Fire piston
From WildernessWiki.org
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A fire piston is an ancient device that uses heat from the rapid compression of air to light a fire. The device consists of two pieces, a hollow cylinder closed at one end and a piston that slides into the tube, creating an airtight seal. The user places a small amount of tinder into a recess at the tip of the piston, then inserts the piston into the tube. Holding onto the tube end, the user quickly forces the piston into the tube, creating heat through the rapid compression of the air inside the device. This heat ignites the tinder that was placed at the tip of the piston. The piston can then be removed from the cylinder and used to light other tinder and start a fire.
History
Fire pistons were first used to light fires by the prehistoric peoples of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, often in cultures that also used the blow pipe as a weapon. The device is recorded as first appearing in the western world in the mid-18th century, allegedly invented through experiments with the air gun, independently of the native designs. The fire piston, known at the time as a fire syringe, made its wider debut at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and was a popular household tool until the invention of the safety match in 1944.
How to Build and Use
The video below shows how to build and use a fire piston.
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