First try with a bow drill

[TomH]

I spent some time today with my first bow drill set,

The spindle is oak, the hearth is poplar.
A couple of questions for you guys,

Is there a way to stop my bow string 'riding' up and popping off from under the bearing block?

Why does my cord keep snapping?

I get lots of vibration and squeaking and when I put more pressure down the spindle seems to bind so it only spins in one direction with the cord slipping around it without moving it on the return stroke. (Finbar Saunders would have a field day with that sentence)

Any tips or answers would be really aporeciated.


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[Niels]

I spent some time today with my first bow drill set,

The spindle is oak, the hearth is poplar.

Better to use oak on oak or poplar on poplar, especcially the latter works. Using different woods complicates things unneccesarily.

Is there a way to stop my bow string 'riding' up and popping off from under the bearing block?

Keep the bow horizontal to the ground and you should be fine. Also the point of your drill is too blunt, therefore there's loads of friction at the top that makes it very hard. Try to lubricate it with spit or leaves, and make a sharper tip.

Why does my cord keep snapping?

You should use paracord when you're just starting out, or another strong nylon cord.

I get lots of vibration and squeaking and when I put more pressure down the spindle seems to bind so it only spins in one direction with the cord slipping around it without moving it on the return stroke.

Cord is not tight enough, therefore it's slipping over your drill. It should be really hard to put in.

I found these links to be crucial in my succes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlxujVPiN6U
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bowdrill/

Good luck. It's easy when you know how it's done so you'll succeed eventually.

 

[swright81076]

What are you using for cord for it to snap so easily?
There like to be an awful lot of friction and heat on your bearing block too.

Whittling new ends on the end of the spindle may help with squeaking, along with the amount of pressure you are using.

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[TomH]

Better to use oak on oak or poplar on poplar, especcially the latter works. Using different woods complicates things unneccesarily.


Also the point of your drill is too blunt, therefore there's loads of friction at the top that makes it very hard. Try to lubricate it with spit or leaves, and make a sharper tip.



You should use paracord when you're just starting out, or another strong nylon cord.



Cord is not tight enough, therefore it's slipping over your drill. It should be really hard to put in.

OK.

OK, I'll can try the same wood.

I take it you mean the bearing block end is too blunt. To start it was quite sharp and I was using universal lubricant (spit), but I'll re-sharpen it.

I am using paracord, all be it the cheapest in the shop, but paracord none the less.

I'll try tightening the bow too

Thanks Niels

 

[TomH]

What are you using for cord for it to snap so easily?
There like to be an awful lot of friction and heat on your bearing block too.

Whittling new ends on the end of the spindle may help with squeaking, along with the amount of pressure you are using.

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I'm using paracord, its the cheapest in the shop, i'll admit but it snapped five times in about half hour of trying.

I'll deffo whittel new ends too.

 

[Niels]

I'm using paracord, its the cheapest in the shop, i'll admit but it snapped five times in about half hour of trying.

I'll deffo whittel new ends too.

You checked if the paracord has white strands on the inside of it? Cheap paracord is somethimes hollow. Let us know how you get on.

 

[TomH]

Black strands, which was surprising as I'm used to it being white.

I did manage to get a very small, weak ember but it kept spitting with rain so my tinder was slightly too damp for it to catch.

 

[Niels]

Black strands, which was surprising as I'm used to it being white.

I did manage to get a very small, weak ember but it kept spitting with rain so my tinder was slightly too damp for it to catch.

Well that's a result! Good job dude. Now just perfect you're technique and you'll be confident in this technique in no time.

 

[chimpy leon]

Ideally you use wood that is of more or less the same hardness in the spindle and hearth. Oak is way harder than poplar. Therefore the oak will just bore through the poplar without creating enough friction between them. Try to find a dead standing willow, hazel or sycamore branch and make both the hearth and spindle from that same branch.

Your spindle looks like it is building up too much friction on the bearing end. As mentioned, sharpening it to an accute point will create less surface area, therefore less friction. Also Your bearing lube is very important. I use crushed up dock leaves, which leaves hardly any "scorching"on my bearing.

Your paracord sounds like its too weak for this task if it keeps breaking. I have created around 10 good embers from the paracord on my bow and its still going strong (cheapo white 7-strand stuff).

 

[David Morningstar]

You spindle looks quite skinny, more like a hand drill spindle. Something as thick as your thumb is the general recommendation. This give more surface area for your cord to get a grip on.

 

[Tracker NTS-054]

Hi! Just a quick tip, I noticed your bearing block looks like your hearth board... What you're trying to achieve with the bearing block is a somewhat glassy, glazed, smooth end without friction.. Use leafy green vegetation (grass works) to keep the top of your drill as lubricated and smooth as possible. Once you've managed this, gently rock the bearing block side to side or back and forth as you drill. Which gives you a 'glazing' on top of your drill..
Keep up the good work!!! Lewis

EDIT: I see people have already mentioned the tip of your drill... Sorry!

 

[ozzy1977]

It will take time but will be well worth it when you get those first whisps of smoke coming up

 

[Firelite]

The scale is difficult to judge, but I agree with David Morningstar, the spindle looks to be a bit more slender than I would choose given ideal circumstances. Do take on board the other comments made too, 'cos its all good info. If you are getting dark dust and smoke you've made good headway and its persistence that you will need most of now. Enjoy the learning process.

 

[TomH]

Thank you for all the comments, really appreciated. After reading them and taking heed of the links Niels posted I decided to start from scratch so,

I took the dog a walk earlier and picked up a length of dead birch.
Made a nice straight spindle, thicker than the one pictured, with a more pointed top.
Carved the hearth from the same branch by splitting it first then just whittling it to a little thinner than the width of my spindle. I also removed the bark and made tinder.
I made a new bow that now has almost no 'give' in it so once the spindle is in tight, it stays tight.
I used a left over bit of oak from my original set for the bearing block with plenty of spit and dock leaves for lubrication.

I have lots of smoke, lots of black dust and no cord failures, but not quite an ember and now its raining so I've come inside for a brew and a think. I wonder if my hearth is still too thick so the dust is falling too far or the notch is too wide so too much dust is needed, or both. I'll try thinning it a bit and starting a new hole and notch.

I'll try again tomorrow and I'm determined,

I WILL HAVE FIRE FROM A BOW DRILL OR I'LL DIE TRYING!

 

[Niels]

Thank you for all the comments, really appreciated. After reading them and taking heed of the links Niels posted I decided to start from scratch so,

I took the dog a walk earlier and picked up a length of dead birch.
Made a nice straight spindle, thicker than the one pictured, with a more pointed top.
Carved the hearth from the same branch by splitting it first then just whittling it to a little thinner than the width of my spindle. I also removed the bark and made tinder.
I made a new bow that now has almost no 'give' in it so once the spindle is in tight, it stays tight.
I used a left over bit of oak from my original set for the bearing block with plenty of spit and dock leaves for lubrication.

I have lots of smoke, lots of black dust and no cord failures, but not quite an ember and now its raining so I've come inside for a brew and a think. I wonder if my hearth is still too thick so the dust is falling too far or the notch is too wide so too much dust is needed, or both. I'll try thinning it a bit and starting a new hole and notch.

I'll try again tomorrow and I'm determined,

I WILL HAVE FIRE FROM A BOW DRILL OR I'LL DIE TRYING!

Good effort!
By the sounds of it you're almost there. Make the hearth no thicker than the drill.
It's just a matter of perfecting your technique so it's comfortable and you can last longer.
When done right it shouldn't really bring you out of breath much

 

[swright81076]

Excellent, just remember to breath as you go, a nice rhythm, then when you've got your black dust, calm yourself, a few breaths then step up a gear.... This advice was given to me by a friend and hasn't let me down.

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[lannyman8]

i did a video a while back if a bit rustic... try looking, a link to the thread is below....

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89451&highlight=basic+bow+drill


regards.

chris.

 

[munkiboi182]

ditch the oak, its way too hard for this sort of thing. A good fibrous soft wood is what you need. i take preference to a hazel drill and lime hearth but you can combine any of the following;

lime
hazel
willow
sycamore
ivy
poplar

Save the oak for the bearing block so it doesn't wear through too quickly. eventually it'll polish up and wont need any lubrication. and for the string, nip down to the local diy store and get a few feet of 9mm nylon cord. the thicker the better for learning with.

 

[Stringmaker]

It does sound like you are very close; the wood selection/pairing is everything.

It is also a two stage process; you should be able to bow and breathe comfortably once you start to get black dust and smoke. Keep going with that level of effort for a minute or so; what you are doing at this point is getting enough of a dust pile to then be ignited into a self-sustaining ember. If you go to full power too soon then you don't physically have a big enough pile of dust to ignite and smoulder.

If in doubt, bow for longer before going to full power.

You'll crack it soon by the sound of it; keep at it and never forget the moment when you nail it.

 

[DaveBoon]

A lot of people have given some very useful advice, so I'll add to it ...

The spindle is oak, the hearth is poplar.

In general, I'd recommend harder wood for the bearing block and softer wood for the spindle & hearth. So, say Oak for the bearing block and I've had great success with Sycamore for the spindle & hearth. Also, as others mentioned, there looks like far too much friction at the hearth end - your wasting energy and heat there. It's not especially natural, but to get going, I put some soap into the hole in the hearth and now it's practically friction free ... works a treat! Spit & leaves works well for a more natural solution. The spindle & hearth should be dry too - green wood will just makes things a whole lot harder!

Is there a way to stop my bow string 'riding' up and popping off from under the bearing block?

You need to try and keep the bow horizontal, ie parallel with the ground. Personally I've found angling the bow up slightly helps stop the cord twisting together and making the spindle popout, but with most things, it's personal preference & trial & error.

Why does my cord keep snapping?

I've only had the cord snap once and that was when it'd worn through after being used about a dozen times. Sounds like either you need some better paracord, or maybe you're making it too tight, but if the spindle is spnning ok, then it sounds fine.

I get lots of vibration and squeaking and when I put more pressure down the spindle seems to bind so it only spins in one direction with the cord slipping around it without moving it on the return stroke.

The cord slipping around the spindle is usually when the cord isn't tight enough, try tightening it. Also, you may find that as the bow is used the cord naturally loosens somewhat, so I've found holding the bow & cord together works well - you can then close & open your fingers to tighten & loosen the cord on the spindle as needed, so if it starts to slip, you can make it tighter.

There was a great video on YouTube which stated that you should basically be able to do this in about 1 minute - if it's taking longer than that, then it's likely something is wrong and you should look to see what that is before continuing. This principle has really helped me nail the technique of getting this to work, so hope it'll help you too.

Sounds like you're almost there .... don't give up, it just takes some patience & soon you'll have your first fire by friction

PS Here's that video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlxujVPiN6U