Firesteel Ferrocerium Rod Holder ( Fire Steel )

thingiverse

I had a bunch of 6.5mm and 8mm Ferrocerium rods (aka firesteel or fire steel) I've had in my survival "bucket" for some time. I finally took the time to design a "handle" that the rods can be inserted into to assist with their intended function (to start a fire using spark in various scenarios). • Handy for lighting BBQ if your electric ignition has failed, or for charcoal BBQ. • Handy for lighting small camp stoves or Coleman tailgate stoves • Handy for really any need to light a gas flame from a distance (easier to throw a spark than a lit match) • Essential for anyone going out into the wilderness (accompanied with a good premade tinder source --> Cotton balls impregnated with Petroleum Jelly) such as hikers, backpackers, hunters, snowmobiliers, off-roading, etc... A dry lighter is ideal in a survival situation, but you know you'll need a backup method of starting a fire, and fire steel with pre-made tinder fits that need. I designed the handle with my first ever an attempt at "knurling" to add grip when it may be wet out, or when using gloves. The knurling isn't super aggressive, and yet I think it'll meet the intended need while also being sort of decorative (simulates the look of smoke rising, initially laminar, then turbulent in shape). I would print 100% infill just to maximize robustness and ensure a good grip on the firesteel rod. The print time difference between 20% and 100% isn't much (1 hr vs 2 hr). Also, a brim is essential to help ensure it remains attached to the build plate for the duration of the print as you want it to print vertically, with the pocket on top. The highest stress I assumed for the lifetime of the handle is the hoop stress exerted by the interference fit between the rod and the pocket. Assuming the user grabs on the handle deep enough where the pocket intrudes, I think this "max load case" assumption holds true. I designed the pocket to be dimensional 6.5mm diameter x 16mm deep (I also have an 8mm diameter x 20mm deep version), which matches the diameter of the firesteel and leaves plenty of length for striking. With the slight shrinkage during printing, it ends up the perfect diameter for a really nice interference fit (no glue/epoxy needed). You'll need a hammer, or something similar, to drive the firesteel rod into the handle, but once in, it's very unlikely to come out without some serious force applied (I think a good pliers could pull it out with some twisting, but I didn't bother since I couldn't pull it out by hand). There's a slight chamfer at the start of the pocket to assist in getting your firesteel rod to seat. I'm happy to upload the Fusion 360 raw file, but I'd like to first illicit feedback so there isn't a dozen remixes that confuse folks as to which one is best to print. If you print this and give it a try, let me know how we can make it better and I'll upload the latest version(s) based on the feedback. I've included a screenshot of the outline of the 6.5mm version with dimensions in case anyone wants a starting point for their own, from scratch, design. -------------------------------------Fire-steel Striker---------------------------------- The shape is designed with the intent that gloved hands could still hold it (it's 40mm handle end to end, 45mm for the 8mm rod version), and has a bulged shape to ensure there's something to grip. It also has an integrated hole/ slot to put your paracord through so you can attach a striker and be able to clip it to anything you see fit. I highly recommend a machined striker like this (https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Striker-Pro-Speed-Striker-Starter/dp/B07FD64ZLJ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=firesteel%2Bstriker&qid=1639628346&sr=8-5&th=1) versus a stamped steel striker, which isn't much cheaper ($1 vs $1.50) and can only be used in one direction. I mean, do you really need a tiny ruler on your striker steel like the stamped versions advertise? ----------------------------Survival Whistle---------------------------------- Here is the link to the handy dandy simple survival whistle that's shown in one of the pictures I've attached if anyone wants to print that for your kit: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3130078 --------------------Make your own water resistant tinder----------------------------------- FYI: You can make your own "tinder" fire starter material by taking cotton balls and impregnating them with standard Vaseline (petroleum jelly). This home made tinder likely will work better than most any expensive "fire starter tinder" you can buy online/in-store. Just pull the cotton balls apart slightly and push the petroleum jelly into the fibers. There's an optimum ratio which you can figure out by testing them. Too much petroleum jelly, and they won't catch a spark, too little, and they either can get wet, or they burn too quick. The right ratio should yield a water resistant tinder, with a good 1-2 minute burn time, and since they are super cheap to make and compact in size, you can put a bunch in your survival fire starter kit with the firesteel rod & striker. This video link is a good explanation of why they work so well, but you can improve performance beyond what's shown in the video by pulling apart the cotton ball numerous times as you push the petroleum jelly into the fibers, getting the inner cotton ball fibers impregnated, beyond just the outermost fibers as is shown in the linked video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c37GFiGQlo). A properly impregnated cotton ball catches a spark easily, holds a flame with plenty of time to start a fire, and is semi-water proof. As with any tool you plan on relying on for a survival situation, test test test, so you're familiar and comfortable with it's use before you actually need it. ------------------------------Double Fisherman's Knot for Paracord-------------------------- For those interested in the knot used for the paracord assembly picture shown, I used a modified "double barrel" on each end to secure and sinch together the two ends (also called a "fishremans knot"). Instead of using two wraps for a "double barrel", I just added 2 more to each side, making what I'll call a quadruple fishermans knot (here's a triple fishermens knot https://www.knotsforfishing.com/triple-fishermans-knot/). You should be able to find ample resources online (animatedknots.com is one source) if you're unfamiliar with this particular style of knot. After pulling it super tight, I singed the ends and pressed them into the edge of the knot to ensure it won't unravel/undo.