[tjwilhelm]

Here's what I did today:
I've been playing with vaseline and cotton balls and have found it difficult to evenly work the vaseline into the cotton without making one heck of a tangled mess; so, I developed my own technique.
I can't believe I'm the first person who ever tried this; but, I've not read about it anywhere else...I melted the vaseline!

I put a heaping tablespoon full of vaseline in a small, pyrex custard cup. I placed it in the microwave oven, on high, for 30 seconds at a time. It took a full 2 minutes. By this time, all the vaseline was liquified and looked just like water. The cup was also hot and kept the vaseline from setting up.
I used a tweezer to hold a cotton ball and I dipped and rolled the cotton ball in the liquified vaseline. I lifted the cotton ball and held it over the cup until it stopped dripping. But, the vaseline set up quickly and the cotton ball was VERY full of grease, and yet was still in perfect cotton-ball shape. I set it on a piece of wax paper to cool. Only two more cotton balls soaked up all the vaseline I had melted.

Next I made a light-and-burn test. I set one of the heavily-vaselined cotton balls on my rain-soaked sidewalk. I struck my fire steel over a dozen times and the cotton ball would NOT light.

Then I thought, "More surface area...more air exposure." I held the cotton ball down with a twig and used the tip of my knife blade to lift the fibers and "fluff" the surface of the ball.

I hit it with the firesteel again and this time it lit on the second strike.

IT BURNED FOR 15 MINUTES AND 17 SECONDS!!!

I was pleased. I put the other two cotton balls into a 35mm film can.
I hope someone may find this useful.
Thanks!

[DanT]

My regular strategy is simple and works for me every time. I usually put my Bag Balm or Vaseline in the bottom half of a 35mm film container or such and dry cotton balls on top of it. Sometimes I will fill one with the Bag Balm and the other with dry cotton balls.

To light one, I take a cotton piece and then dab a chiclet sized piece onto half of it. I light the dry side and the whole piece will burn.

Light it on kindling and some vaseline or Bag Balm will run into it. Very reliable method for me.

[username]

Originally Posted by tjwilhelm

Here's what I did today:

IT BURNED FOR 15 MINUTES AND 17 SECONDS!!!

I was pleased. I put the other two cotton balls into a 35mm film can.
I hope someone may find this useful.
Thanks!

I was about to critique your method for being unnecessarily complicated, but then I read that your fire started burned for 15 minutes. That is impressive. My own vasoline cotton balls burn for 2-3 minutes.

I will now follow your method and post back with my comments.

[username]

OK, well I am back with my comments and slightly burned fingers.

First and foremost, thank you for a quality idea.

Now, on to the nitty gritty.

I nuked the Vaseline for 2 minutes with a paper towel covering it fearing it would splatter all over. It didn't.

One 'heaping tablespoon' made 4 cotton balls for me. I was surprised how much of the Vaseline they took up.

Then I placed one (after it cooled a bit) into a beer can turned into a camp stove.

My first observation was it was difficult to light with a disposable lighter. Forget about lighting it with a spark based tool.

Then I fluffed it up and it lit easier, but went out when I shook the can and sent it to the bottom.

SO I fluffed it up even more and lit it again. This time it caught fire easily. It burned so freaking hot I have 1st degree burns on my hand from touching the can just to set it in place.

I took a second Vaseline/cotton ball and this time fluffed it about as much as one can considering how heavy it is with Vaseline. One really doesn't
'fluff' this as much as it is simply pulled apart. It lit instantly (so I can see how a spark could do it when pulled apart). I shook the can to send it to the bottom.

You said yours burned 15 minutes. I cannot say the same. For me it burned around 3 minutes, about the same as a normal cotton ball with Vaseline. There was, however, one MAJOR difference. The heat. The heat and fireball were intense. With a normal Vaseline cotton ball I get a small flame easily contained in a soda can with top cut off. With this the heat was so intense it turned the outside of the can black, just destroyed the paint job on the can and the flames rose above the can by at least 1.5 times whereas a normal jelly cotton ball would make a 1-2" flame.

There was an inferno inside that little can from the cotton ball made your way and again, I have first degree burns just trying to touch the can whereas with a normal jelly/ball I can handle the can no problem.

I can't vouch for the 15 minute burn time, but I can say it burns much, much, much more hotly and massively than a normal cotton ball with Vaseline.

Thank you for this idea. Having tried it out I don't think I will ever go back to the 'normal' way ever again. The end result of your method for me was a much more massive and hot fireball. My fingers still hurt.

Yes, it will require more vaseline per cotton ball (probably 5-10 times as much), and yes one does need to seriously 'fluff' the resulting product (for spark based fire starteres), but man does it burn large and hot. Ouch! Handle with care.

[username]

i redid this experiment in open air instead of a tin can. What I found was the flame from your version was still much hotter, but the burn time much longer than a normal cotton ball/vaseline fire starter.

About 3 times as long.

Still can't vouch for the 15 minute burn time, but there is a huge difference in burn time when placed in open air.

The key here is the amount of vaseline/petroleum jelly. There is no comparison here. Melting the jelly first results in a much more saturated cotton ball.

The difficulty with the more saturated cotton ball is getting it to take a spark. I am not going to kid here, it is more difficult.

With a regular cotton ball/vaseline solution just fluff a bit and light. The super soaked cotton ball needs to be torn apart and the end result is enough vaseline to treat one's face for dry skin once accomplished.

Still, it will light with a hot spark when properly fluffed and it burns super hot and longer than normal.

I am never going back to the 'normal' way again.

[Dennis]

Going to give it a try today thanks.

[tjwilhelm]

Originally Posted by username

...Still can't vouch for the 15 minute burn time, but there is a huge difference in burn time when placed in open air...
With a regular cotton ball/vaseline solution just fluff a bit and light. The super soaked cotton ball needs to be torn apart and the end result is enough vaseline to treat one's face for dry skin once accomplished...
Still, it will light with a hot spark when properly fluffed and it burns super hot and longer than normal...

Howdy "Username,"

Sorry that you burned your finger! I'm guessing the difference between your experience and mine is possibly the level to which we "fluffed." If you really shredded the ball then you would have exposed a lot more surface area and created greater air contact. This would have resulted in a much hotter, but quicker burn. When I "fluffed" I just tore up the top surface of the ball, attempting to raise fibers like an old-fashion butch-wax haircut. My theory was that these raised fibers would act like wicks in a "grease candle." I used a watch with a sweep second hand, and it REALLY burned for 15 minutes and 17 seconds.

I had fun with this. Hope you did, too!

[Big K]

Cool idea, I usually unwrap my cotton balls........yes you can unwrap cotton balls......and put vaseline on the inside of it and roll em back up. This way the vaseline is inside and are cleaner to handle.

[tjwilhelm]

Very good idea...I'm going to try it!

Thanks,

[wareagle]

great job on testing theory's folks.