# Home made matches.



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

anyone got a recipe?


----------



## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

I have not tried this, but your question intrigued me so I googled it. In this link How to make your own match with homemade items the guy makes matches using a toothpick, ketchup, flour, and Jack Daniels. Haven't tried it yet, as I said, but it looks like a cool website.


----------



## vn6869 (May 5, 2010)

Jason said:


> I have not tried this, but your question intrigued me so I googled it. In this link How to make your own match with homemade items the guy makes matches using a toothpick, ketchup, flour, and Jack Daniels. Haven't tried it yet, as I said, but it looks like a cool website.


Come on gotta be more to it than that.


----------



## rhrobert (Apr 27, 2009)

Yeah, that isn't gonna work...lol.

But this will:
How to Make a Homemade Match | eHow.com










Things You'll Need:
1/8-inch wooden dowels 
Pyrex or Kimex safety glassware 
potassium chlorate (for some reason, the original says chloride) 
White glue 
Red phosphorus

1 Preheat your oven to 150 degrees F.

2 Cut your dowel rods into matchsticks by nicking with a small knife and snapping into 2- to 3-inch lengths.

3 Mix a small amount of potassium chlorate with white glue in a Pyrex or Kimex beaker to create a thick paste. The ratio is not important, so long as the mixture does not drip.

4 Dip the end of each matchstick into the potassium chlorate mixture.

5 Set the matches on an old pan, keeping the paste-covered tip off the pan's surface by resting each match against a length of dowel.

6 Bake your matches for two hours or until the potassium chlorate paste hardens.

7 Make a paste of white glue and red phosphorus in a new Pyrex or Kimex beaker, and stir gently. Do NOT use the beaker in which you mixed the potassium chlorate paste; the two chemicals are explosively reactive and, if combined, can blind, disfigure or even kill you.

8 Dip the baked head of each match in the second paste, and set it on the pan again.

9 Bake the matches for another two hours. When the second paste has hardened and cooled, you can ignite your homemade match on any surface.

Tips & Warnings
Potassium chlorate and red phosphorus are extremely reactive. Exercise the utmost caution when working with the two chemicals, and ensure they are kept separate.

Always wear safety eye goggles, work gloves and an apron when working with volatile chemicals.

Do not mix chemicals in regular drinking glasses or any beaker not labeled "Pyrex" or "Kimex," as they can shatter or explode in the event of a chemical reaction. Pyrex borosilicate glassware is resistant to heat and pressure, making it safe for laboratory use.


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

red phosphorus is a regulated substance now that the govt. has figured out that crystal meth is made with it...


----------



## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Yeah I was hardpressed to believe it too. I might try it later today if I get a chance. The worst of it is you have to let it sit for 3 hours, twice.


----------



## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I'm all about home brew, made from scratch type of things, but matches, refillable and throw away lighters are so cheap it easy to get a life time supply. When I was younger and camping a lot I was very proud that I could light a "1 match" fire almost every time. As I got a little older and wiser switched to lighters. They can take some abuse and don't need to be kept dry. Than I switched from zippos to cheap throw aways after I lost a couple zippos. When I began using wood to heat my house I got tired of rolling news paper and splitting kindling. I started using a $35 self igniting plumbers torch. Just pull the trigger and it quickly burns 1" wood. A 1 lb LP can lasts all winter. It's not a cool bush craft skills way to start a fire, but it adds convenience to everyday living. 

I'd rather know how to made soap, bread or candles/lanterns from scratch and just stock up on fire starters. HF has mag/flint fire starters on sale for a couple bucks from time to time. I picked up 5 for about $10-$12. Just one will last a long time. I normally keep a small coleman "crack torch" lighter in my pocket even though I'm not a smoker. It refills from butane cans. A $6 can is good for about 40 refills. That equals a lot of matches. Some times you don't need a working lighter. When the long BBQ/candle lighters run out I keep them as long as they still spark. They can still light my stove if the powers out ( it has electronic ignition ) or my gas grill and pilot lights.


----------



## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

Jason said:


> I have not tried this, but your question intrigued me so I googled it. In this link How to make your own match with homemade items the guy makes matches using a toothpick, ketchup, flour, and Jack Daniels. Haven't tried it yet, as I said, but it looks like a cool website.


I would just drink the Jack and buy matches.


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I think it's good to know how, like almost anything *if you have to do it* (so trying it once or twice to get it down might even be fun), but as a general day-to-day practice it might be impractical (probably like *most* of the things a *lot* of us are alreeady doing!  :lolsmash: )

thanx for the info :congrat: :wave:


----------



## BasecampUSA (Dec 26, 2010)

Francon said:


> unintended fires over the years, or so I have always heard. *A mouse gnaws on the head, and next thing you know, the entire box is on fire*.


*This is true!* take note!

We lost the main building of a church camp to a packrat "arsonist" that way back in 1960 !

At least the fire marshall was of this opinion, as there were more of the matches found in packrat's 
nests in the extinguished portions of the ruins!

It was pretty well known to happen this way, and we learned the hard way.

You better keep them in a glass jar with a metal lid!

- Basey


----------



## CraigMeade (Oct 21, 2011)

From the 1896 Home Mechanic's book...

"_Gum Arabic 16 parts by weight; phosphorus, 9 parts; nitre, 14 parts; peroxide of manganese, in powder, 16 parts. The gum is first made into a mucilage with water, then the manganese, then the phosphorus, and the whole is heated to about 130 degrees F. When the phosphorus is melted the nitre is added, and the whole is thoroughly stirred until the mass is a uniform paste. The wooden matches prepared first with sulphur, are then dipped in this and afterward dried in the air._"

Do check with a chemist or something that this isn't liable to blow your head off while you are making it. People died young in those days, if you know what I mean.


----------

