Buddlea fire drill!?

[bushbasher]

Has anyone else tried using Buddlea (Butterfly Bush) stems for Hand Drill fire lighting? They are extremely common everywhere near me, and the shoots can be straightened when green so they are perfect once they dry out. Had really good results with a Buddlea drill and Sycamore hearth. No doubt there are lots of other combinations that will work as well.

 

[Buckshot]

Not tried it but we have a couple of bushes in our garden so do some pruning and try it - thanks :biggthump

Mark

 

[Toddy]

Has anyone else tried using Buddlea (Butterfly Bush) stems for Hand Drill fire lighting? They are extremely common everywhere near me, and the shoots can be straightened when green so they are perfect once they dry out. Had really good results with a Buddlea drill and Sycamore hearth. No doubt there are lots of other combinations that will work as well.

Going out to work in the garden, my buddleia could do with being trimmed anyway, so....what sort of size are we talking here? My bush seems to produce masses of rather slender willowy branches, do you mean the heavier stems? Incidentally, the d*** stuff is a weed in Glasgow, it grows all over empty buildings and cleared sites. Very pretty though.

Toddy

 

[bushbasher]

Its a weed down here as well Toddy. You can find in growing everwhere, even between the Bricks of Houses. I dont think anyone would give a toss if you hacked a few down for personal use. For that matter I don't think anyone would give a toss if you went berserk and masacred a few thousand of them. If you do cut them down they re-grow straight as an arrow and are perfect for a hand drill. A diameter of about 10mm would be about right.

 

[Toddy]

Thanks , I'll give it a go. I thought they'd have to be thicker and was thinking there was nothing much of any use to me on the bush.
Toddy

 

[PurpleHeath]

wow,
i have never thought of using that!! can't wait to give it a go!

 

[Buckshot]

Any ideas what hearth wood would work?

Cheers

Mark

 

[whistler]

The Ray Mears book has a Iist of woods for drill and hearth