Is is possible to start a fire by rubbing 2 pencils together?

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010 and filed under fire | 4 Comments »

If I were to scrape the yellow paint off of 2 pencils so that the pencils were bare wood, and rubbed them together, would it be possible for me to start a fire by doing this? I tried it and it gets really hot but I have never started a fire like this or even made smoke. Maybe I need to rube harder and longer. But would it be possible to start a fire by rubbing 2 pencils together?

Yes, it is physically possible.

This doesn’t mean it’s realistic though. You would also need something for the spark to fall onto, the pencils aren’t going to just burst into flames.

4 Responses

  1. Vito1964 Says:

    Yes, it is physically possible.

    This doesn’t mean it’s realistic though. You would also need something for the spark to fall onto, the pencils aren’t going to just burst into flames.
    References :

  2. Sly to da kid Says:

    Nope. no fire man, i tried lol.
    References :
    personal experience.

  3. wulph Says:

    Yes; if you rubbed it long enough. Friction between the pencils builds up enough energy and heat, and it could eventually start a fire. It might be very very hard to do, though.
    References :

  4. frediwhite@verizon.net Says:

    Your arm gets too tired. That’s why somebody came up with the boy scout type fire drill, in which you make a bow and wrap the string around a stick and spin it against a piece of wood. That method actually works if you have the right materials.
    References :

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