Fire Plough ( Plow! )

[Stryker]

Evening,

Has anyone had success with sourcing/making and using a fire plough salvaged from UK woods/forests?

I've read I need a softwood hearth and hardwood stick, but not sure are the best types of woods to look out for.

Cheers

Shaun

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

Fire Plough? that's a new thing for me, what is one?

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

OH! one of those. Silly me forgot about that method of lighting. I think I need to take a good book on the train with me on saturday to refresh my knowledge.

 

[spamel]

I tried this the other week with Scruff and Earl. Lime on lime, but it wasn't totally dry. We got smoke, quite a bit actually, but no ember. We were all knackered and for me it's too much effort to ever bother trying again!

 

[Kepis]

My youngest can get smoke using elder on elder, buggered if i can though

 

[spamel]

Scruff reckons elder is good for the hand drill, although I've never tried it out before now. I'm using cat tail on willow, I reckon I need a thicker piece of cat tail as my hands are killing me! Bow drill is so much easier, but a lighter or matches is the easiest!

 

[Kepis]

Im using elder on clematis for the hand drill, works a treat.

 

[spamel]

I'll keep trying, it's a method I haven't tried in earnest before now. I assumed it would be beyond my skills, but I've seen a video of a guy using a three inch long drill on the hearth board, if he can do it with a small bit of wood like that then I'm sure I can get it sussed!

 

[Stryker]

Thanks for all the replies. It may be a cause of just experimenting.

Sycamore seems to be taking over everywhere up here, so may help myself to some of that for the stick.

Cheers again.

 

[Ivan]

Hi Shaun,
I have successfully done the fire low with a few different woods. One was California buckeye wood on itself. Wasn't easy. Buckeye is the same thing as Horse Chestnut if you've got that around. Lime sounds like a good wood for the hearthboard. Whatever works best with the drill on lime is worth a try. Good luck.