Friction fire course/ tutorial

[demented dale]

Hello folks. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I would like to go on a friction fire course (bow drill) or get someone to teach me how to do it. The only thing I can find here in Ireland are lengthy and expensive survival courses. Hoping you guys can help. Thank you in advance. x

 

[R_Fonseca]

This is a decent tutorial I think.

I'm watching this thread anyway, because I'm also in Ireland and would be interested in the same. My success is hit and miss, and not always sure which variable is off.

 

[demented dale]

Where in Ireland are you? If close we could hook up and have a bash at it together. Part of the reason I want to do a course is because I am fed up with teaching myself how to do things. its great and very enpowering but theres just something about sharing and learning from and with others. dale

 

[R_Fonseca]

I'm in Dublin. I'll drop you a PM

 

[demented dale]

This is a decent tutorial I think.

I'm watching this thread anyway, because I'm also in Ireland and would be interested in the same. My success is hit and miss, and not always sure which variable is off.

 

[demented dale]

i watched that and will again. i am gona have ago . x

 

[Millsey]

Hi, I’m Irish living in the UK. I usually go back a couple of times a year. I’d be happy to do some Bow drill teaching next time I’m over if anyone is interested. I qualified to teach Bushcraft with Jack Raven Bushcraft in Kent but mostly do it just for fun. Unfortunately I’ve just come back from Wicklow so won’t be going over for a while now.

 

[Deleted member 56522]

i watched that and will again. i am gona have ago . x

Hi, having tried bow drill many times, the key things are these:
1. The hearth and drill have got to be bone dry
2. The chord you use for the bow is going to suffer and unless it's good quality it will snap.
3. Use a nice long bow so that you can get a nice long stroke ... it's really important to get the right tension on the bow and (by accident when it became slack) I found the easiest way to do that was to hold down the string to the bow.
4. Put some wax or oil in the upper pivot ... there is absolutely no point having unnecessary friction.
5. One of the most difficult things is to keep the chord on the right place of the drill ... whilst holding down the hearth whilst pressing down with the pivot, whilst doing nice long strokes. Don't worry if you can't do it (to start). Instead find someone to help so that there's less to think about. Even I cheated: I eventually turned a spindle so that the chord naturally sits in the right place (I wedge in a bit of wood at the bottom).

And, just because I can bow drill ... doesn't mean I find it easy! I've been trying to hand drill for a year and if anything I'm now worse than when I started.

 

[demented dale]

Hi, having tried bow drill many times, the key things are these:
1. The hearth and drill have got to be bone dry
2. The chord you use for the bow is going to suffer and unless it's good quality it will snap.
3. Use a nice long bow so that you can get a nice long stroke ... it's really important to get the right tension on the bow and (by accident when it became slack) I found the easiest way to do that was to hold down the string to the bow.
4. Put some wax or oil in the upper pivot ... there is absolutely no point having unnecessary friction.
5. One of the most difficult things is to keep the chord on the right place of the drill ... whilst holding down the hearth whilst pressing down with the pivot, whilst doing nice long strokes. Don't worry if you can't do it (to start). Instead find someone to help so that there's less to think about. Even I cheated: I eventually turned a spindle so that the chord naturally sits in the right place (I wedge in a bit of wood at the bottom).

And, just because I can bow drill ... doesn't mean I find it easy! I've been trying to hand drill for a year and if anything I'm now worse than when I started.

Hey thanks for your input . I have taken it on board. x

 

[C_Claycomb]

Didn't watch all of it, but that does look a good tutorial, very thorough with several of the points I find I often have to talk to people about.

For cord...starter cord for mower or chain saw. Cheap, tough, meant to be abused and not to stretch. I do not like paracord.

To help with keeping the cord on the drill, you can use a knife to take shavings so the drill has a subtle waist. On a 1.25" diameter drill the middle of the waist might be 1 to 1.125" and if the drill is 8-10" long, the shavings to create the waist occupy about 75% of the length. If you can keep it all controlled without this, that is better, but this is something to try if you keep running the cord off the top or bottom of the drill. This tends to be driven by not moving the bow parallel to the ground, but every little can help.

Black Poplar bark makes a remarkably good bearing block. Not super long lived, but it holds up lots better than you would expect given how soft it is. The bark is highly rot resistant and can be found at the site of a fallen tree many years after the tree fell. For more deliberate and longer lasting kit, harder bearing blocks are good. Some people can find stones with dimples. I made one from a bit of dead standing hornbeam once, not easy to work cut, but it worked well as a bearing. I would imagine that box wood would be good too.

 

[demented dale]

Thank you for your input.

Hi, having tried bow drill many times, the key things are these:
1. The hearth and drill have got to be bone dry
2. The chord you use for the bow is going to suffer and unless it's good quality it will snap.
3. Use a nice long bow so that you can get a nice long stroke ... it's really important to get the right tension on the bow and (by accident when it became slack) I found the easiest way to do that was to hold down the string to the bow.
4. Put some wax or oil in the upper pivot ... there is absolutely no point having unnecessary friction.
5. One of the most difficult things is to keep the chord on the right place of the drill ... whilst holding down the hearth whilst pressing down with the pivot, whilst doing nice long strokes. Don't worry if you can't do it (to start). Instead find someone to help so that there's less to think about. Even I cheated: I eventually turned a spindle so that the chord naturally sits in the right place (I wedge in a bit of wood at the bottom).

And, just because I can bow drill ... doesn't mean I find it easy! I've been trying to hand drill for a year and if anything I'm now worse than when I started.