Saturday, April 23, 2005
Yes, you CAN make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar!
make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar
Yes, you CAN make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar!
This idea was originally proposed by Andre Bourbeau to Rob Bicevskis about 6 years ago. I don't know if he is the one that came up with it in the first place. Thanks to Rob for bringing this method to my attention.
To make fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar is actually quite easy, and you don't need any tools.
The can....
The key to this is the bottom of the coke can (by the way, any pop can will do), which is ideal for reflecting and concentrating the sun's light and energy.
Here is a photo of a coke can bottom. Note that it has a slightly dull finish. In its present condition it is not shiny enough to concentrate the sun's rays enough to ignite tinder.
That's where the chocolate bar comes in ....
The can bottom is not shiny enough to function as a good reflector and concentrator of sunlight. It needs polishing. The chocolate does an excellent job of this. So, simply break off a piece of chocolate and use it to polish up the can bottom!
P.S. Any type of chocolate will do. Probably the purer it is, the better. In that case, maybe a Toblerone bar isn't so great, as it has nuts and honey in it.
This is a close-up of the surface of an un-polished can's bottom. Note the fine straight lines in the aluminum. These scatter the sun's rays, and prevent them from being focused together into a single bright point.
This is why the can needs polishing.
Compare this to the picture below of a polished can bottom.
Here is a close-up of a polished can bottom.
Compare this to the picture above of an un-polished can bottom. There's a big difference.
Polishing the bottom of the can.
Note: For polishing the can, one needs to use the wrapper (or something else) in the process. Just rubbing chocolate on the bottom of the can won't do too much. The process is to smear some chocolate on the bottom, then use the wrapper (or whatever) as a "cloth" to do the polishing. Every now and then, one needs to add a bit more of the "abrasive." As a reference point, it will probably take ½-1 hour or more to finish the process.
Toothpaste also works as a good polish.
All polished and shiny.
How to actually make fire...
Hold a piece of suitable tinder, such as a fragment of tinder fungus, at the focal point of the can bottom -- about 1 - 1.25" away from the center of the "bowl".
One doesn't need to use tinder fungus. To keep to the core of the challenge, one can use pieces of the chocolate wrapper to get a coal. If the chocolate bar has a black paper insert, this is of course the best due to the dark colour. It takes a bit longer with the wrapper - but as with a magnifying glass many things can be used.
Holding the small piece of tinder fungus is easier with a long thin stick with a small split in the end, such as is shown in this photos.
After a very short time (only a few seconds in the bright sun), the tinder fungus will be smoldering. Then transfer it to a tinder bundle and blow it into flame (if you're using a large enough piece of tinder fungus). If you're using a very small piece, then transfer the ember to a larger piece by holding the two pieces together and blowing on them.
Alternatively, you could use a small bundle of very volatile tinder.
... And that's all there is to it! ¶ 1:32 PM
make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar
Yes, you CAN make a fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar!
This idea was originally proposed by Andre Bourbeau to Rob Bicevskis about 6 years ago. I don't know if he is the one that came up with it in the first place. Thanks to Rob for bringing this method to my attention.
To make fire from a can of coke and a chocolate bar is actually quite easy, and you don't need any tools.
The can....
The key to this is the bottom of the coke can (by the way, any pop can will do), which is ideal for reflecting and concentrating the sun's light and energy.
Here is a photo of a coke can bottom. Note that it has a slightly dull finish. In its present condition it is not shiny enough to concentrate the sun's rays enough to ignite tinder.
That's where the chocolate bar comes in ....
The can bottom is not shiny enough to function as a good reflector and concentrator of sunlight. It needs polishing. The chocolate does an excellent job of this. So, simply break off a piece of chocolate and use it to polish up the can bottom!
P.S. Any type of chocolate will do. Probably the purer it is, the better. In that case, maybe a Toblerone bar isn't so great, as it has nuts and honey in it.
This is a close-up of the surface of an un-polished can's bottom. Note the fine straight lines in the aluminum. These scatter the sun's rays, and prevent them from being focused together into a single bright point.
This is why the can needs polishing.
Compare this to the picture below of a polished can bottom.
Here is a close-up of a polished can bottom.
Compare this to the picture above of an un-polished can bottom. There's a big difference.
Polishing the bottom of the can.
Note: For polishing the can, one needs to use the wrapper (or something else) in the process. Just rubbing chocolate on the bottom of the can won't do too much. The process is to smear some chocolate on the bottom, then use the wrapper (or whatever) as a "cloth" to do the polishing. Every now and then, one needs to add a bit more of the "abrasive." As a reference point, it will probably take ½-1 hour or more to finish the process.
Toothpaste also works as a good polish.
All polished and shiny.
How to actually make fire...
Hold a piece of suitable tinder, such as a fragment of tinder fungus, at the focal point of the can bottom -- about 1 - 1.25" away from the center of the "bowl".
One doesn't need to use tinder fungus. To keep to the core of the challenge, one can use pieces of the chocolate wrapper to get a coal. If the chocolate bar has a black paper insert, this is of course the best due to the dark colour. It takes a bit longer with the wrapper - but as with a magnifying glass many things can be used.
Holding the small piece of tinder fungus is easier with a long thin stick with a small split in the end, such as is shown in this photos.
After a very short time (only a few seconds in the bright sun), the tinder fungus will be smoldering. Then transfer it to a tinder bundle and blow it into flame (if you're using a large enough piece of tinder fungus). If you're using a very small piece, then transfer the ember to a larger piece by holding the two pieces together and blowing on them.
Alternatively, you could use a small bundle of very volatile tinder.
... And that's all there is to it! ¶ 1:32 PM
