Dead wood for friction fire

[Alchemist]

Hi there, i have been getting into the carving (slowly) I have a bit of willow in my garden which came down in the snow. I want to carve it into a bow drill set.
I know it has to be dry so should I leave it a year in smaller pieces to be carved later? Or should I fully carve it now and wait a few months?
Or do I just not bother, go to the woods and keep looking for dead standing wood of the right tree?

I have no money for a course so I really want to try it myself.

 

[ixion]

The method I was taught was to scrape the bark off the wood, and press your thumb nail into the wood. If you can just about make an impression, then the wood is good to go for bow drilling.

And with willow you have already found one of the right trees

 

[phill_ue]

Stick it on your car dash board in the summer or on your radiator in the winter. Carve it and get it on! It's willow, it isn't the hardest wood in the world and so you will be able to carve it easily.

 

[Alchemist]

Thanks for the info guys. A bit of trial and error will follow of course.

 

[andy_e]

I reckon if you've cut it to the right approximate sizes you need, it'll take days on a radiator, not weeks or months to dry out. And remember the whole piece doesn't have to be bone dry, the friction end just has to be dry enough and the drilling process will heat and dry out the working end more.

 

[addo]

Ive force dryed green wood in a week and got several fires from it easy.
Just over size it when green then tidy up the dimentions when dry.