I made a fire piston after seeing someone make one. I tried it out and failed big time. Apparently I should feel a bounce back from the piston when I push it in, and the string should be wet with some form or oil or fat to make a better seal and for it to not bind. My first attempt so failure was expected really.
See http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1352-Fire-Piston for the thread discussing it.
Hi Bernie, I tried the same thing last year using American oak and did not work either. The reason is because the wood grains are not tight enough air escapes from the end grains of the tube. I was thinking about applying some sealer to close the wood grains. I ended up making one with aluminum tubing and it works perfect. Keep trying and don't give up. The one on the YT video was probably made with tropical wood which don't have growth rings and are extremely hard. Greetings from Brazil!
petropolitan 5 months ago