Fire Piston

• A fire piston is an ancient device that's used for instantly igniting tinder for starting fires. The principle of how a fire piston operates is that compressed air creates heat, and heat can be used to ignite tinder. A fire piston is a two-part, simple machine. The first part is the actual tube, which is hollowed out in the center and is also enclosed at the bottom. The other part of the fire piston is a plunger, which has a small space down at the base for small bits of tinder to be secured. When used properly, the tinder will be ignited within a matter of seconds.
  
  

Composition

• Fire pistons have been made out of a large number of materials. Ancient peoples made them out of horn, hardwood, or even bamboo. Modern fire pistons can be made out of other materials such as metal, but many are still made of hardwood. The tube is hollowed out carefully so that it's smooth. The plunger is made to fit the tube exactly so that it's air tight to create the proper air pressure. The end of the plunger is also carved out so that tinder can be placed inside it. Often times there is a gasket at the end of the tube to ensure that there is a good connection and that the air is held in tightly.
  
  

Function

• A fire piston, if properly built, is a very simple device to use. The tinder is placed in the hollow of the plunger. The plunger should be carefully inserted into the tube, which should be held in the other hand. The hand holding the plunger should be used to ram it down in one, quick motion. This will cause the air to be compressed and heat up, which will ignite the tinder. The plunger will be pushed back out by the force of the compressed air, and it needs to be taken out so that the burning tinder can be placed onto an already built stack of wood, ready to become a fire.