Punk wood charring failure

[diviy]

Had some wood last week it was sorft and spongy like i have seen on U tube videos only differance was it was a redish
colour .I charred it but its come out like shinny charcoal are there only certain woods you can use to make punk wood .managed to get some light coloured wood today its out the back drying .Any tips ?

Gerry

[David_JAFO]

hello Diviy,
Punkwood derives from "all species of trees" it should work fine both as a tinder & once charred. Punkwood is usually of a whitish colouring but it can also be other colours including a "reddish" colour. Punkwood in trees is merely "dry rot" & is caused by Serpula lacrymans, *(hence the previous warning of storing such indoors) which is a wood-destroying fungus. Punkwood that is completely formed, is light in weight, soft to the touch, & should be spongy. You have created charcoal which is definition, "a porous black solid, consisting of an amorphous form of carbon, obtained as a residue when wood, bone, or other organic matter i.e. wood is heated in the absence of air." A piece of charred wood ember which is black may have some white ash residue surrounding such will take a spark from flint & steel (this takes patience BTW) & a shower of ferro rod sparks. The spark(s) directed onto the charred wood nurtured gently will create a hotspot that can be used to ignite a secondary tinder. I think it's just a matter of practice.
Regards
David

[diviy]

cheers David I am going to try the other wood tomorrow but the added bonus was I found a blown down pine tree roots were showing only had my knife on me,I managed to get 12"X13/4 root section from it pure and utter fat wood cut it in half tonight and stinks of turps hoping to get back there and get some more it`s a fair sized tree with loads of roots showing.

[Woody]

cheers David I am going to try the other wood tomorrow but the added bonus was I found a blown down pine tree roots were showing only had my knife on me,I managed to get 12"X13/4 root section from it pure and utter fat wood cut it in half tonight and stinks of turps hoping to get back there and get some more it`s a fair sized tree with loads of roots showing.

Don't forget the Shepherd man, he seems to have ran out!..

http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/fo...ead.php?t=9793

I'm sure he'd love some of that fatwood lads...
In keeping with the forum karma and all...
Just a thought

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Gerry just a thought Bro.. in the present climate & Royal Mail declaration contents of your package blah blah blah.. be careful posting a package of fatwood that may niff of turpentine = = confiscation.
Regards
David

cheers David I am going to try the other wood tomorrow but the added bonus was I found a blown down pine tree roots were showing only had my knife on me,I managed to get 12"X13/4 root section from it pure and utter fat wood cut it in half tonight and stinks of turps hoping to get back there and get some more it`s a fair sized tree with loads of roots showing.

[diviy]

I used different wood today chared it one strike with a ferro rod and instant ember happy days dot com

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Well done Boyo.
Regards
David

I used different wood today chared it one strike with a ferro rod and instant ember happy days dot com

[Woody]