How to Work a Fire Piston
Starting a fire can sometimes be difficult without matches. The image that most people get is the hiker using a bow drill but a fire syringe is much faster and easier to use. These are rising in popularity and can be used with a variety of materials repeatedly. Working a fire piston (or fire syringe) is a simple process that you can use to amaze friends or to demonstrate science principles for friends and family.
Instructions
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Understanding how a fire piston works is important for using a fire piston, though it is not necessary for the casual user. Since pressure, volume, and temperature are interrelated, changing one will change the others. If more air is crammed into a smaller space, it heats up. This is why tires get hotter when they are inflated. This is also why water that is under pressure gets colder when the pressure is released (like water spraying out of a garden hose). The temperature can change so quickly that the heat does not have time to dissipate and can start fire to bits of fine lint or paper. This is the principle of the fire piston.
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Open the fire piston by sliding apart the piston from its housing. The piston is typically made of a hard wood since it is both long lasting and doesn't dissipate heat as quickly as metal. Examine the piston to make sure that there are no defects that could prevent it from moving smoothly together and compressing the air rapidly. Make sure that lubricant is added as needed that is compatible with the manufacturer's suggestion. Air tool oil should be fine enough and will not break down a rubber washer if present. Add just enough to do the job.
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In the piston tip is a cupped center for flammable bits of paper or lint. Place the bits of paper into this location but do not pack them tightly. Make sure to tear it up well to increase the surface area. Lint may be used but can interfere with the moving parts if it comes apart. Some fire pistons come with a little fuel to get you started. Even dry pine needles mixed with other bits of fine wood will do the job. Feel free to experiment (within reason). Make sure that your tinder (fine bits of fuel for your fire) is ready next to the firewood you intend to burn before moving on to the next step.
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Insert the piston into the housing and quickly (with a lot of force) slam the piston in as far as it will go. Remove the piston and expose the glowing embers of the fuel you had inserted. Tap these embers out into the fuel and blow gently to intensify the burning. Once the flame starts to appear, stop blowing.
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Start to add wood starting with small sticks and working up to logs until the desired size and intensity of fire is obtained. Do not add too much fuel too soon or else the fire may be smothered. Remember that fires need both fuel and oxygen in the presence of heat to function. All the fuel in the world won't combust without all three criteria.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not do this in high winds where the hot embers can get away. Make sure that the lubricant does not catch fire and that you do not touch any of the hot surfaces that were exposed to the pressure change. Take all other precautions normal to starting a fire. Consult a professional before attempting any procedure and follow all applicable laws. Never have a fire that can not be extinguished at a moment's notice and keep it away from things that should not burn like sleeping bags, flammable clothing, tents, and hidden tree roots.
