Inuit fire drill

[Joonsy]

:wow1: thanks for the pics, thats a brilliant piece of kit i really like it, and the case you made really sets it off nicely too. Its all a nice size as well. Could you say what type of woods you used for the individual items please (apart from case which you have said is bamboo). -- there is a guy on youtube that demonstrates the same method with a slight variation, he ties the hearth to a tree branch with a bit of string (so he doesn't have to kneel down) and uses the drill from a standing position, and he produces a coal very quick indeed, here it is if you want to see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ejaGo4U_jw

 

[Toddy]

See these days ? getting me down on my knees to make fire by friction is a real pain. I like that fellow's idea I really do.

Thank you for the link

I think I'm going to go and play

cheers,
M

 

[Man of Tanith]

re knee issues when I was taught bowdrill the chap teaching me suggested I out the hearth on a log/stump so only one knee was bent.
Unfortunately this was suggested on the last day of the course but I definitely saw improvements.
since then (touch wood) my knees have improved and if (big if) I have a go its in the traditional position.

I really must knuckle down and focus a bit more on the technique and so on.


maybe I need t give up sleeping it'd free up at least six hours a day t do more stuff.....

 

[Joonsy]

See these days ? getting me down on my knees to make fire by friction is a real pain. I like that fellow's idea I really do.

Thank you for the link

I think I'm going to go and play

cheers,
M

getting down is one thing, getting back up again is quite another

yes i am gonna have a play at this as well, spurred on by this thread ATB

 

[atlatlman]

:wow1: thanks for the pics, thats a brilliant piece of kit i really like it, and the case you made really sets it off nicely too. Its all a nice size as well. Could you say what type of woods you used for the individual items please (apart from case which you have said is bamboo). -- there is a guy on youtube that demonstrates the same method with a slight variation, he ties the hearth to a tree branch with a bit of string (so he doesn't have to kneel down) and uses the drill from a standing position, and he produces a coal very quick indeed, here it is if you want to see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ejaGo4U_jw

That's the man I was talking about Joonsy. I thought my fifteen seconds was fast but he was really fast.

The hearth board was a piece of pine or you could use willow. The bearing block was a piece of hard wood [unknown].

The spindle is a piece of bamboo with an ivy insert at the bottom. In the top I inserted a hardwood which I rounded off [NOT POINTED].

I also roughened the spindle to stop the cordage slipping. It gave it a better grip. The toggles were my missus idea.

I really would advise wearing glasses while practising this.

 

[Joonsy]

That's the man I was talking about Joonsy. I thought my fifteen seconds was fast but he was really fast.

The hearth board was a piece of pine or you could use willow. The bearing block was a piece of hard wood [unknown].

The spindle is a piece of bamboo with an ivy insert at the bottom. In the top I inserted a hardwood which I rounded off [NOT POINTED].

I also roughened the spindle to stop the cordage slipping. It gave it a better grip. The toggles were my missus idea.

I really would advise wearing glasses while practising this.

thanks for that Atlatlman, i like how you made the double-ended spindle (i understand about the top NOT being pointed), as to wearing glasses failing eyesight is yet another infliction age brings as well as aching limbs and they are now perched on my nose most of the time, good contribution by your missus too

 

[atlatlman]

thanks for that Atlatlman, i like how you made the double-ended spindle (i understand about the top NOT being pointed), as to wearing glasses failing eyesight is yet another infliction age brings as well as aching limbs and they are now perched on my nose most of the time, good contribution by your missus too

I knew she would come in handy one day. lol. I saw a vid this morning where the guy said his spindle popped out and nearly got him in the eye. The rounded off top bit of my spindle fits really well into my bearing block. The guy also said don't push down with your body weight but use your neck muscles.

 

[atlatlman]

Just come across this set so I thought I would share it, in case anyone else was thinking of making a set. The mouth piece looks a lot more comfortable than the others I have seen. When I get a chance I'm going to make one. I think it will be worth the effort.

 

[Stringmaker]

I've seen an illustration somewhere of an Inuit set where the bearing is a piece of bone and the operator then has that in a piece of hide which is what he then holds in his mouth.

It's another brilliant example of the various fire making methods being symptomatic of the region where they were used; I believe bone is used for the bearing quite commonly.

 

[dave89]

Maybe a pump drill would work well for the OP

 

[atlatlman]

I've seen an illustration somewhere of an Inuit set where the bearing is a piece of bone and the operator then has that in a piece of hide which is what he then holds in his mouth.

It's another brilliant example of the various fire making methods being symptomatic of the region where they were used; I believe bone is used for the bearing quite commonly.

I have been looking for images of bone bearing blocks but couldn't find any.

 

[atlatlman]

Maybe a pump drill would work well for the OP

With my bad eyesight I thought you said OAP. I feel like one sometimes.

 

[atlatlman]

Just come across this set so I thought I would share it, in case anyone else was thinking of making a set. The mouth piece looks a lot more comfortable than the others I have seen. When I get a chance I'm going to make one. I think it will be worth the effort.

I have just finished my new set. I am going to wait until tomorrow to try it, so will let you know if the mouth piece was worth the extra effort.

[URL=http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/firecraft3/media/20140514_184430_zps58f3eee5.jpg.html]
[IMG]http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/firecraft3/20140514_184430_zps58f3eee5.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

[URL=http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/firecraft3/media/20140514_184414_zpsda9ba06c.jpg.html]
[IMG]http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/firecraft3/20140514_184414_zpsda9ba06c.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

[URL=http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/firecraft3/media/20140514_1846252_zpscb067bc5.jpg.html]
[IMG]http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/firecraft3/20140514_1846252_zpscb067bc5.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Stringmaker]

Nice work; that looks like a clematis hearth?

Post the pictures from A+E when they have to extract the drill from your jaw!

 

[atlatlman]

Thanks Stringmaker. The board is willow.

 

[atlatlman]

The results are in. The mouth piece was worth all the effort. It felt a lot more sturdy and secure. The only problem I had was I cut my notches too big. It took me seven attempts before I realised my mistake. I made a new notch slightly smaller and got an ember on the eighth try. Even after all those attempts, I didn't feel as though I had exhausted myself. Brilliant little set up. The hand drill is dead, long live the mouth drill.

 

[Clouston98]

Very good mate! Excellent job on that!

 

[atlatlman]

Very good mate! Excellent job on that!

Thanks mate. My partner filmed me doing the mouth drill yesterday but the picture quality wasn't very good. I'm going to try again today sometime and get my son to put it on youtube.

 

[atlatlman]

Thank god for my son. I wouldn't have a clue how to put things onto youtube. Here's me having a go at the Inuit fire drill.


[video=youtube;4QT3Ig5sij4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QT3Ig5sij4[/video]

 

[Damascus]

Hi,

that was impressive, surprising how quick and effective that is, see in July.

D