Watched a pro with a bow drill today

[njc110381]

I went to a timber show near my home today. In amongst the chainsaw and timber craft stands was a guy from north devon who is thinking of running weekend holidays locally. We had a bit of a chat and got onto the subject of my hand drill failures, and he suggested I try the bow drill to start with. He took his kit from the van and I watched him to pick up as many tips as I could. With an ember within a minute I was really impressed, and I also learned that a big part of it is reading the smoke!

I really enjoyed it, and will be heading out for materials soon. Now I've seen how it's done in detail I'm sure I'll master it. I may just go and give it a try now!

 

[njc110381]

Right, I'm now completely knackered and still have no ember. The bearing block keeps getting hot and sticking so the drill pops out of the hearth! I watched this guy putting grass in the bearing block to provide some kind of lubrication but that doesn't work! I'm using a Hazel drill on Elder hearth with a green Ash bearing block. I've tried holly leaves, spitting on the bearing block hole and god knows what else. I'm getting loads of smoke so I'm close, but it all goes tits up before the smoke turns blue and an ember forms!

 

[Sniper]

Try a little 3 in 1 on the bearing block if you have it or maybe just a dab of KY.

 

[gregorach]

Sounds like the contact between the bearing block at the top of the spindle isn't right. Ideally, you want only a single point of contact, and it needs to be pretty smooth.

 

[mace242]

Right, I'm now completely knackered and still have no ember. The bearing block keeps getting hot and sticking so the drill pops out of the hearth! I watched this guy putting grass in the bearing block to provide some kind of lubrication but that doesn't work! I'm using a Hazel drill on Elder hearth with a green Ash bearing block. I've tried holly leaves, spitting on the bearing block hole and god knows what else. I'm getting loads of smoke so I'm close, but it all goes tits up before the smoke turns blue and an ember forms!

Is the bearing block end of the spindle sharp enough? You want to have something that is as sharp as you can get it and still be able to take the bearing pressure. Imagine a very large pencil that has been warn down a bit.

 

[spamel]

So let me get this straight! Your first day at ever trying the bow drill method and you've got smoke? What have you got to complain about! You're nearly there! I took two weeks, most of that waiting for my knuckles to heal after scraping them on the concrete flagstones of my then balcony in Germany! Stop your whinging and get back out there tomorrow!










Good luck tomorrow, if you have any seashells knocking about from a trip to the seaside some time, then try a limpet shell in yer bearing block, it'll work wonders.

 

[njc110381]

Thanks for the replies. It is my first real try at the bow drill, and I've got about as far as I can get with the hand drill. I can produce a fair bit of smoke with that too, with a variety of woods. What I can't seem to get is an ember! I've just realised what the problem may be though - I cheated and chopped off the end of a hand drill to use, and I think it's too thin. The drill I'm using is about 12mm ish, and it needs to be more like 25mm. I've got quite a sharp point on the bearing block end, but it seems to be wearing down and rounding off before I've got the ember? I'm going out tomorrow to look for a nice dead Sycamore branch. I'll cheat a bit and bung it in the house for a few days before I use it, as all the stuff I've tried so far is just a touch damp which can't help a beginner!

As someone said above, I'll just keep going for it and eventually it will work.

 

[JonnyP]

If you can find a pebble with an indentation to replace the bearing block, this will help you as there will be less friction on the top of the drill. Or find a bit of metal and make a dent in it, so something like that.. I keep a small pebble with a hole in, in my kit bag for that purpose..

 

[Shewie]

Thanks for the replies. It is my first real try at the bow drill, and I've got about as far as I can get with the hand drill. I can produce a fair bit of smoke with that too, with a variety of woods. What I can't seem to get is an ember! I've just realised what the problem may be though - I cheated and chopped off the end of a hand drill to use, and I think it's too thin. The drill I'm using is about 12mm ish, and it needs to be more like 25mm. I've got quite a sharp point on the bearing block end, but it seems to be wearing down and rounding off before I've got the ember? I'm going out tomorrow to look for a nice dead Sycamore branch. I'll cheat a bit and bung it in the house for a few days before I use it, as all the stuff I've tried so far is just a touch damp which can't help a beginner!

As someone said above, I'll just keep going for it and eventually it will work.

I think you may have just answered your own question, definitely try a larger diameter and obviously the drier the better.

Good luck and keep trying


Rich

 

[Chris G]

Or you could use a shell from the beach as a bit of the bearer block.

If you find that the spindle keeps pinging out, use the Egyptian bow drill technique. In simple terms:

1) straight bow stick
2) little V notch on the back face for the string to bite into at the opposite end to the handle
3) timber hitch the cord at the top end.
4) lay the spindle on the cord
5) 4+ turns of cord round the spindle
6) tie the cord at the handle end (note it does not need to be tight!)

Use like a normal bow drill. Best advantage is that the cord will not slip on the spindle. Next best advantage (esp for beginners) is that if you change the angle of the bow from horizontal, the top and bottom cord will try to climb over the main turns of cord which you can spot and then correct before it gets all wrong.

ATB

Chris

 

[njc110381]

I had a go with a 25mm spindle of sycamore today, I think drilling into beech. I couldn't even get smoke! I tried some more with the smaller hand drill spindle that I cut down, but with a bigger notch in the hearth. I'm so near to an ember it's unreal. The dust keeps smoking for some time after I've stopped drilling, but isn't quite there.

My problem is that the spindle starts to grip the bearing block near the end of the run and wont turn. Eventually I pop the spindle out and it flies off somewhere. I need to replace the green ash block with some holly, or maybe some really hard wood that the drill wont sink into so much.

The thicker drill seems a bad idea, even though that's the normal way to do it I'm having no luck with it at all.

 

[Nelis]

Also you can try to find a piece of roch with a depression in it to use as an bearing block. This will provide les friction. Also the wooden spindle will never drill into the stone bearing block.

I have sometimes found that the spindle will drill into the bearing block and in that way increase the contact surface between the two, that way the energy you provide with moving the bow will be lost in friction heat in the bearing block instead of the hearth.

 

[njc110381]

I'm thinking of trying something different for the bearing block, as that seems to be a major issue. The trouble is I'd really like to keep it as simple as possible, as there's no point learning this skill if you need to use man made materials to make it work. The rock would be ok I guess.

 

[Tourist]

I've seen bone used for the bearing block. A big bone mind.

Also seen, and tried, a bottle top .......... the flip off kind........used to provide an almost friction free surface. Not a natural material but, it works.

 

[Lordyosch]

On the bushcraft course I was on last month the (female) instructor described the bow drill as being as close to giving birth a man could experience. Just when you think you've made it you have to give it a bit more or else you'll fail!

It took me ages to get anywhere and when I finally made it (with help on the bow, I must confess) I realised that the feeling of the motions/pressures etc involved in the successful attempt were quite different to the unsuccessful turns.

When unsuccessful I think I put too much focus on the bearing block and not enough on the bowing.

I picked up a couple of bits of wood the other day to re-make by drill and hearth. I kept the bow from the course. I can't wait to have another go.


Jay

 

[njc110381]

I've found that I try to put too much pressure on it. I get the most smoke with very little pressure and quick drilling, and when I press down too hard the drill jams. My problem is materials. I'm a little lazy and probably have a damp base for the ember to form on, and my preparation is apalling! If I can get a lot of black dust and smoke from something I've just cut from the wood, I'm sure with some refinement I will win. Putting the stuff in the airing cupboard for a week is another thing I'm against, as I like to think that when I really need this skill, I'll be capable of using it without any modern help.

You can supposedly make fire with green wood once you get really good and fit!