Making a fire piston

[CarverFromNoWhere]

Ok I just started this about 30 minutes ago and now I had to stop and eat dinner. So far here is the progress I have a tone of pics to post, First selcted my wood it is cocobolo 1 1/2" square and the blanks are just over 6" long. I used a technique for those who don't know called reverse chucking. I chuck the blank and then turn spigot on one end, then turn it around and grip the blank by the spigot. I will post more in a few minutes
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

Ok next few steps here, I roughed out the blank after reverse chucking it, keep in mind ya want to have the live center in place at all times for safety, the chuck can only take so much lateral force before it will give and let go of the peice and when it comes off in this way it normaly heads for your face. I turned the peice to shape, and started sanding, I will next turn some decorative grooves into the peice. Pic of sandpaper and beeswax block sued for finishing, I will be sanding from 180 grit to 600 grit.
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

Do not forget to wear your respirator and at least safety glasses, I always wear a face shield as well when I am roughing out work or turning at more then 1000 rpm. SO far I roughed out this blank at 500 rpm and then I am sanding it around 1200 rpm.
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

I cut the grooves and finished sanding then applied my beeswax finish and buffed it with a soft cloth. I then mounted my drill bit in my lathe drill chuck, and made sure everything was lined up, I had to shim my tailstock to get it dead on center. I then ran the lathe at 500 slow as it will go, and slowly drilled out the inside. After I was done drilling I taperd the entrance to the hole so it does not tear up the gasket on the piston. I then turned down the end untill it was about to break off and then sawed it off and to finish the end I just sanded the small nub off.
I am done working on the main piece I will turn the piston sometime tomarrow, most likely tomarrow afternoon.
Carl
The second and third pics are before and after the finish was added.

[CarverFromNoWhere]

Here are the other pics of the progress, this is only the third one of these firepistons I have made, so if anyone sees something I have done wrong or knows a better safer way let me know. I amde this one quite large for this demonstration and I have no idea if it will even work when it's done, so I don't know much of anything about fire pistons. Talking
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

You want to make the piston at least 3/8inch and about 3 1/2 to 4 inchs long, I made this one 27/64 inch and about 3 3/4 inches long the hole in the body is drilled to a depth of 3 7/8 inch so there is a small gap but not to large.

Well I was bored so I went out and made the piston, it failed. The peice of wood was just awfull, very loose grain and was full or grit, I think it might have been a little punky. I took photos of the steps to make a piston, start by reverse chucking and roughing down the blank. Then turn the small indent onto the end of the blank. Using a very acurate caliper and a parting tool cut grooves just larger then the holes inside diameter, this gives ya room to work incase ya do go to small so make it to big then refine it. Then once the grooves are done remove the excess wood, and useing a square end scraper meet all the grooves together and then start work on the handle. Continue to work on the dowel and test fit it every few seconds of turning starting at the very end of the dowel work it untill it fits just tight enough it can be pushed in and out without to much force. After the piston is all fit to the hole finish turning the handle sand and finish the handle then cut the groove for the O-ring, if your using a thread seal you will cut a wider groove with a square scraper or a parting tool, I have a custom made parting tool for doing O-rinrs on my duck calles it is round on the tip and made from an old knife. After the seal is in place turn down the end of the handle and saw it off sand the little nub that is left and your done. Give it a try let me know if anyone makes a succseful fire piston I have yet to.

This piston did not work the wood sucked, so tomarrow I will make another one and make sure to find a better peice of wood.
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

The rest of the pics, when I make some more of these I will post pics of the finished products. If ya have any questions about any step or any tools to use let me know send me a pm or I mgith see it if ya post it here. Good luck and have fun, let me know if of ya complete one, if ya wanted to and used a drill press it would be fairly easy to carve one other then the piston. Be sure to use a very hard and dense wood such as cocobolo bocote african blackwood hard maple birdseye maple most ebonies would work most rosewoods would work and tulipwood there is probably more that would also work but I don't feel like listing them at the moment.
Carl

[CarverFromNoWhere]

At some time if I feel like it I might make a youtube account and could post videos of the progress on making one of these. If I do manage to get it figurs out and can make em work how they are suposed to I will.
Carl

[dabull22]

Looking great!!! Thanks for posting all this...You think youll make a youtube video of this?

[CarverFromNoWhere]

If I find the time and actually get one to work I will. I been wanting to post vids on youtube of turning and carving for a while now.
Carl