spoonful of soup. Once the fibers catch flame, place them into your kindling to

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get it lit, and retrieve your leather. Once your fire is going good, why not replenish your charcloth? Remember 100% cotton will dry if it gets wet, but charcloth will DISSOLVE if it gets wet. Carry cotton and make charcloth as you need it! As a random extra story: A demonstrator came to my school when I was in 2nd grade to show us about "Primitive living". While there, he showed how to start a flint and steel fire and although I do not remember what he did wrong, many people remember what happened. I corrected him, and of course since he was the teacher and I was the student, he was infallible and I was certainly wrong. When he made the comment "If you're so smart, come up and show us how it's done." I set the teachers desk on fire. Had he ASKED me, I at the time held my group's record for flint and steel fire in under 7 seconds! Remember, I was 7 years old! My parents were called and when told exactly what happened, dad told the PRINCIPLE to bugger off because of the demonstrator's attitude to me. In the following years, DAD was the demonstrator!!!! I hope my post is helpful and has not stepped on any toes. DC

As I've understood it, this is not (/member correct (check Wikipedia article). The /peapeam/) point is that it has to be a vegetable fiber. So not only 100% cotton will work, e.g. linen will also work or e.g. a mix of linen and cotton. Synthetics are of course excluded.

peapeam (/member/peapeam/) in reply to DieCastoms 3 years ago

Reply (CH0EPY8GE39IEZ0)

waykno (/member/waykno/) in reply to peapeam 1 year ago

(/member /waykno/)

Reply (CUN4VEIGXDWYH3Y)

Wikipedia? I can change that. Wiki would not be my "go to" source.

DieCastoms (/member/DieCastoms/) in reply to peapeam Reply (COHNGGKGE39IF8T) 3 years ago

You are correct, thank you for

2 pointing that out. Any 100% natural (/member cloth will work. Anything synthetic /DieCastoms/)

will melt and smoke and not ignite. I have never tried to use anything other than 100% cotton, mostly from old t-shirts.

Sir Crapton (/member/Sir+Crapton/) in reply to DieCastoms Reply (CCHNSE6G8QJJFKR) 3 years ago

(/member teach /Sir+Crapton/)

I had a medieval-era style blacksmith me how to start fires and make char cloth last time I was at a Renaissance Faire. Its a lot of fun.

Aklash, The hunchback (/member/Aklash%2C+The+hunchback/) in reply to Reply (C3P3YIEG61AW34D) DieCastoms 3 years ago
(/member One can use linen as a substitute for cotton (why /Aklash%2C+The+hunchback/) but not cotton I don't know) but both wil work fine.

one would have linen

Holy massive paragraph Batman.

16 (/member /Lithium+Rain/)

Lithium Rain (/member/Lithium+Rain/) in reply to DieCastoms Reply (CRJVHVSG51GENTG) 3 years ago

franklinonline (/member/franklinonline/) in reply to DieCastoms Reply (CVXJMBKG145JP83) 4 years ago

wow the instructor. He could always

(/member try yours, see it works, then aplogise /franklinonline/) and say hes human and wrong

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sometimes. But he bes a looser and stuff.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Char-Cloth/?ALLSTEPS

askeladden (/member/askeladden/) says:

2 years ago

Reply (CAGXMUFGTGCQV8R)

You can also do this on the BBQ.

(/member /askeladden/)

kInstructor (/member/kInstructor/) says:

2 years ago

Reply (CG3VAZLGTKH9PBL)

This also works fine with aluminum foil as can and kitchen paper as cloth.
2 (/member /kInstructor/)

Eleniel (/member/Eleniel/) says:

2 years ago

Reply (CTI0D4LGIWZLM2D)

umm.. is the can just in/on the fire. or is the fire IN the can ?
(/member /Eleniel/)

The principle at work here is (/member pyrolysis, in which you separate an /gearskin/) organic substance into a solid and a gas (or multiple gases) by high temperature in an environment free of oxygen. You'll want the fire on the outside of the tin - what you want inside the tin is a whole lot of heat, and a way for the gaseous byproduct of pyrolysis to escape. This is also why you can "overcook" in this recipe - once the gaseous byproduct is driven off, oxygen can reenter the tin through the hole in the top.

gearskin (/member/gearskin/) in reply to Eleniel 2 years ago

Reply (CU0TPJLGT44H4C8)

Graywolf (/member/Graywolf/) (author) says:

7 years ago

Reply (EBEVG84N6AET9K521R)

2 me if ther is any thing i can do to improve, also i (/member make fire with a spark and eventualy with sticks /Graywolf/)

i hope yall enjoyed this and it worked for yall please give me feed back and tell will eventualy show yall how to

That's is very similar to making (/member charcoal for BP and fireworks which /Top+feeder/) also happens to be fun.

Top feeder (/member/Top+feeder/) in reply to Graywolf 2 years ago

Reply (C2SJZQRGQYGL6RI)

Spell check would help. No offense (/member meant. Some comic slang is okay, /Shilloh777/) but it helps me if I understand you. I hope you didn't mean to make fun of southerners or the way they speak.

Shilloh777 (/member/Shilloh777/) in reply to Graywolf 2 years ago

Reply (C9PTGOFGNXX3JA5)

scoutmastermike190 (/member/scoutmastermike190/) in reply to Graywolf Reply (C3N101NF9AZJU7W) 6 years ago

(/member this at a boy /scoutmastermike190/)

thank you graywolf. I am teaching scout camporee this weekend

tcasarella (/member/tcasarella/) says:

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i make my char cloth in a altoid tin on the charcoal after i am done cooking.
2 years ago

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Char-Cloth/?ALLSTEPS
Reply (CN1L2LCGNBEUGU6)

(/member /tcasarella/)

nutsandbolts_64 (/member/nutsandbolts_64/) says: 3 years ago

weird question: could you use cotton balls?

17 (/member /nutsandbolts_64/)

Reply (C4OZ33BGBOTMD7I)

beehard44 (/member/beehard44/) in reply to nutsandbolts_64 Reply (CCYZ1TQGGC2TZCN) 3 years ago

charred balls? sounds awfully

4 wrong (/member /beehard44/)

Eleniel (/member/Eleniel/) in reply to beehard44 2 years ago

Reply (CRY53LJGIWZLLW9)

ROFL!
(/member /Eleniel/)

nutsandbolts_64 (/member/nutsandbolts_64/) in reply to beehard44 Reply (CSLT5EGGGC2U2BY) 3 years ago

17 NOT use (/member NOT use /nutsandbolts_64/)

lol. To other iblers out there: DO newspapers. I repeat, DO newspapers. If you attempt to turn it into charcoal, the end result is some pretty flammable paper, but it would be extremely smelly (I mean potent to the point of irritating and causing a sort-of burning sensation to your nose).

LOOPDOP (/member/LOOPDOP/) says:

3 years ago

Reply (CN3B18CGBSBHHFD)

I think you mean 4 to 5 mm (millimetre). Am i correct?

(/member /LOOPDOP/)

Yes, looks like a typo. It must be (/member 4-5mm, since it is to be no bigger /peapeam/) than 1cm. A 4-5cm (appr. 2") hole of course would be way too big.

peapeam (/member/peapeam/) in reply to LOOPDOP 3 years ago

Reply (CFR3LBOGE38R1U8)

minime12358 (/member/minime12358/) says:

3 years ago

Reply (C4A5OONGC4GDC4M)

1 done. (/member /minime12358/)

Fun and useful thing to do- light the smoke on fire. it will stop burning once it is the smoke is flammable.

StickStoneBone (/member/StickStoneBone/) says: 3 years ago

(/member /StickStoneBone/)

Char cloth, excellent... do know what works nearly as well? Raman Noodles.

Reply (CYRYCY2GA5P5ZK5)

technodude92 (/member/technodude92/) says:

5 years ago

Reply (CAOT5V3FC2E8JJ7)

1 how long (/member /technodude92/)

do you need to use a fire? can you char cloth on a hotplate/gas stove? and aprox. does it take to char cloth?

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Aklash, The hunchback (/member/Aklash%2C+The+hunchback/) in reply to Reply (C9H0TJ0G61AW34J) 3 years ago technodude92
(/member a grill will work great /Aklash%2C+The+hunchback/)

sharlston (/member/sharlston/) in reply to technodude92 Reply (CNRH5GPFVW21CDE) 4 years ago

no it wont get hot enough

40 (/member /sharlston/)

dscroll (/member/dscroll/) in reply to technodude92 5 years ago

(/member /dscroll/)

Reply (C9WZRMVFDTDO6HG)

yes you can use any heat source(not sure about hot plate) but do it out side.

technodude92 (/member/technodude92/) in reply to dscroll Reply (CNLL0MPFDVR2S3P) 5 years ago

thanks i just might do this

1 (/member /technodude92/)

pyro13 (/member/pyro13/) in reply to technodude92 5 years ago

3 (/member /pyro13/)

Reply (C2ABKNWFIES1V5C)

hot plate will most likely work, just turn it up on high

Evilrick (/member/Evilrick/) says:

3 years ago

Reply (C1H0MX3G4D61P0R)

(/member /Evilrick/)

Just some added information, you can use any type of tin, including a soup, bean, tuna, or any other can. Use heavy duty aluminum foil or several layers of regular weight foil for a top/ lid. I have done this many times, I have also used thin flexible wire (bread ties, snare wire, a few strands from a lamp cord) wrapped around to hold the foil tight to the sides of the can, not absolutely necessary, but it does help keep the can sealed. Be sure to let the can/tin cool completely before opening or the char may ignite when you open it. The thicker the cotton, the better, cotton rope works great and is less brittle. I also use one of the cheep round plastic waterproof matchboxes to keep my char in. Keeps it dry, and will hold enough char to start many fires. It's always in a pocket and a fero rod is always on my keyring.

lillady09 (/member/lillady09/) says:

4 years ago

Reply (CNHG5WIFYAJKFFA)

(/member keep /lillady09/)

Graywolf, Great instructable and correct for period reenactors if I might add to your char-cloth dry try applying a drop of melted candle wax on the hole in your tin. I always carry a small beeswax candle in my rucksack.

sharlston (/member/sharlston/) says:

4 years ago

Reply (C2QIB2FFVW21CDH)

will this work for rags like dusters?

40 (/member /sharlston/)

sharlston (/member/sharlston/) says:

4 years ago

Reply (CU2D6E1FUVSG1F7)

will this work with them material dusters for cars?

40 (/member /sharlston/)

rofus (/member/rofus/) says:

4 years ago

Reply (CF20EGUFT7PTWGC)

char cloth is very useful to me because it takes the tiniest ember and starts smoldering. its a good idea to make it when its easy to make a fire or your out of

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(/member /rofus/)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Char-Cloth/?ALLSTEPS

luck. one more thing, denim jeans works better.

Gramps (/member/Gramps/) says:

6 years ago

Reply (ECL24MNHW2EYMW0LRF)

(/member do /Gramps/)

Like your imput on how you guys carry the Char Cloth while in the field, i.e. How you recommend carrying it and what amount. I just like to get other folks Ideas. Appreciate your response. Thanks

Graywolf (/member/Graywolf/) (author) in reply to Gramps Reply (CKEUEQIF3YWV576) 6 years ago

in something waterproof i use a peice

2 of electral tape to cover the top hole (/member and then seal the side with a length /Graywolf/)

of electral tape. carry as mush as you think you need, if your good you could start a fire with one peice

Trans_Am (/member/Trans_Am/) says:

7 years ago

Reply (EHV7JGXV9IET9K52VZ)

Whatever those handheld sparkers are made of. I can never get flint to work.
(/member /Trans_Am/)

FrenchCrawler (/member/FrenchCrawler/) in reply to Trans_Am Reply (E8H9W2PJE7ET9K53LD) 7 years ago

If you're refering to the sparkers

that are kind of like tongs with a 37 (/member upside down cap on one end that /FrenchCrawler/)

are usually used in scientific classes, they use flint (at least the ones I had did)...

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