Bowdrill succes!

[atlatlman]

Well I've just made myself a longer willOw hearth board, a bit more narrow and with a smaller notch. It works great and I knocked out another two embers! I've made about six or seven now and I'm chuffed to bits! Just got to practice more to keep improving and make more stuff. Going to Scotland for a three nighter in the canoe so I'll see what resources I can find there, and although most of it will be flint and steel, I'll probably start one of the fires with my recently made set if the weathers not to terrible (forecast doesn't look great), but we'll see, hopefully onwards and upwards with some more practice!

Time to move on to the hand drill. Only kidding. Happy birthday by the way.

 

[Clouston98]

Time to move on to the hand drill. Only kidding. Happy birthday by the way.

Cheers mate!

 

[rik_uk3]

Having achieved success on my first two attempts I decided to rule out lady luck and retire from friction fire lighting whilst I had a 100% track record

 

[Clouston98]

Having achieved success on my first two attempts I decided to rule out lady luck and retire from friction fire lighting whilst I had a 100% track record

Lol! I wish I could retire from dish washing!

 

[atlatlman]

Cheers mate! That bamboo looks tricky mind, I reckon you'll crack it though!

Made myself a new set and starting from scratch. I think I went wrong by putting to much tinder in the notch area and making the edge on the other piece too sharp. Giving it another go tonight.

 

[The Infamous Grouse]

Good job!! I just popped my friction fire cherry yesterday myself after trying for two days prior. Awesome feeling, feels more fulfilling than I expected it to. I did it twice and now can't seem to make it work

 

[Zingmo]

Excellent! Well done. This has been on my to-do list for a couple of years now.


Z

 

[Angst]

well done bruvva!!!!

i was taught very simply by nick mcmillan of the field farm project....everything in goat willow (pussy willow, sallow) except for the bearing block...hazels fine

but i hate to be cruel......BCUK rules dude.....''if theres no pictures then it didnt happen''

get drilling and snapping!

s

ps....and yup, as atlatlman says....hand drill next...i've yet to try it properly myself....say goodbye to thy palms lol!

 

[atlatlman]

Good job!! I just popped my friction fire cherry yesterday myself after trying for two days prior. Awesome feeling, feels more fulfilling than I expected it to. I did it twice and now can't seem to make it work

Well done bud. Have you shaved away the charred bit on the bottom of your spindle?

 

[Stringmaker]

Have shaved away the charred bit on the bottom of your spindle?

Also (and this is the biggest thing for me) don't waste effort on using the same notch more than once. I make a fresh one every time.

 

[atlatlman]

Made myself a new set and starting from scratch. I think I went wrong by putting to much tinder in the notch area and making the edge on the other piece too sharp. Giving it another go tonight.

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

 

[The Infamous Grouse]

Well done bud. Have you shaved away the charred bit on the bottom of your spindle?

Sorry for my ignorance; but why would I?? Keepsake?

 

[Stringmaker]

Sorry for my ignorance; but why would I?? Keepsake?

Getting rid of the charring on the bottom of the drill makes it a lot easier to use next time round.

It reduces early friction and therefore the energy you need to expend.

 

[The Infamous Grouse]

well done bruvva!!!!

i was taught very simply by nick mcmillan of the field farm project....everything in goat willow (pussy willow, sallow) except for the bearing block...hazels fine

but i hate to be cruel......BCUK rules dude.....''if theres no pictures then it didnt happen''

get drilling and snapping!

s

ps....and yup, as atlatlman says....hand drill next...i've yet to try it properly myself....say goodbye to thy palms lol!

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This is the best I can do for proof mate. The first time I cheated a bit and used an alloy billet as a bearing block. I just managed to do it again today, all wood. I had some lime wood lying around; that worked a treat!



This is with the lime wood, the first time around was sycamore.

 

[The Infamous Grouse]

Getting rid of the charring on the bottom of the drill makes it a lot easier to use next time round.

It reduces early friction and therefore the energy you need to expend.

Thanks for the tip! that explains why I couldn't get it done again with the same set; I'm ashamed to say I got frustrated with it and threw my spindle god knows where. That's why I made the lime kit.

 

[Stringmaker]

Thanks for the tip! that explains why I couldn't get it done again with the same set; I'm ashamed to say I got frustrated with it and threw my spindle god knows where. That's why I made the lime kit.

No worries


It is just the way I do it and coach it but I always clean the drill and cut a new notch after one ember.

The bow drill has this mythical status as being physically exhausting; if it is then you're doing it wrong or your kit isn't best set up.

Good work!

 

[Swallow]

Just a slight change of course- would you be kind enough to state your favourite wood combinations and why?

So far I've done best with the advice from Ray Mear's bushcraft book. That the drill and hearth should be the same wood from the same branch.

 

[atlatlman]

Thanks for the tip! that explains why I couldn't get it done again with the same set; I'm ashamed to say I got frustrated with it and threw my spindle god knows where. That's why I made the lime kit.

Your not the only one to throw a good spindle away. When I started out years ago I threw a whole set away that had previously worked . That's how I know now to scrape off the char.

 

[The Infamous Grouse]

I've been trying some more today; scraping the char off and starting a new notch each time... works a charm! I also find as I'm only using each notch once; using a thinner hearth works well also. I'm guessing this is because there's less wood to sink the heat away.

Big thanks for everyone's advice!

That lime is great; hardly more effort than lighting the oven now (yeah right!). I'll pop out tomorrow evening and collect some wild timber to have a go with, now I have the basic gist of it

 

[Clouston98]

Cheers everyone I'll put a quick snap,up now!