A Few Ferro Rod Techniques and Tips

[@randy-9842]

1.) I agree with the other commenters: Great tutorial / comparison between the hard and softer rods, Jake - thanks! I need to practice some of the techniques you demonstrated. 2.) I can't believe I'm only now connecting the dots between your opening credits, your name, our brief conversation about banjo playing and my subconscious toe tapping along with/to your Windy and Warm tune! NICE !! 3.) Don't worry about running ahead of your brain (or vice versa, either way) in the dialog - I frequently do that too and my tongue gets even further ahead of me at times. You cover it nicely with your in-screen texts. Big thumbs up just for taking the time to make these videos and, especially, for putting yourself out there in these videos! Bravo

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Thanks! There are a few differences. I don't use all those methods very often, but I like to keep them in my back pocket just in case. I'm glad you enjoy the music! Maybe I'll have to put up a video sometime playing somewhere with a nice background. My brain goes into overdrive when I start talking about all of this stuff, so I just go with it. The on screen things like that are more for entertainment than anything. Thanks for watching!

[@greywindLOSP]

Spot on demo, you showed some fine training aids.....ATB

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Much appreciated!

[@67wing]

Great tutorial. What are you using as a striker?

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Thanks! It's a high speed steel striker. You can get them on Amazon. I believe they tend to come in a two pack.

[@67wing]

@@americanwoodloreandforestcraft thanks!

[@dennisleighton2812]

Before I even go through the whole video there is one thing that has always puzzled me - Why are ferro-cerium rods round instead of square? Surely one wants the maximum amount of sparks per strike? That one can only get with the striker making contact across the whole width of the rod, which is not possible with a round rod? I've not found anyone who can answer this question! On with the video: 15:35 Content of the rods. You mention that these rods are iron/magnesium rods, but you don't deal with the aspect of where the cerium content comes into the picture. Could you please clarify that, as it is somewhat confusing. After all, they are called ferro-cerium rods.

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Good point on round versus square rods. I'm not really sure why they're predominantly round. I agree that a flat surface will create more sparks, and more sparks per strike is ideal. I wish I had a good answer for that, but I'm afraid I don't! As for cerium content, I didn't think to mention that as it's similar in both hard and soft composition rods. At least according to my reading. Simply put, per my understanding and experience, the cerium creates the sparks when the rod is scraped, and the other metals in the alloy give the sparks different characteristics and change the level of friction and pressure required to create a spark. Harder rods that have more iron and harder metals will create smaller and more abundant sparks that stay ignited for a shorter time and require very little friction or pressure. Softer rods that have more magnesium and softer metals will create larger and less abundant sparks that tend to stay ignited longer but require more friction and pressure. The softer metals also make the sparks "sticky," making them able to somewhat adhere to a material as they burn. The slight adherence can aid in combustion of the material as the heat can be transferred directly to the material rather than simply being close to the heat of the sparks. I hope that's helpful and answers your question a bit!

[@dennisleighton2812]

@@americanwoodloreandforestcraft Wow! Thanks a ton for that. Yeah, very comprehensive and helps my understanding too. I suppose a round rod is easier to make, but as we both seem to agree, a square rod would give off far more/better sparks! Thanks again for engaging! I'm learning so much new stuff here. Cheers mate.

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

I'm glad it was helpful. I appreciate your comments and enjoy the conversation!

[@herbsmith6871]

Love me some Uberlebem! Hope I spelled that right 😂 Thanks for sharing my friend 🤠

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Same here! Hey, that's close enough for anybody to know what you're talking about, and thanks for watching!

[@stefanjakobsson5967]

Informative and interesting video. I didn't know that our Swedish ferrocerium rods were harder than others.🫣😊

[@americanwoodloreandforestcraft]

Much appreciated! In my opinion, Swedish rods are about the hardest available. Light My Fire is my favorite brand, and the army model is in my pocket every day.