Altoids in round tins - Page 2

Hawg · November 22, 2016, 11:58 AM

Quote:

I tried like crazy to find a piece of steel that would make sparks on flint, but I can't make enough sparks to light the cloth

Try a piece of iron. The sparks come from pieces of metal being shaved off.

Model12Win · November 22, 2016, 02:34 PM

I like altoids. The cinnamon ones are good. The containers are useful for sure, and have a pleasing aroma.

HiBC · November 22, 2016, 11:16 PM

noelf.....I think what you are up against is mostly carbon content.
General purpose steels like angle iron won't have it.

See if you can get results with a chunk of old file.

You might grind some shape to it.Actually,heating,shaping,etc could be fun.

That frizzen on your flintlock had to be hardened and tempered to work well,also.

Its been a long time since I made a Siler flintlock.....was it a straw temper?

For char cloth,my old scoutmaster 50+ years ago preferred white dress shirts.(50 years ago,a white dress shirt was probably cotton and /or linen,and they got ironed.These days,beware polyester,etc.)

For me,its a Bic lighter,backed up by the character Rae Dawn Chong played in the movie "Quest for Fire".....a bit annoying,but she had redeeming qualities.
:-)

shortwave · November 22, 2016, 11:55 PM

You could put your caps in Tic Tac containers and shake them out as needed. They work well.
I got tired of accidently spilling mine every time while shooting and did this. And this would free your containers up for char cloth.

Old Stony · November 23, 2016, 05:55 AM

I've made a bunch of fire steels over the years to give out to other folks, boy scouts, etc.... No big deal to them. Basically what I usually do it take an old file, put it in a vise and whack it with a hammer. You go across the room and pick up the piece that broke off ( they are brittle and break pretty easy). I grind off the ends to make them round and grind off the serrations on the edges of the piece ( you want the striking area smooth). I heat the piece up until it's good and red, and drop it in cool water to make sure it's hardened up good. Never had one of these that wouldn't produce a good shower of sparks.
Placing a piece of char over the edge of a piece of flint, by striking right through the char I normally have a spark caught and working on the first strike.
I'm sure there are a lot of guys that do it other ways and they probably work just as good, but the files generally have a good carbon content and a guy can usually pick up a good sized one at flea markets/garage sales or wherever for under a buck.

noelf2 · November 23, 2016, 11:59 AM

Quote:

See if you can get results with a chunk of old file.

You might grind some shape to it.Actually,heating,shaping,etc could be fun.

That frizzen on your flintlock had to be hardened and tempered to work well,also.

Its been a long time since I made a Siler flintlock.....was it a straw temper?

I tried a file first, and good piece of flint that I had found. Barely sparked. Maybe it was a poor specimen of flint. The lock that I used came in a bag of parts I picked up at a gun show for $25. A complete D.G.W. pistol lock, missing the sear spring. I didn't harden the frizzen, so it must have been good to start with. A small english flint created a shower of sparks. I just set the char cloth on the pan under the closed frizzen (held it in place), pulled back the cock and let it go. Started the cloth after 2 strikes. Reminded me that I need to get a sear spring for that lock.

toot44 · November 30, 2016, 02:33 PM

be careful some files today are made in china and aren,t worth a hoot. the old NICHOLSON ones work just fine. can be got at yard sales and flea markets for a quarter.

noelf2 · December 14, 2016, 06:56 PM

I found an old high carbon steel hacksaw blade. Broke off a 4" piece, and it sparks like 4th of July!

**4V50 Gary** · December 15, 2016, 09:04 AM

I like the idea of old Nicholson file blades that are worn. Cut them up and pack them in your kit.

I sent the (former pellet) tin of char cloth off to my uncle. He's smarter than I and can figure out how to remove the screw on lid.

Old Stony · December 16, 2016, 03:11 PM

I always sort of figured a file would work better for me and maybe have better carbon content if it was more brittle. I put one in a vise and give it a whack with a hammer....most break right off, but occasionally I've found one that tries to bend first. Maybe I'm all wet with this assumption, but the brittle ones sure make good sparkers.

**4V50 Gary** · February 23, 2017, 03:37 PM

Actually North Beach, which is directly adjacent to Chinatown and visiting a Chinese herb store on Stockton Street between Vallejo and Green. I found tins of throat lonzenges that were $2.50 a tin for Nin Jiom (dunno what that means) that is made in Hong Kong. They had several flavors, but I bought Lemongrass and Apple-Longan (the latter is a Chinese fruit that is boiled down and drank as a cough syrup). They're the old fashion round tins but with a slight reinforced lip. It'll probably take me a long time to use that much, but it will probably be another year before I go to San Francisco again.

Old Stony · February 24, 2017, 05:46 AM

At least if you have a problem from the smoke while making char cloth in your tins, you will have something handy to sooth your throat.
I have made up a lot of tins over the years...burning off the paint in hot coals and then using a light abrasive to smooth out the surfaces. They look pretty cool that way and really don't seem to rust like I would think they would.
I think I've given away most of the tins I've collected over the years. I liked to have some larger ones to keep patches and similar shooting stuff organized in my shooting box.

**4V50 Gary** · April 3, 2017, 08:36 AM

The Germans still make hard candy in round tins.

**4V50 Gary** · October 29, 2017, 09:54 PM

Was in Branson, MO and went to Dick's Five and Dime (nothing was 5 and 10 cents) but I found Cavendish and Harvey Coffee Drops in a round tin for $2.99. It doesn't taste all that bad but when I finally examined the tin I found it was made in Germany, not England.

HiBC · October 30, 2017, 04:40 AM

It might be you like cough drops. That's OK.
At $3 a tin for candy....
Here is 24 steel tins for $16.Look cleaning patch size

https://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Pack-Con...tins+with+lids

drobs · October 30, 2017, 10:53 AM

I use a big cookie tin for making char cloth.

I have to say this thread peeked my interest though. These little tins might be good for keeping homemade BP lube in for cut patches / rifle usage.

**4V50 Gary** · April 28, 2018, 08:07 AM

Found Torie & Howard organic hard candy in Myer lemon & raspberry flavour. The tin is about 75 mm across. The candy itself is individually wrapped in a cellophane wrapper and the tin is everything you can ask for it to be. However, it is made in Mexico for Torie & Howard, LLC, of New Milford, CT. I guess this is one of the benefits of NAFTA.

gwpercle · April 30, 2018, 01:38 PM

Specialty Bottles & Jars is a company that sells glass , plastic and tin containers .
www.specialtybottle.com
They have several round tin containers from 1/2 oz. to 2 oz. with nice lids, one should be just the ticket
Check out their site...I use their tin cans with the screw on tops to store Ed's Red Bore Cleaner and other fluids that can eat wimpy plastic containers .
Gary

the possum · April 30, 2018, 06:01 PM

Years ago when I had more shop time, I made all kinds of little projects I'd sell. To protect them from damage, I started mailing them inside small tins. Soon I started telling family members to save any little tin containers for me. They kept it up even after I slowed down in the shop, so I ended up sorta becoming an unofficial collector of small tins. Even today, every time my folks travel somewhere, my mom brings me back a small tin of mints from that area as a souvenir.

**4V50 Gary** · May 1, 2018, 09:55 AM

neat website gwpercle.

ThomasT · May 1, 2018, 12:38 PM

I just use a quart metal paint can with a hole punched in the top. It makes a good amount of char cloth. You can buy empty ones at Lowes and Home Depot in the paint section.

Now with my firesteel I just use dryer lint. That stuff catches fire faster than anything. Its no wonder you need to keep the lint out of the dryer trap and vent hose.

ThomasT · May 8, 2018, 07:19 PM

My wife just gave me a can that is 1.5" deep and 3.75" in diameter that came with cherry candies in it she bought at TJ Max. At might be what you are looking for. I can post a picture or two if you want.

gwpercle · May 11, 2018, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4V50 Gary

neat website gwpercle.

You're Welcome !
Tin containers with screw on lids are getting hard to find , everything is going plastic and / or has a dumb plastic snap on- snap off lid...I hate them.
Found this company while looking for small plastic containers to store cast bullets in and discovered the tins and cans with screw on lids.
Gary

November 22, 2016, 11:16 PM	#28
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	noelf.....I think what you are up against is mostly carbon content. General purpose steels like angle iron won't have it. See if you can get results with a chunk of old file. You might grind some shape to it.Actually,heating,shaping,etc could be fun. That frizzen on your flintlock had to be hardened and tempered to work well,also. Its been a long time since I made a Siler flintlock.....was it a straw temper? For char cloth,my old scoutmaster 50+ years ago preferred white dress shirts.(50 years ago,a white dress shirt was probably cotton and /or linen,and they got ironed.These days,beware polyester,etc.) For me,its a Bic lighter,backed up by the character Rae Dawn Chong played in the movie "Quest for Fire".....a bit annoying,but she had redeeming qualities. :-) Last edited by HiBC; November 23, 2016 at 06:38 AM.

December 14, 2016, 06:56 PM	#33
noelf2 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Stuart, VA Posts: 2,473	I found an old high carbon steel hacksaw blade. Broke off a 4" piece, and it sparks like 4th of July! __________________ Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

December 15, 2016, 09:04 AM	#34
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	I like the idea of old Nicholson file blades that are worn. Cut them up and pack them in your kit. I sent the (former pellet) tin of char cloth off to my uncle. He's smarter than I and can figure out how to remove the screw on lid. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

February 23, 2017, 03:37 PM	#36
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	So I was in San Francisco Chinatown Actually North Beach, which is directly adjacent to Chinatown and visiting a Chinese herb store on Stockton Street between Vallejo and Green. I found tins of throat lonzenges that were $2.50 a tin for Nin Jiom (dunno what that means) that is made in Hong Kong. They had several flavors, but I bought Lemongrass and Apple-Longan (the latter is a Chinese fruit that is boiled down and drank as a cough syrup). They're the old fashion round tins but with a slight reinforced lip. It'll probably take me a long time to use that much, but it will probably be another year before I go to San Francisco again. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 3, 2017, 08:36 AM	#38
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	The Germans still make hard candy in round tins. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

November 22, 2016, 02:34 PM	#27
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	I like altoids. The cinnamon ones are good. The containers are useful for sure, and have a pleasing aroma.

November 22, 2016, 11:55 PM	#29
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	You could put your caps in Tic Tac containers and shake them out as needed. They work well. I got tired of accidently spilling mine every time while shooting and did this. And this would free your containers up for char cloth.

November 23, 2016, 05:55 AM	#30
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I've made a bunch of fire steels over the years to give out to other folks, boy scouts, etc.... No big deal to them. Basically what I usually do it take an old file, put it in a vise and whack it with a hammer. You go across the room and pick up the piece that broke off ( they are brittle and break pretty easy). I grind off the ends to make them round and grind off the serrations on the edges of the piece ( you want the striking area smooth). I heat the piece up until it's good and red, and drop it in cool water to make sure it's hardened up good. Never had one of these that wouldn't produce a good shower of sparks. Placing a piece of char over the edge of a piece of flint, by striking right through the char I normally have a spark caught and working on the first strike. I'm sure there are a lot of guys that do it other ways and they probably work just as good, but the files generally have a good carbon content and a guy can usually pick up a good sized one at flea markets/garage sales or wherever for under a buck.

November 30, 2016, 02:33 PM	#32
toot44 Member Join Date: November 25, 2012 Posts: 83	be careful some files today are made in china and aren,t worth a hoot. the old NICHOLSON ones work just fine. can be got at yard sales and flea markets for a quarter.

December 16, 2016, 03:11 PM	#35
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I always sort of figured a file would work better for me and maybe have better carbon content if it was more brittle. I put one in a vise and give it a whack with a hammer....most break right off, but occasionally I've found one that tries to bend first. Maybe I'm all wet with this assumption, but the brittle ones sure make good sparkers.

February 24, 2017, 05:46 AM	#37
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	At least if you have a problem from the smoke while making char cloth in your tins, you will have something handy to sooth your throat. I have made up a lot of tins over the years...burning off the paint in hot coals and then using a light abrasive to smooth out the surfaces. They look pretty cool that way and really don't seem to rust like I would think they would. I think I've given away most of the tins I've collected over the years. I liked to have some larger ones to keep patches and similar shooting stuff organized in my shooting box.

October 29, 2017, 09:54 PM	#39
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	Was in Branson, MO and went to Dick's Five and Dime (nothing was 5 and 10 cents) but I found Cavendish and Harvey Coffee Drops in a round tin for $2.99. It doesn't taste all that bad but when I finally examined the tin I found it was made in Germany, not England. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 30, 2017, 04:40 AM	#40
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	It might be you like cough drops. That's OK. At $3 a tin for candy.... Here is 24 steel tins for $16.Look cleaning patch size https://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Pack-Con...tins+with+lids

October 30, 2017, 10:53 AM	#41
drobs Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2015 Location: South Central MO / Africa Posts: 1,111	I use a big cookie tin for making char cloth. I have to say this thread peeked my interest though. These little tins might be good for keeping homemade BP lube in for cut patches / rifle usage. __________________ NRA Life Member

April 28, 2018, 08:07 AM	#42
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	Found Torie & Howard organic hard candy in Myer lemon & raspberry flavour. The tin is about 75 mm across. The candy itself is individually wrapped in a cellophane wrapper and the tin is everything you can ask for it to be. However, it is made in Mexico for Torie & Howard, LLC, of New Milford, CT. I guess this is one of the benefits of NAFTA. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 30, 2018, 01:38 PM	#43
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	Specialty Bottles & Jars is a company that sells glass , plastic and tin containers . www.specialtybottle.com They have several round tin containers from 1/2 oz. to 2 oz. with nice lids, one should be just the ticket Check out their site...I use their tin cans with the screw on tops to store Ed's Red Bore Cleaner and other fluids that can eat wimpy plastic containers . Gary

April 30, 2018, 06:01 PM	#44
the possum Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 555	Years ago when I had more shop time, I made all kinds of little projects I'd sell. To protect them from damage, I started mailing them inside small tins. Soon I started telling family members to save any little tin containers for me. They kept it up even after I slowed down in the shop, so I ended up sorta becoming an unofficial collector of small tins. Even today, every time my folks travel somewhere, my mom brings me back a small tin of mints from that area as a souvenir.

May 1, 2018, 09:55 AM	#45
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	neat website gwpercle. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 1, 2018, 12:38 PM	#46
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	I just use a quart metal paint can with a hole punched in the top. It makes a good amount of char cloth. You can buy empty ones at Lowes and Home Depot in the paint section. Now with my firesteel I just use dryer lint. That stuff catches fire faster than anything. Its no wonder you need to keep the lint out of the dryer trap and vent hose.

May 8, 2018, 07:19 PM	#47
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	My wife just gave me a can that is 1.5" deep and 3.75" in diameter that came with cherry candies in it she bought at TJ Max. At might be what you are looking for. I can post a picture or two if you want.