first bowdrill fire!!!!

[isotonicpies]

I'm elated!

I just made fire with my bow drill.

I used sycamore for the bow, and two unidentified scavenged bits of wood for the hearth and drill, thistle seed-down & dried grass my tinder bundle. I finally worked out the secret, once the shavings start smoking heavilly, give it loads more welly and then most importantly ... don't panic. I used to rush to get my coal to the tinder and always messed up. But this time I relaxed and made fire. It's a fantastic feeling. I've done it again since! Thanks to all on here who have helped me by my reading of your posts.

All the best

 

[JFW]

Well done, its a great sense of achievement you get one you have made fire like this. Keep on practicing.

Cheers

JFW

 

[Tony]

Fantastic stuff isotonicpies, it’s a great accomplishment, especially to do it off your own back.

You’ve got it right when you say that it needs more welly and don’t panic. Taking a bit of time to relax is important for you and the coal, you need time to calm down and get a steady hand and the coal needs time to establish and solidify a bit.

You’re an example to many mate, keep it up

 

[jdlenton]

Well done that man, it’s something that you will remember forever. I taught my self too, that massive sense of achievement feels great doesn’t it.

 

[isotonicpies]

Cheers!

I used a plastic-nylon washing line as my bowrope. It's a great feeling, considering just a few days ago I was starting to become convinced that I was never destined to make fire from friction. I knew this was a state of mind not to get into so I tried again and again. Already I'm thinking of how to succeed at the hand drill! I will succeed, it will just take time and practice. Success truly is a state of mind. Thanks to all.

 

[VIRULENT SALAMANDER]

Congrats, ​

I still get that feeling, it will be with you all your life.​

 

[isotonicpies]

As I am new to this friction fire stuff, I was amazed at how fast this bow method is. It took less than two minutes from kneeling down to holding the flaming tinder.

Maybe it's partly to do with the length of the bow, I made my sycamore bow to be just under one metre in length. On the plus side this means that within a few strokes the smoke is billowing, on the negative side it's harder to keep steady strokes. I'm sure my bow is much longer that the optimum length.

 

[Goose]

Well done!
I am still working on it, but I am nearly there!

 

[isotonicpies]

Well done!
I am still working on it, but I am nearly there!

Now I'm no expert, having only two fires under my belt, but I have hust been through all issues that you are going through so they are fresh in my mind.

Prepare a good tinder bundle.
Once you start getting a lot of smoke, bow twenty more times back and forth.
Remove the drill.
The important thing is that the smoke should still be being produced once you take the drill bit away.
Once you see the self smoking bundle of wood dust.
... Relax for a few seconds & take a deep breath.
Pick up your coal (smoky bit) and tip it carefully into your tinder bundle.
Wait a few more seconds
Very gently massage your tinder into your coal (without breaking the coal apart)
Blow gently
Watch the smoke grow
Blow gently again
etc
The smoke will be billowing by now
Blow like mad
Bundle ignites.

See it as a three stage process, each of which needs practice,
1) Making the bow kit
2) Producing the coal
3) Turning coal to fire within a good tinder bundle

I practiced stage three by adding the tip of my roll your own cigarette to the tinder bundle.

All the best!

Apologies to anyone who thinks I'm going on about my success to much, I'm just too elated at the moment!!!

 

[Fallow Way]

I had a wonderful day on Sunday demonstrating Bushcraft at a country fair. A couple of poeple managed to get close to a coal, one father and son did manage it and they were so happy, thanking me endlessly and wanting to shake my hand.

It really is a special moment and not just the first time, everytime I do it its special.

Congratulations!!!!! Now do it blindfolded standing on your head

 

[Goose]

Wait till I do it I won't shut up for a month!
I had some instruction at the bushmoot and was pretty close then, but I just couldn't get the bundle to light I have had a coal a couple of times now but Still couldnt get the bundle lit. I have made some charcloth (yellow duster and a sweet tin on the trangia) and have used that to practise getting the bundle to light which I managed for the first time on Sunday morning so I want to practise that for a bit as I have a shoulder injury and using the bowdrill takes days to recover from
So hopefully next time I set my mind on it fully I will go from start to finish!
It really is a knack, as I have read up, had instruction, using kit that I know works and I seem to be doing all the right things so it just means practise practise practise!
Thanks for the encouragement

 

[falcon]

I managed a decent coal on about eight occasions but couldn't get the tinder to light. Then after seeing Dave Watson use straw at the WG last year, I gathered up some bone dry straw from around a field edge together with some fluff from rosebay willowherb. I also decided the tinder bundles I was using may have been too small (never seems to affect RM !). Then I managed to light it second try and duly celebrated on these pages with lots of goodwill from those who read the thread. In my case, it may have been bundle size, it may have been because I wasn't pressing the bundle enough - not really sure. Keep at it, you'll get there.

 

[Stuart]

Fantastic! congratulations it only gets easier from now on.

relaxing throughout the whole process is the real key to it all, the bow should be long enough that you can keep the spindle spinning without getting breathless.

something I learnt from Dave Goodworth that really changed the ease at which I made fire, if you cant continue a relaxed conversation whilst bowdrilling then your bow is too short and/or too heavy.

before you start make sure you have something prepared to push the ember out of the V when its formed so it can get the oxygen it needs, then you can sit back and relax the ember will burn happily for a couple of minutes at least so you can take your time

 

[isotonicpies]

Wait till I do it I won't shut up for a month!
I had some instruction at the bushmoot and was pretty close then, but I just couldn't get the bundle to light I have had a coal a couple of times now but Still couldnt get the bundle lit. I have made some charcloth (yellow duster and a sweet tin on the trangia) and have used that to practise getting the bundle to light which I managed for the first time on Sunday morning so I want to practise that for a bit as I have a shoulder injury and using the bowdrill takes days to recover from
So hopefully next time I set my mind on it fully I will go from start to finish!
It really is a knack, as I have read up, had instruction, using kit that I know works and I seem to be doing all the right things so it just means practise practise practise!
Thanks for the encouragement

Goose,

Try this for a tinder bundle:

Gather some thistle seed down,
Gather some long dried grass
Gather some dried leaves

Fold the dried grass until you get a length of about six inches of grass in a cylinder shape (1 inch diameter).
Tie the both ends with green grass
Spread the middle with both thumbs to form a 'boat' shape, in a kind of ... ahem, cough ... cunnilingus fashion ... cough ... apologies for the analogy.
Add your crushed dried leaves & thistle down into the 'boat'.
It works well.

 

[andyn]

congratulations!

I still get excited and think it is a good achivement lighting a fire by flint and steel.

Well done again and thanks for the hints you have come across while trying yourself.

 

[Goose]

Been trying with allsorts, thistle down is good, used an old birds nest for some material, pieces of birch bark and tried some plumbers hemp which is excellent for a flame from the firesteel.
I will keep going till I get it!
I think my original problem was trying too hard and blowing too hard, I had a sort of dawning while getting a fire going at weekend and adjusted my technique.