Family Bow Drill Any Help? Bushmoot 2011

[Jolyon]

Hi All,

Had great fun doing the family Bow drill at the Moot in 2011 and now hoping to do this on Monday with the scouts (I hope!)

I have a selection of drills from Buddleja Nice and streight and dry, I am off to the woods today to try and find some nice Bows...and some sockets. Have access to a lovely managed wood of Native deciduous with lots of standing dead wood (mainly Oak)

Its the fire board I am having issues with, an old question I know but what is best? and has anyone found any way of ensuring success? (yes cheating! as I would like at least one group of scouts to have success!)

Any info at all would be great, George I think it was you that ran the Family Bow drill? How long where your board and sockets?


Cheers in advance!

 

[munkiboi182]

i use lime as a hearth and hazel for the drill when im teaching or doing demo's. works every time. i find when im teaching younger groups, a longer bow helps. i have one that is about 2 and a half foot long made of rhododendron thats loaded with a piece of thick sash cord for extra purchase. my sockets are usually between 4 and 6 inch long but for kids i have one thats about 18 inch long. i get a kid to hold either end and one in the middle doing the bow work too, to keep it all steady and apply good pressure. hope this helps

munki

 

[maddave]

Willow makes a good hearth too

 

[Jolyon]

Is this true?..

The best woods are the ones that grow really close to water they have the highest percentage of water to resin ratio therefore dry out better. this is why willow, cotton wood, cypress, and the like work. Wood that grows near water has a much lower in sectional density because of the abundance of water vice versa and therefore have lower ignition temperatures! Look for woods that only grow near water!

Now need to hunt out some lime or willow!​

 

[Stringmaker]

I do sessions demonstrating "fire lighting through the ages" to family groups.

I take a slightly different approach by using combinations of modern/natural materials but stressing that the technique itself and the principles behind it are ancient.

To ensure success for beginners at the bow drill I use a piece of old pallet for the hearth (very dry pine), and either hazel or an old broom handle (dried pine) for the drill. The bearing is a limpet shell set in a split branch.

It works every time and enables complete beginners to succeed; the look on their faces is worth it.

 

[Jolyon]

Thanks guys!! All worked a treat, went with old pallet and broom handle, out of the four groups of scouts three managed an ember and bit lost it in the straw/ run out of breath and one managed fire . So success!!!

Thanks for all your help

 

[Seoras]

Sorry I missed this. I am glad it was a success.

Whatever woods were used the success is the important part. I find that a 5 foot bearing block (green Hazel, Holly or Birch for example), Hazel, Lime, Pine, Cedar or Goat Willow Drills with a variety of hearth boards of the same woods works well.

The fact you have so many people working the system makes it nearly foolproof ( failed in high humidity in the evening).

Glad it worked though and the knowledge is past on.

To me Bowdrill is about teamwork and the best way to get kids at an early age engaged is the family method.

George