bow friction lighting

[lukeuk2]

i tried bow friction fire lighting on the weekend, me and my friend lee built the friction set with the help of nigel. i didn't succeed in creating the a ember to make the fire, but i have the set to keep trying. anyone who hasnt tryed it and says they think its easy should try it.

 

[Chris-N]

Hi,
It's not quite a bow drill but I can light a fire with a hand drill (never tried a bow drill). It's wierd, I tried on and off for a year or so, then after collecting a new set (the rest were now tomato stakes ) I had an ember straight away! Since then I've discovered what I was doing wrong and its now quite easy.

I think once you have a good set and have managed to get a few embers it is easy, but if you have to work out everything for yourself it would have to be one of the hardest things in bushcraft.

Chris

 

[Chris-N]

Also, definately try the hand drill! It's so simple. Granted, it would be harder to light a fire by friction in the UK than here in OZ, but I'm not sure that it would be any less efficient than a bow drill. There's even some old threads on paleo planet where guys in America are claiming to get embers in 5 seconds

 

[John Fenna]

I have voted for it being easy - but only on the basis that after years of trying I have now refined my technique and it is NOW easy!

 

[Toadflax]

I voted hard. I have only once got fire from a bowdrill.

When I first tried, I couldn't even get smoke.
Now I can pretty well always get a good cloud of smoke, but not always a good ember.

So the technique is progressing - so I think it will become easy (or if not easy then reliable).


Geoff

 

[lukeuk2]

my friend lee got smoke but didnt get the a good enough ember. i couldnt much smoke.

 

[Rebelrat]

I voted HARD.

I make friction fire frequently but still I think there is much to learn and I have a bad day once in a while...

He how says he's perfect is stupid or a liar!

 

[rich59]

I voted "hard" as it was hard when I first tried. Took me months to get my first ember.

 

[Welsh Dragon]

I voted hard too

I've only had 2 attempts so far, My first attempt I could get smoke n lots of dark brown dust after a few strokes but I couldn't sustain it as my drill keep flying out. I think 10 strokes was my record!
My second attempt was with a different drill, same wood from the same source but larger diameter. This time I could drill nice and smooth BUT no smoke or brown dust, just a well polished hole

Gonna go through old posts on here and see if I can pick up where I'm going wrong then give it another bash

Brian

 

[leon-b]

yes i have done it and succeded once
leon

 

[rik_uk3]

I did it once, luck was with me, and it was easy, but still hard work. As its not a traditional or historic British skill once was enough If your a bushman in Africa, America or Australia then its a sound method, in this country it will always be problematical; a bit of a fun thing to learn, but not to rely on I think

 

[rich59]

I did it once, luck was with me, and it was easy, but still hard work. As its not a traditional or historic British skill once was enough If your a bushman in Africa, America or Australia then its a sound method, in this country it will always be problematical; a bit of a fun thing to learn, but not to rely on I think

I did some digging. As the Vikings make up a significant part of the ancestry of the British I found the following reference

The Old Norse language contains evidence that the fire-drill was known and used. There are two words in Old Icelandic that specifically refer to fire-drills. The first is bragð-alr "twirling-awl", used in Iceland for making fire, and the second is bragðals-eldr, the term for a fire produced using a bragð-alr. The word bragð has a fundamental notion of "a sudden motion", but also, especially in sports, it has the sense of "a trick or strategem," and the use of a bow-and-drill to make fire is certainly a clever trick. Since friction-method fire-making equipment is generally made up of wood and fiber, which don't survive well in archaeological contexts, the language clues can be the only source of information about this technology.

Taken from http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/fire.shtml

So, perhaps the bow drill is part of our history after all?

 

[Ogri the trog]

I haven't voted as I think it is technique that dictates your success or otherwise. I've said to people who are trying, that you should maximise your chances at every step to give you the best chance of getting an ember. So, once you have a burnt in hearth, stop and redress the drill, cut a good notch, adjust your bow, lubricate the bearing block - so that once you make the attempt, you are more likely to succede than if you just keep bowing away till the cows come home.

Good luck

Ogri the trog
PS if you can get along to any meet up's, there is likely to be someone that can guide you towards your first ember

 

[rik_uk3]

Sorry Richard, I still don't think it a traditional UK skill mate. Flint yes, without doubt, the Viking connection regarding friction is a tad thin I feel. The UK was and still is a bit damp to say the least, and when and if, friction methods were used, I would imagine that some poor bloke or lass was kept on hand to make sure the fire never went out; lets be honest, friction lighting is not ideal for a quick brew now is it.

For that matter hammocks are not traditional UK camping gear either, its something else we have jumped on and said its bushcraft; well its not really, not in the UK anyway, great on a ship or the tropics (helps keep the bugs off in the jungle), but lets be honest, a winter tarp/hammock/underblanket etc, is heavier than my Hex3.

Its all fun to learn and indeed, use at the end of the day. I don't like the term 'Bushcraft' much, not in the UK sense anyway, for me, its good and solid old fashioned camping and I love it

 

[big_daddy_merc]

i tried to do it a while back and found it hard to do, never even got an ember out of it, willing to give it another bash though

 

[Nigel]

Hi All,

Although I can use a bow drill, it is still very difficult.
There are to many variables for this method to go wrong.
Your mental and physical state.
The weather conditions.
Choosing suitable wood.
The condition of the wood you have chosen, rot, damp etc.
Having the tools to prepare the drill and hearth.
Preparing a good bow drill set.
Suitable cordage to make the bow string.
Collecting the right tinder to take the ember.
And then you still have to transfer this to your fire setup.
And many more factors.

I have to agree with Rik I cannot see this as being a traditional method used in the UK, I think it might have been used but only during the warmer spells.

 

[gregorach]

anyone who hasnt tryed it and says they think its easy should try it.

Yeah, I know a few people who seem to think that having seen it done is enough to be able to do it yourself should need arise. Given how long it took me to get it right, I always have to laugh...

 

[baggins]

I voted yes, easy. But using the traditional method, i've never been able to get beyond a grotty ember, using the Egyptian method, less than a minute every time.
Baggins

 

[rich59]

Flint yes, without doubt, the Viking connection regarding friction is a tad thin I feel. The UK was and still is a bit damp to say the least, and when and if, friction methods were used, I would imagine that some poor bloke or lass was kept on hand to make sure the fire never went out;

The UK damp would have affected tinder as much as any other fire lighting material?

 

[rik_uk3]

The UK damp would have affected tinder as much as any other fire lighting material?

It would be a lot easier to keep a bit of tinder dry?

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a downer on friction lighting, but to me it is something you do to pass the time, not a method I would ever consider as my main fire lighter; its a nice skill to perfect, but is right down the bottom of my list of fire starters

As I've got older, I take the simpler routes in life, fire lighting is no exception, these days I use cotton wool balls that have had candle wax dripped on them (or vasalene) and my mag rod, works every time

When I want a fast meal or drink, out comes the Nova or Omnifuel (or 8r, 111, 123, 96, civvie Trangia etc)