Has anybody had any success with this combination? I'm struggling with it.
What other combinations do people find work well?
What other combinations do people find work well?
Lime on Lime bowdrill
- Thread starter Dugs
- Start date
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Lime is generally considered one of the easier woods to get an ember with. The lime should be almost yellow in colour to achieve the best results. Post a picture of your set and the dust your producing.
Other woods commonly used are Western Red Cedar, Hazel, Sallow, White Willow, Elder not an exhaustive list by any means. Remember to start slow maximise the friction at the hearth end of the spindle and minimise the friction with the bearing block. Long slow strokes with the bow applying firm downward pressure should achieve lots of thick smoke and black dust forming around the edge of your spindle. Once you have a good thick dark smoke slowly build up your speed and increase the down force until you have a nice big self sustaining ember. Fire by friction is more about good technique and choosing a piece of wood with fire in it. make sure you can mark the spindle and hearth with your thumb nail. it should leave a mark with light pressure. Too soft and your spindle with collapse and wear too quickly. Too hard and the base of the spindle will polish and become a frictionless surface.
Other woods commonly used are Western Red Cedar, Hazel, Sallow, White Willow, Elder not an exhaustive list by any means. Remember to start slow maximise the friction at the hearth end of the spindle and minimise the friction with the bearing block. Long slow strokes with the bow applying firm downward pressure should achieve lots of thick smoke and black dust forming around the edge of your spindle. Once you have a good thick dark smoke slowly build up your speed and increase the down force until you have a nice big self sustaining ember. Fire by friction is more about good technique and choosing a piece of wood with fire in it. make sure you can mark the spindle and hearth with your thumb nail. it should leave a mark with light pressure. Too soft and your spindle with collapse and wear too quickly. Too hard and the base of the spindle will polish and become a frictionless surface.
Cheers,
That's what I thought. I've had success with a lime hearthboard before and a willow drill I think. I'm getting plenty of smoke and plenty of dust but no coal.
It seems my image isnt posting the link is https://www.dropbox.com/s/cb4qdy75q314kru/20161007_193359.jpg?dl=0
That's what I thought. I've had success with a lime hearthboard before and a willow drill I think. I'm getting plenty of smoke and plenty of dust but no coal.
It seems my image isnt posting the link is https://www.dropbox.com/s/cb4qdy75q314kru/20161007_193359.jpg?dl=0
Looking at the notch in your hearth it could be a little neater. Also is the base of the board flat? Any rocking of the hearth with your notch could prevent your coal from forming.
The colour looks right so I think you're getting the set hot enough. My advice would be focus on your technique above all else. Focus on being as smooth as possible keeping the hearth and spindle as stable as you can. Keep with it and you will get there.
Please post a pic when you get your ember.
The colour looks right so I think you're getting the set hot enough. My advice would be focus on your technique above all else. Focus on being as smooth as possible keeping the hearth and spindle as stable as you can. Keep with it and you will get there.
Please post a pic when you get your ember.
Lime on Lime is a combination that I've found to be quite fast to make an ember when set up correctly!
Thanks for the help. Flattened off the hearth board a bit and got an ember first time. Also ended up using a longer drill. All in the rain ironically.
