How to Make Matches Waterproof
A fire is the center of any recreational camping trip, but is also necessary in a survival situation. The easiest way to start a fire is with wooden matches, but they are easily ruined by water or even excessive humidity. Pre-made waterproof matches are available through specialty retailers, but are quite expensive. It is quite easy to modify wooden strike-anywhere matches to be waterproof, either for your next camping trip, or for your emergency survival kit.
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Things You'll Need
- Small cardboard box
- Utility knife
- Double-sided tape
- Paper towels
- Clear shellac
- Wooden matches, strike-anywhere types are preferred
- Tweezers, forceps or pliers
Instructions
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Waterproofing Matches
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1
Using a knife, cut a hole in the side of a cardboard box, taller than the matches are and as wide as possible, given the size of your box. This hole will be used as a drying rack for the matches; the more matches you can fit on the hole at once, the more matches you can waterproof in a single sitting.
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2
Place double-sided tape above the hole you cut in the box. The tape holds your matches in place while they dry, like clothes drying on a clothesline.
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3
Place paper towels under the edge of the box to catch any drips from the drying matches.
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4
Using the pliers, forceps or tweezers, dip the match heads, one at a time into the shellac. Dip at least half the length of the match into the shellac.
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5
Stick the dry end of the match stick to the tape and allow the shellac to dry, following the directions on the shellac can.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Shellac-soaked wood doesn't stick to the tape, so keep the bottom end of the matches dry.
Coat some of the match stick to prevent water from soaking though the stick and fouling the match head from the inside out.
When using the matches, the shellac clogs the striking surface, so strike-anywhere type matches are preferable to strike-on-box type matches.
Follow the directions on the shellac to avoid fume buildup in your work space.
Never allow children to play with matches.
References
Resources
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