bow drill tip

[stuart f]

When using a bow drill instead of using green leaves or a drawing pin to reduce friction on the top part of the drill(ie in the bearing block) i just rub the drill end through my hair or if your bald :shock: rub it up the side of your nose,what happens is that the drill picks up the natural oils off your skin thus helps cutting down on friction in the block.

Works for me anyway.

 

[Buckshot]

Ear wax would work as well I think :?:

 

[Paganwolf]

Bogies :?:

 

[bryanr]

Heh, yup, snot works great but gives off a "smell" when heated from the friction. Heh, welcome to field lubrication... the Texas way.

BKR

 

[stuart f]

I could have lighten over 100 fires if thats the case as i,ve had a cold for over a week ):

 

[Paganwolf]

:rolmao: :super:

 

[Ahjno]

Another bowdrill tip, as seen on the Discovery channel - used by the Kalahari Bushmen. :super:
Don't know if it's already mentioned somewhere on the forum though :?:

Normally we use a drill that has the same diameter all over its length. The bushmen make the diameter in the middle less then on the other parts, so the cordage doesn't slip from the drill when in action.

Hope the following scetch will make it a bit more clearly:

:yikes:

 

[tomtom]

i do that cos my current spindle is real short and the string slides up.. (does that man im doing something wrong?)

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Another bowdrill tip, as seen on the Discovery channel - used by the Kalahari Bushmen. :super:
Don't know if it's already mentioned somewhere on the forum though :?:

Normally we use a drill that has the same diameter all over its length. The bushmen make the diameter in the middle less then on the other parts, so the cordage doesn't slip from the drill when in action.

Hope the following scetch will make it a bit more clearly:

:yikes:

I suspect that string slippage is a secondary benefit to the higher spindle speed achieved by virtue of the reduced shaft diameter. With the hand drill my shaft is only 3/8 inch and coal formation occurs in about 15 seconds.

 

[leon-1]

I suspect that string slippage is a secondary benefit to the higher spindle speed achieved by virtue of the reduced shaft diameter. With the hand drill my shaft is only 3/8 inch and coal formation occurs in about 15 seconds.

Jeff are you using 2 different types of wood for the drill and shaft of your friction fire set?

If you are has the drill a greater diameter to the shaft?

 

[Gary]

i do that cos my current spindle is real short and the string slides up.. (does that man im doing something wrong?)

Tomtom slippage is generally caused by you not bowing with your bow/spindle level, it happens to us all but is a flaw you need to iron out. Near perfect technique is just as (if not more so) important than near perfect materials.

As for the carving of a notch in the spindle I have thought of the idea myself but to be honest never really found it of any benefit, it creates more work for the carver and limits the use of the spindles due to the fact that the spindle wears down unevenly but the notch will stay in the same place.

Also (as far as I am aware) the diameter of the spindle is pretty specific and has something to do with the rotations per saw ratio so making this thinner will effect this (I could be wrong here as I cant remember the fully math formular but its definately something I wouldnt do).

 

[falling rain]

When i was first learning bow drill I've also thought of using a notch to stop the string slipping, but the more you use the bow drill the more you get the 'feel' for it and can happily drill and keep the string in the right place. It comes with practice. To the non - Bushcrafter the bow drill looks like a simple technique but anyone who's tried it will know that your very busy concentrating on keeping the drill straight, keeping the string in the right place, using full strokes, keeping an even rythm, putting more/less pressure on the string with you hand, speeding up at the right time, etc. There's a lot to concentrate on, and keeping the bow level or dipping/raising slightly as necessary to keep the string in the right place is just one thing you need to think about, but it all comes together with plenty of practice. It's the same with anything in life. Jimi Hendrix didn't pick up a guitar for the first time and start playing 'all along the watchtower' straight away. :super:

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Jeff are you using 2 different types of wood for the drill and shaft of your friction fire set?

If you are has the drill a greater diameter to the shaft?

I use a couple of different variations on the hand drill theme. I have had excellent success using a mullein stalk about 34 inches long by 3/8 inch in diameter. The hearth board is either basswood or cedar. Basswood seems to work a little better. I have made coals with this set up in only three passes down the shaft, but 5 passes is more the norm. I also use a compound hand drill in which a tiny mullein stalk plug is inserted into a small socket. A hardwood spindle ( or an arrow ) is then fitted into the other end. In both cases the drill and the shaft are about 3/8 inch diameter.

Jeff

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Tomtom slippage is generally caused by you not bowing with your bow/spindle level, it happens to us all but is a flaw you need to iron out. .


Hi All;

I hope I'm doing this right (newcomer and all). I don't mean to be confrontational but I have to disagree with the comment that 'not keeping your bow level is a flaw you need to iron out'. I want to make two points -

1- I have a bad back so I had to modify my technique somewhat. A lot of
manuals, books, etc., stress that the bow has to be level. With my
modified technique, the bow is used on a down angle ( the tip lower than
the handle) and I have been using this technique for quite a while,
successfully.

2- When using certain techniques, like the Egyptian bow and drill, the down
angle is actually preferable as it helps prevent string 'runover'.

I think the bottom line of this is, when first learning any technique, for any purpose a baseline has to be created to aid in the learning. Once learned, you find out that all is not 'carved in stone'.

As far as Jeff Wagner's comments, I don't disagree with anything, but I would like to add that any of the Poplars (Populus spp.) work almost as well as Basswood (Tilia americana) but I find that with both Basswood and Poplar that it helps greatly if you use a coal extender as the coals produced from both Basswood and Poplar are very crumbly and can fall apart when being transferred to a tinder bundle.

Also, my experience has been that Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris {fullonum}) and Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) work better as a hand drill material, and that Cirsium vulgare is a better choice when it's damp (in the winter) as it does not seem to wick up the moisture as readily.

Looking forward to your comments,

Doc

 

[leon-1]

Hi Doc and welcome to the forum, I can see what you are saying with reference to the bow drill, but I have a question, when you bow do you keep the same angle.

I think generally the reason that it is taught that you keep the bow level is so that you maintain a constant angle so that the same areas of the hearth are subject to friction constantly.

If the bow seems to be wobbling all over the place this could have an effect on the drill and its position on the hearth meaning that the friction derived would not all go to the same locations constantly, this would make bow drill considerably harder and more time consuming (less effective).

I am no expert, but since keeping a constant level with the bow I have had a lot more succes with fire bow and I find it easier to keep level because I have the ground as a guide

 

[Buckshot]

Also, my experience has been that Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris {fullonum}) and Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) work better as a hand drill material, and that Cirsium vulgare is a better choice when it's damp (in the winter) as it does not seem to wick up the moisture as readily.

Doc, what do you use as a harth wood with these spindles when hand drilling?

Cheers

Mark

 

[match]

i do that cos my current spindle is real short and the string slides up.. (does that man im doing something wrong?)

I've tried making a notch in the spindle before, and I generally find that although it does help prevent slippage a bit, as has already been said before it can also wear away at your cord more quickly, and in some cases the surface where the notch has been cut is a different smoothness to the rest of the spindle (particularly if it is something natural like a hazel coppiced branch) which can ruin your technique.

In terms of technique to stop the string sliding up, I found early on that a lot depends on the way you loop the spindle into the bow. I always point the tip of my bow slightly downward (I think this is due to my height and difficulty crouching as a result) and this used to cause the string to move around a lot. However, I discovered that if you make sure that the cord is 'high' behind the spindle and low in front of it (if bow is in right hand, the cord will approach the spindle on its right, and do an anti-clockwise spiral downwards before leaving on the left). This can be achieved by holding the bow in the right hand, placing the spindle on top of the cord, then tilting the socket end down by 45 degrees, and turning it clockwise so the tip goes under the cord, then bringing it up. (I'll stop trying to explain this now - if only my digicam was here )

Anyway, one other advantage of this is that the spiral of cord round the spindle tends to open out a bit, so the cord doesn't rub against itself and wears down more slowly.

Hope this might help someone!

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Doc, what do you use as a harth wood with these spindles when hand drilling?

Cheers

Mark

For the hand drill I can recommend a mullein spindle and basswood hearthboard. On a good day I can get a coal in three passes down the shaft.

 

[Burnt Ash]

Hi Doc,
Welcome. That's a detailed and useful post.

Burnt Ash

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Hi Doc and welcome to the forum, I can see what you are saying with reference to the bow drill, but I have a question, when you bow do you keep the same angle.



Hi All and Thank You for the welcome.

To leon-1; Yes, I generally maintain the same angle but, sometimes, of course, you have to adjust it if your string starts to move up or down out of position. It' a 'feel' thing. And I think you're probably correct about the reason it's taught to keep the bow level. When learning any technique, it's helpful to have a fixed baseline from which to start. It eliminates a lot of variables that can make it more difficult to learn.

To Buckshot; With Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris), I've used Willow (Salix spp.), Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), Sumac (Rhus typhina), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), and Basswood (Tilia americana). With Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), I've used Willow (Salix spp.), Eastern Cottonwood (P. deltoides), and Basswood (T. americana).

I'm sure that I've used other woods with both Thistle and Teasel, but I don't remember what they were.

To Jeff Wagner; Yes, Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) does work well, although I find that unless I am particular about cleaning up the Mullein, it's hard on the hands. (Maybe I just have soft hands????)

DOC-CANADA