Bow Drill Emergency

[Backyard Bushcraft]

Hi, as some of you may remember i have been trying to get together a bow drill set for a while, goin out for a walk in the woods next weekend so im goin to get some things there to get me started,ANYWHO today out of boredom i knocked together a set out of random bits of wood to practice technique AND MY GOD IS IT HARD at the min im having most difficulty with gettin the drill to move with the bow, eiter my string is too tight and wont grip or too lose and wont move, got me very VERY frustrated and now my neighbours are going to wonder wot the mass of sticks and para cord is in the middle of the garden after i threw it over the fence in anger cursing various gods of bushcraft (probably think im into voodoo or blair witch project)
After calming down and deciding not to sell all my bushcraft stuff i dusted down my dummy an popped it back in and now im begging for an idiots guide to making a bow drill set and more importatntly the technique, possibly with pics!! as you can tell this has annoyed me as the thread is rather lengthy, anywho SAVE ME (unless u wanna see all my stuff in the swop shop!!! )

 

[Carcajou Garou]

In my fire drill kit I use a 1/4" - 3/8" flat leather thong that is anchored to a 27" straight bamboo bow (not so important to be exact, not building a watch). Once the spindle is intertwined there is a good tension. I use leather shoelaces on my boots, something that I could use in an emergency and as they are squarish in shape, they would provide more friction on the spindle, so a I practice with those also. I also wear a Dear horn pendant around my neck that has a dimple on the back side to act as a top socket for the spindle, also the pendant hangs on a braided leather thong that could also be used as the bow thong. Next thing thing is to persevere and keep on practicing!

 

[Agile]

Don't worry mate - you are not alone.

I got a kit online as I didn't have any wood lying around and it seemed that it was supplied with to little cord. After popping out to the local sailing shop I got myself alot more cord (it lasts longer than paracord) and now it grips the little blighter far better.

The next problem I then found was getting the sindle to stay in the dimple I wanted it to.

Any tips guys?

Agile

 

[Ogri the trog]

Been there, done that....
You obviously have an idea of what to aim for, so I'll try not to teach you to suck eggs, and please wait for other replies so you don't think my word is gospel.
I use a hazel drill about as thick as the base of my thumb, and it starts off about 14 inches long. It starts off bone dry, pencil sharp at the top end and a rough, blunt point at the bottom.
My bow is as long as my arm and the string (an old boot lace) is quite tight. When I start bowing, I put my fingers into the gap between string and bow - so that if I need to tighten the string, I just clench it up till the drill spins OK. It does hurt when you do this and it might detract from the concentration, but it has worked for me, since I learnt from Falling Rain and his brilliant bow drill workshop!
I find that starting off with very light pressure on the bearing block, allows things to bed in before you begin piling on the pressure when you go for the ember. A few waxy leaves or other lubricant, helps to get things spinning as well.
Your hearth board should be about 3/8" to 1/2" thick (10 - 13mm), willow, cedar or ivy are supposed to be reliable . Cut the start of the hollow with the tip of a knife, then "burn in" the hollow and drill tip before you cut the ember notch. When things are "burned in", take the time to re-profile the drill ends and tighten the bow string if necessary - indeed if you stop for a rest, recut the drill to maximise your chances of success at every step.
I remember standing aghast at Falling Rain's demonstration, he had smoke on the third stroke of the bow and a viable ember in about a minute. Once you decide to try for an ember, ensure you are set up for an arduous task - nothing in your pockets that might get in the way, and not so many layers of clothing that you'll have to stop to cool off half way through. It is not easy, but take things slowly at first - drill until you have smoke. Then try to get some really thick smoke. Then try to get that thicker smoke for a longer time - with each success, you increase your knowledge and experience of how that set works.
When you do get an ember, there'll be a feint whisp of smoke rising from the dust pile after you have stopped drilling. Use a sliver of wood to hold the ember in place while you roll the hearth out of the way. Transfer it to your patiently waiting tinder bundle, and blow it into flame.
I do understand your frustration, as I did much the same before being shown how to do it, even tried using an electric drill and it still didn't work
I'll be working untill the middle of next week, but if you still havent cracked it by then, perhaps we could meet up somewhere and I could guide you through the process.

Good luck

Ogri the trog

 

[spamel]

I feel your pain, I went through exactly the same thing a few years back. When I eventually got it, I was over the moon, but it took a while for it all to come together. If you can meet up with someone who can show you, it would be so much easier, but info gleaned from the internet, books and Ray TV will help towards an eventual success.

Try carving a waist into the spindle, just a slight one but it may help the cordage from slipping up and down the spindle which then results in the spindle flying off, hitting you in the face and you slip and graze your knuckles on the floor..........for the 20th time in the last half hour!!!

Put some green leaves or fresh grass in the bearing block to lubricate it, make the top of the spindle as pointy as you can whilst the bottom is virtually flat. You want maximum friction at the bottom and minimum at the top. Try using a limpet shell as your bearing block recessed into a piece of wood. It is supposedly very good. Maybe we should get somebody living near the sea to get a job lot!!!

 

[swagman]

The standing dead wood from a sycomore tree is good for the harth and the drill and its quite an easy wood to start with.
And remember when you cut your notch it should be an 8th of the cake ( that is the burnd circle) and that is very important if your V knotch is to big or small it will be alot harder.
Hope this helps good luck.

Rob.

 

[Justin Time]

Little tip I got from Ed was to wrap your cord round the spindle before you tie the second end on, that way you can ensure you're using the right length and tension.

 

[rich59]

Hi, as some of you may remember i have been trying to get together a bow drill set for a while, goin out for a walk in the woods next weekend so im goin to get some things there to get me started,ANYWHO today out of boredom i knocked together a set out of random bits of wood to practice technique AND MY GOD IS IT HARD at the min im having most difficulty with gettin the drill to move with the bow, eiter my string is too tight and wont grip or too lose and wont move, got me very VERY frustrated and now my neighbours are going to wonder wot the mass of sticks and para cord is in the middle of the garden after i threw it over the fence in anger cursing various gods of bushcraft (probably think im into voodoo or blair witch project)
After calming down and deciding not to sell all my bushcraft stuff i dusted down my dummy an popped it back in and now im begging for an idiots guide to making a bow drill set and more importatntly the technique, possibly with pics!! as you can tell this has annoyed me as the thread is rather lengthy, anywho SAVE ME (unless u wanna see all my stuff in the swop shop!!! )

A key thing about getting the drill to move is - choose a very straight drill. Any slight kink and you are stuck.

As to tensioning - One trick is to start out with your wrap round the drill being fairly loose. Then at your hand end of the bow twist another stick into the bow string so that is tensions up well.

The combination of a really tight string and a really straight drill has much to recommend it.

 

[palmnut]

I couldn't get it to work at first, the string always slipped; or got tangled; or got so hot it melted (not a good day that one ;-). Then I read the article about the Egyptian Bowdrill (select ARTICLES from the top menu, then 'Skills Articles', then look for Egyptian Bow Drill about half-way down the page). I had my first bundle of flaming tinder within a half-hour of first trying and it has worked for me ever since (Elder spingle on an Ivy board). I seriously recommend this technique for the beginner, as you do not have to have the string under tension..

 

[Broke]

i was going to mention the Egyptian method, but i was beaten to it! I haven't tried this method yet, but it seems so logical!

 

[JohnC]

Good luck with it! I used to spend ages trying and getting exhausted with it, but once I watched and listened to somone doing it "live" it made sense and it worked. There are a few videos on Yuutube and the like of "bushcraft" techniques, many of really good quality. When it works you will feel tremendous...

 

[loz.]

Hi,

Can anyone advise knots to use on the bow, mine always tend to start to slip as im working.

Loz

 

[woodwalker]

Good Luck with your quest... Its a combination of choice of wood, technique and determination that will lead you to succeed. When I wrote the article below, I tended to stick to hazel on hazel due to its abundance (and it works consistently too). However I have since moved over to a preferance of ivy for the board - but unfotunately its tough finding suitably dead and dry ivy in the wild without drying it at home first. Loads of woods work, but try a recommended selection first before you experiment.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=18090

ask all the questions you have, someone here will have the answer

woodwalker

 

[rich59]

Hi,

Can anyone advise knots to use on the bow, mine always tend to start to slip as im working.

Loz

I find that a simple clove hitch at the far end of the bow is remarkably stable. The constrictor knot is one better. But then again the cordage type can have a big effect on the security of your knot.

Having said that I often now form a loop round the bow - tied with a reef knot - at both ends and route the cord over a notch in the end. I then insert the drill before finally tensioning the cord by twisting in another stick.

 

[Ogri the trog]

So how are thing going BB?

Ogri the trog

 

[Backyard Bushcraft]

my neighbours are getting quite the collection of snapped bows in their garden!!!!! just got to keep tryin

 

[Ogri the trog]

Check your PM's Mate.

Ogri the trog

 

[rich59]

my neighbours are getting quite the collection of snapped bows in their garden!!!!! just got to keep tryin

I think you need a stronger bow! What are your bows made out of? Most of my bows are straight and are basically 1 by 2 inch commercial pine batons.

 

[Backyard Bushcraft]

my bows are strong i just keep putting them over my knee

 

[Toadflax]

I'm going through your pain at the moment too!

After a half-hearted attempt about five years ago, I have started trying seriously over the past week and did manage to get a bundle of flaming tinder on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't really expecting it to work so I didn't have any kindling ready - but at least I know I have done it. I tried again after this, but my arms were too tired so I had to give up .

• Having a really straight stick makes an enormous difference. I am now using 'wild' wood which is not quite straight, but I started off using a spindle from the back of an old wooden chair. I also think that you need to use a relatively large diameter piece of wood (thumb thickness is a good measure).
• I don't know what I have done, but I can now regularly get smoke pretty quickly (maybe it's a combination of technique and the right bits of wood) but you really have to get smoke pouring from the hearth (not just a few wisps). You'll know it when you see it.
• I am still having problems getting the smoking 'coal' to light a tinder bundle. Maybe my tinder isn't good enough (I'm going to get a modern firesteel in order to practise the procedure of turning smoking tinder into flame), maybe my coal isn't big /hot enough. Part of my problem may also be that I'm not terribly fit and my arms get tired quite quickly - just at the moment when the hearth starts smoking and I need to drill harder! How I overcame this on the one occasion that I did get the tinder to light was to place the hearth directly on the tinder - that way the 'coal' didn't collapse or go out as I tried to transfer it to the tinder. I also used a piece of cramp ball fungus against the coal.
• I'm using paracord and found that it does need to be pretty tight to work for me - it's quite a struggle to twist the drill into the cord.

So I've still got a way to go before I can do this reliably, but hopefully a few thoughts from a novice might help.


Geoff