Fire Bow Drill Wood Specifics

[petrochemicals]

Having tried to make a firebow I have a few questions. I tried various pieces of wood, good and dry, I got smoke and ended up with a pile of black dust that would not smoulder even when encouraged to with a lighter. I think I had a piece of beech teak and a couple of odd bits.

I am trying to make a bow drill out of a seperate drill bit to the drill length, with the bit affixed in the wood. I would like to try some dry bone.

To begin with depending on whether the grain was face to or opposite to the drill bit, depended on which piece of wood would wear away, not just which was the harder wood, the drill bit wore away even when pressed onto a relativley soft wood base with the grain running opposite . So should the grains run in the tameway baseboard and if not which should I choose to wear away?

Secondly I think the one piece of wood is very elastic and wouldn't give much friction even though dry, wide grained , so is tight grain best.

Also i noticed a long drill piece is alot easier to use than a short one, with the cord wrapped around near the top, not the middle. But the pivot block kept slipping, any tips on this and anything else I should try ?

Pete

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Sorry simply to post a link, but you should find this article answers a lot of your questions:

http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bowdrill/

 

[Goatboy]

Having tried to make a firebow I have a few questions. I tried various pieces of wood, good and dry, I got smoke and ended up with a pile of black dust that would not smoulder even when encouraged to with a lighter. I think I had a piece of beech teak and a couple of odd bits.

I am trying to make a bow drill out of a seperate drill bit to the drill length, with the bit affixed in the wood. I would like to try some dry bone.

To begin with depending on whether the grain was face to or opposite to the drill bit, depended on which piece of wood would wear away, not just which was the harder wood, the drill bit wore away even when pressed onto a relativley soft wood base with the grain running opposite . So should the grains run in the tameway baseboard and if not which should I choose to wear away?

Secondly I think the one piece of wood is very elastic and wouldn't give much friction even though dry, wide grained , so is tight grain best.

Also i noticed a long drill piece is alot easier to use than a short one, with the cord wrapped around near the top, not the middle. But the pivot block kept slipping, any tips on this and anything else I should try ?

Pete

Yes Pete, a cheap Bic lighter will cost you pennies and work nearly every-time!

Seriously though good on you for perseverance. I've managed fire-drills in the past and it is a great satisfaction when it finally happens, but I'm sticking to lighters, flint and steel and ferro rods these days. (I do feel slightly guilty giving up on drills though, honest).

 

[GGTBod]

The bow drill is my favourite method of starting a fire, for making it i was taught that the spindle must be of a harder wood than the footplate, as long as this criteria is met and spindle and plate are bone dry you will get a glowing ember with persistence and practice.

A good thing i have found when starting out was that using a long bow and drawing it back and forth the full length of your string in a nice steady even flow helps loads, jam your wrist of the hand holding the bearing block firmly against the shin of the leg pressing on the footplate, then when the fire pixies start laughing at you (when the wood is smoking and making squeaking and screeching noises) it is time to pick up speed, if at this point as you draw the bow faster and still use the full length then you are laughing and the pixies shut up quick.

Another good tip is to lubricate the bearing block spindle hole, i've tried allsorts from moss to dirt to cooking oil and spit and spit is by far the best IME so far, good thing about spit is there is you've always got it close by and you do not need to put something down if you need to relube the bearing block hole

I practice with my bow drill every day, once i join fully i'll load up some pics or a video at some point, good luck

 

[petrochemicals]

what a f****** swizz. Seems earth has neglected to mention the fact that when the wood blackens it hardens, and is no good for fire lighting after.
I used 2 pieces of wood, I'm assuming pine as the one was the centre of a kitchen roll holder, and another a bit of beading for your house, beading is the flimsy bits of wood that go round door frames to make up an architrave. The drill piece with the grain running face up definatley wears faster than the anvil with the grain across. I tried the other day, ember straight away but failed to get a flame. I tried and tried again to get another ember but couldn't. Today I stripped all the black wood off and a new anvil hole, straight away another ember, and fire. Slow to build up the dust and heat the wood, but without blackening it, and then when the dust begins to build up fast and alot of pressure. You only get one chance, and when that blackened wood cools youre cooked as it where, if the drill is at a narrower angle it seems to feed fresh unburned dust into the mix as the drill wears away.

 

[Teepee]

Yeah, pine can glaze a bit. It varies in glazing too with the resin content. (resin is bad for getting an ember) It's good to cut a lot of the charred wood off the drill and start with fresh. A little sand can also help cut through the glaze.

I like pine for the hearth and drill but it's not as easy as Alder into pine, Ivy into Pine or Ivy into Ivy IME.;

Well done on your efforts Pete so far.

 

[petrochemicals]

Yeah, pine can glaze a bit. It varies in glazing too with the resin content. (resin is bad for getting an ember) It's good to cut a lot of the charred wood off the drill and start with fresh. A little sand can also help cut through the glaze.

I like pine for the hearth and drill but it's not as easy as Alder into pine, Ivy into Pine or Ivy into Ivy IME.;

Well done on your efforts Pete so far.

thank you

I just saw a bloke do it with a hand drill, just 2 sticks on youtube in about 30 seconds, so the wood seems to be very pivotal, but thats not just the species, the age and grain size must factor tooI found a new bearing block hole helped too. I think I'll use a stone bearing block or bone probably as stone may be a bit hard to cut, and just focus on the drill.

 

[petrochemicals]

yeah, well if anyone can give any further info on the condition of the wood ie, how far into decomposition, how mature the wood should be (5 years old 2 years old growth 20 years old growth)which types are best. Does it always glaze ? Also the drill, can you make it with a notch or two in to help shift the grindings more like a conventional drill, with a gap or two on the face or does that allow cooling ?

 

[petrochemicals]

Yes Pete, a cheap Bic lighter will cost you pennies and work nearly every-time!

Seriously though good on you for perseverance. I've managed fire-drills in the past and it is a great satisfaction when it finally happens, but I'm sticking to lighters, flint and steel and ferro rods these days. (I do feel slightly guilty giving up on drills though, honest).

you callous callous man, but maybe I'll forgive you as you're half dead, maybe. Never let it be said that I'm uncharitable.