Guy Radford November 30th, 2011
Cramp Ball fungus also known as King Alfred’s Cakes is great for starting fires or as a coal extender.
Cramp balls grow mainly on dead Ash trees, they can be easily removed with a little force. If they crumble then they are too old. Remember when collecting anything from the wild not to strip an area, only take what you require.
Once the cramp ball is removed you can break it open, the inside looks like the layers of an onion. These layers will easily take a spark from a fire steel. When a spark has taken it will start to glow, you can now gently blow until the ember has grown and is self maintaining.
Now with this good ember you will be able to light all sorts of tinder, from dried grass to silver birch bark.
Guy Radford May 1st, 2011
This weekend was a making weekend, yesterday I made a steel to use with flint for making fire and today I made a Buck Saw.
I have been planning my Buck Saw for several months. My main requirement was that the blade had to be protected and it would needed very little assembly. I did not want it to fiddly or to many little bits that could get dropped or lost. The blade needed to stay part of the saw at all times even when packed away. So after a few hours of fettling in the garage I has myself a Buck Saw.
I am still looking at the design and works and already have a few minor adjustments. In the photo you will see that the tensioning cord ends are both hooked over the same end, this makes it easier to use the same cord to tie up the folded saw. Also the tensioning bar needs a hole for the cord to pass though so that it cant be lost.
I have used dowels to hold the middle bar in place, next time I intend to make it out of one piece and carve it to shape.
Guy Radford October 23rd, 2010
The first frost has been so it was time to pick the sloes. This year really is a bumper year, in less then 30 minutes I has collected about 2kg from just a small area in my parents garden.
Once home I washed and sorted enough for the sloe vodka.
Sloes washed and ready
Here is the recipe I used, recipes seems to vary wildly.
75cl Vodka
450g clean Sloes
120g of white granulated sugar
I first cleaned and sorted to sloes, this is a little time consuming but you soon get into the rhythm. I then needed to prick the sloes to allow the vodka in and the flavour out. I use a sharp knife, you could use a fork or a skewer. I tend to get a few in my hand at once give them all a prick move them around prick them again and drop them into the bottle.
Adding the sugar
Once the sloes are done using a funnel I pour in the sugar, then add the vodka and secure the lid. I turn the bottle over a few times and put it in a cool dark place.
The bottle will need turning every few days until the sugar is all dissolved. Then wait… 3 months seems to be about right but I have heard of people drinking it much quicker. At a push it could be ready for Christmas.
Guy Radford July 8th, 2010
As you I am sure you know I will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro at the end of July 2010. I have decided to support Sussex Fun Days on the climb.
I have paid for the climb myself, so all the donations go directly to Sussex Fun Days.
Sussex Fun Days is an activity scheme run during the summer holidays for children with special needs, aged 5-14years from the Dorking, Horsham, Crawley and surrounding areas. They do a fantastic, work really hard and really need your support.
To Sponsor me click here.
Thank you
