timtom1 said:
Is it possible to make all the pieces of the bow drill from the silver birch?
Also what is the difference between White Poplar (Populus alba) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula) they both look the same to me
I'm going to take your question literally for the moment and see where it gets me.
There are 5 parts to a bow drill. drill, hearth, bow wood, bow string, and top piece for the drill. Whether it works or not was not the question really? The string would challenge me most.
Drill - make from a dead branch perhaps 1cm diameter
Hearth - make from thicker dead wood - square off the top and bottom before cutting the notch
Bow wood - find a suitable curved or straight live branch. Think how you would tie the bow string one end and allow it to run through a hole or notch the other end.
Top piece - May be make from the same wood as the hearth, or use live wood. Oil the hole with nose grease or ear wax to help it run free and minimise friction
Now - the string. Tricky. I have never yet made a servicable bow drill set with a cordage I made myself. You could certainly dig up some birch root and split it or remove the bark and see if you could make up some cordage. The question is - will it withstand the rigours of drilling?
I think my failure at using natural cordage for bow string is what lead me to try hand drilling. Otherwise I was getting dependant on a manufactured product.