Chasing the Ember

[Nightwalker]

Yes - I'd agree with you about this. If the hearth has a deep socket (ie the hole has been used a couple of times before) then the drill sits lower within it. This creates greater friction because the drill is not only in contact with the hearth on the bottom of the drilling face, but also on the vertical side of the drill within the deeper socket.

Pace, if you haven't succeeded yet, keep going! There are many variables which all need to be balanced out with each other in the right proportions, and once you've learned how these interact by getting your first few embers you'll wonder how you ever couldn't manage to get it so easily!

Perhaps event more important to remember is that the socket becomes polished and smooth, two smooth surfaces rubbing against each other wont produce not nearly as much chared wood-dust. Between goes take the time to rough the socket up using the tip of your knife, or a bit of sand to rough the socket, also the bottom of the drill becomes polished so again going at it with the knife and squaring it off slightly will encourage it to work more wood away and create the dust you need.

You'll see examples of what im talking about in my videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAb-3Cb5Ttw&fmt=18#t=4m50secs

 

[Stanleythecat]

Evening all, I need a bit of help...

I have been trying for a few days now to make fire by friction, and failing. I've tried various woods including poplar, oak, hazel and some others i dont even recognise.

I have been using a drill (of the cordless persuasion) to test and see if anything is likely to come of it, rather than giving myself blisters without any promise of a result... and aside from a lot of smoke and black powder, have failed to produce anything with potential.

I plan to sort it with the drill first, get that bit figured, then move on to hand drilling.

I am using a piece about 1.5cm diameter fixed into the drill bit, and sharpened to a rounded point. I have been using a slot in the side of the dip in the hearth board to catch the ember, but there has so far only been black dust.

I have also been wondering about the method involving a groove and a scraping action... is that likely to prove any easier than the bow drill?

Pace

I'm over the border in Wiltshire if you still haven't mastered it i'd be happy to have a look.

I agree about reading up as much as you can if you can't get to see someone do it for real. There's a vast amount of knowledge out there and some really good tips, my success so far has been standing dead sycamore (thanks to the grey squirrel!), a small pinch of sand to bed the drill in to the hearth, once this is done chalk up the drill and hearth with some charcoal (I read this gives a 30% greater chance of success!) and steady consitent strokes using the full bow. You should be able to maintain a conversation whilst you do it, this builds up a good pile of chared dust and then I have a small 10 second spirt at the end to ignite the ember. Once you have it it will stick for good.

Leo

 

[jean baptiste]

hi
i use western red cedar for fire friction ! i have ignition very quicly

 

[pace]

Looking back at this post I had no idea it had been so long since I first tried... There have been years of gaps between hours, days of frustration, but after a trip to the bushmoot, the input of several people, Mark's session and a fair bit of practice it is done. That is to say I have done it. Now to make it second nature...

Thanks to all who have helped in this thread and at the moot