In a pinch and need to make a fire...?

[d3500ram]

Happen to just come across this:

Start A Fire With A Pencil

[seaeagle2]

In junior high our shop teacher told us you can weld with a car battery, jumper cables and the carbon rod out of a D cell battery. It's been about 40 years and I've never tried it yet, but you never know.....

[navegator]

In California you do not need to start any fires, there are enough idiots that start the whole forest on fire, just remember to bring the Marshmallows.

navegator

[Horizon170]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Neat idea.

As a Boy Scout we used 'D' batteries and Steel Wool

Yep, steel wool and a 9volt battery will do good for backpackers.

[AJBert]

Normally, if I need to build a fire I am no where close to my vehicle, let alone jumper cables and a pencil. This is why, when I'm off the beaten path, which is fairly often, I carry two or three ways to start a fire the easy way.

And, yes, a Bic lighter is one of those ways.

Neat out of the parlor trick, though!

[dave54]

Lynnmor wrote:
He said to connect the red to positive, but he didn't say which was the positive end of the pencil. :?

Depends upon where the pencil was made -- southern or northern hemisphere.


If the car battery is dead you can connect the jumper cables to a currant bush, as long as it is a DC currant bush.

[qtla9111]

I always have a pencil and pen in the glove box not to mention in the trailer. Somebody always wants to write down something. Hard to give someone your cellphone when they don't have their handy but the information on a piece of paper has worked for quite a few centuries.

[CavemanCharlie]

Humm, Because I live in MN I always have Jumper Cables. ( I think it is a law here ) I may try this at the park someday just for fun. I could even hook the cables to my TT batteries.

[Lynnmor]

Boon Docker wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
He said to connect the red to positive, but he didn't say which was the positive end of the pencil. :?

Try it one way, if it don't work just switch the cables around. :B

I was afraid that I might get frost bite if it was connected backwards. :h

[Boon_Docker]

Lynnmor wrote:
He said to connect the red to positive, but he didn't say which was the positive end of the pencil. :?

Try it one way, if it don't work just switch the cables around. :B

[Lynnmor]

He said to connect the red to positive, but he didn't say which was the positive end of the pencil. :?

[NYCgrrl]

I'll remember this for when the zombie apocalypse comes;).

[Boon_Docker]

mike-s wrote:
I just keep a few of these around. Works great. They're available at lots of places, and are cheap. They're small, you you can store one almost anywhere. And, one of them will start hundreds, if not thousands, of fires. I'm surprised people here aren't familiar with them.

Wow, thanks for the heads up, never knew they existed.

[Tom_Barb]

jfkmk wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Good point. If you're going to carry pencils, it would be easier to carry matches or a lighter.

But, it is a neat idea. You can impress the kids and G/kids. :C

Or, if you're going to remember a pencil, lighter, matches, jumper cables.....you might want to remember to gas up before your trip!:)

Cool video, though!

I love it 🙂

[Cloud_Dancer]

I insist on Ticonderoga pencils, the best (that's still available).