[TheForge] Re: fire piston

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

Actually I think it depends on the fact that the grass or tinder DOESN'T 
compressmaking the clearance volume for the air even less.   
Fortuneately, early man was more empirical and dried shavings aren't 
inhibited by the operators incomplete or incorrect theories.

Charles

Demon Buddha wrote:

> nah...  if you compress air at 70*F to 1/15th its volume, the temp 
> rises to 1050*.  That should be enough to ignite tinder.  I know it 
> sounds odd, but the ideal gas law doesn't lie.
>
> Freddie Warner wrote:
>
>> You're right, Robert, the more I think of it the more I believe there 
>> has to be some kind of vapor in the cylinder. You have to be able to 
>> compress whatever ignites and fine wood shavings or dried grass won't 
>> do that. I bet they add something like some sort of vegitable oil or 
>> something that vaporizes.
>>
>>