Friction Fire - First Attempt (picture heavy)

[Jack Bounder]

I had a go at making friction fire today.

I found a dead beech branch, still attached to the tree. I sawed off a piece to make the hearth board.

I then split this down, to flatten each side.

A gave the hearth board a bit of a tidy up using my neck knife.

I made a socket out of the same beech branch.

I then made hole in the hearth board.

I took along a pine spindle, from a baby's cot. I planned to use para cord as the string for my bow.

The bow was made from a 30 inch or so branch. I cut a notch in one end to help me attach the para cord.

I used varying sized twigs to adjust the tightness of the bow string.

After a few strokes of the bow, I added a notch to the hole in the hearth board.

I also roughened up the spindle, using my saw, to get a better grip from the bow string.

And sharpened the end of the spindle to reduce friction at the socket.

Unfortunately, the para cord didn't seem up to the job.

Although I did get a lot of smoke and fair bit of wood dust collecting in the notch. But I didn't get a coal

The beech branch was a little damp so I think I would have done better if I had used something I had dried at home. I also think the spindle would have be better if it had been a hardwood rather than pine? But the real weakness appears to be the paracord. What do you use as a bow string?

 

[JohnC]

Ive seen a cord knotted onto the spindle and the string wound round from one side helping to reduce the wear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83KfeCTJ_fA I believe its the "Egyptian" bow drill method...

 

[Zingmo]

Aha! That looks interesting. My cord is usually the first thing to give up.

Z

 

[Ogri the trog]

If you have a shop that deals in agricultural equipment, they may have power-tool starter cord - they come in various thicknesses, but are much more hard-wearing than standard para-cord.

Though I must add that I am not a fan of friction fire-lighting methods.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Jack Bounder]

....Though I must add that I am not a fan of friction fire-lighting methods.....

Just something I'd like to be able to do, I guess.

It has been suggested that a thicker spindle might help. Makes sense. More friction on the hearth board. More grip on the para cord. Something broom handle sized. Just need to minimise the friction on the socket. Lubricate?

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[joelinman]

Just need to minimise the friction on the socket. Lubricate?

I'm sure I have read somewhere that placing a green leaf between the spindle and the socket works well to lubricate.

Surely just a bit of saliva will work well enough....

 

[copper_head]

Chew up a green leaf and spit it into the socket, best of both worlds. That's the way I was shown to do it at least...

 

[tmt77]

Nice work there. My sister who if a Girl Guide leader turned up the other night to ask for a firebow set for a fire lighting evening with the girls.

Although none of them were able to produce fire individually working in pairs on either end of the bow they all achieved a pretty decent ember with no prior experience or practice.

I think a lot of people don't try friction fire lighting as it is made out to be something of an arcane art, when the only thing to do is make a set and give it a go.

 

[MegaWoodsWalker]

Nice try. Anyone who hasn't failed at the bowdrill has never done it. Paracord is good enough though used synthetic lawn mover pull cord with good success among other things. I bet there was too much friction on the bearing block which then made the paracord slip on the spindle greatly increasing the wear.

 

[Jack Bounder]

Ive seen a cord knotted onto the spindle and the string wound round from one side helping to reduce the wear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83KfeCTJ_fA I believe its the "Egyptian" bow drill method...

Thanks for that. I might give that a try....especially if the thicker spindle doesn't work.

 

[Jack Bounder]

Nice try. Anyone who hasn't failed at the bowdrill has never done it. Paracord is good enough though used synthetic lawn mover pull cord with good success among other things. I bet there was too much friction on the bearing block which then made the paracord slip on the spindle greatly increasing the wear.

Yes, the para cord was struggling to grip the spindle primarily, I believe, because the spindle was a little too thin.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Hi Jack


I might be wrong but from my own experience beech is a tad hard for friction fire lighting. That's not to say that it can't be done but there might be more forgiving options for your first attempts. My favourite wood to date has to be sycamore for both drill and hearth. Standing dead wood from branches that have been squirrel damaged is excellent; you can often get a drill from straight round branchwood and then the hearth from just slightly further up the same branch. Someone told me once that if you can dent the wood with your thumbnail with a little effort the wood is probably a goer. If it dents too easily the no and the same if you have to push really hard to make an impression. I imagine beech to be at the later end of the range . Speaking of thumbs, my spindle is usually around the same thickness as my thumb as is the thickness of my hearth board.

Leo

 

[Dave]

Ive never seen that happen to bowdrill paracord...maybe try a bit of beeswax on it?

 

[Jack Bounder]

Ive never seen that happen to bowdrill paracord...maybe try a bit of beeswax on it?

There's still a lot of horsepower in the old guns

 

[Dave]

There's still a lot of horsepower in the old guns

hahahaha I dont doubt it.