smoke but no fire

[atlatlman]

i have just finished making my friction fire set out of willow. hearth and spindle are both the same. i have just spent the last hour giving it a go. plenty of smoke and dust but no hot coal. am i doing anything wrong or is it dampness in the air because of the time of year. any suggestions would be helpful thanks

 

[leon-b]

maybe the wood is damp or maybe you just needed to keep going ?
leon

 

[rich59]

Loads of subtleties can catch you out.

A few questions:-

What does the punk (dust) look and feel like? Was there any vibration or squeeking when you were drilling? Did the notch fill up? Did you start slow and build up? How long is your bow? Did you lock your bearing block wrist against your shin?

 

[atlatlman]

Loads of subtleties can catch you out.

A few questions:-

What does the punk (dust) look and feel like? Was there any vibration or squeeking when you were drilling? Did the notch fill up? Did you start slow and build up? How long is your bow? Did you lock your bearing block wrist against your shin?

dust is black and very fine. no squeeking or vibration.the notch did fill up and i did start off slow and build up fast. cant remember if i locked my bearing block against my shin. smoke and dust came quick and with minimal effort. seemed a bit to easy

 

[rich59]

Well.... Make sure your wood is dried well - indoors and close to heat is best - and try again. I like a full notch and then do fast bowing with full length of the bow with only light pressure, enough to give lots of smoke. Fast, light bowing into a full notch should give the finest particles, freshly hot and collecting together (without falling through cold air).

 

[wilekayote]

I initially get fine dust and smoke but then squeaking and seemingly hardened surfaces on the drill and hearth but not more dust or smoke.

What does that mean?

 

[Voivode]

I initially get fine dust and smoke but then squeaking and seemingly hardened surfaces on the drill and hearth but not more dust or smoke.

What does that mean?

I think that means your wood had too much resin, and you've managed to polish it. If that's the case it means you're done with that set and need to start over with new wood.

However, I've never managed to pull fire by friction off so my opinion might be worth just what you've paid for it.

 

[Ogri the trog]

... seemed a bit to easy

Hi Gary,
There are two occasions when "fire by friction" seems easy, when you've never done it and when you're very good at it!
I had been trying to get the method sorted for many months before being shown the tips that make it all come together - all about maximising your chances of success at every step of the way from making the pieces of the set, right through to creating flames from the delicate ember. If you can get someone to show you how it is done, it'll make things a bit easier but I'm sure you'll reach youe "Eurika" moment soon.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[BobFromHolland]

Hi Gary,
There are two occasions when "fire by friction" seems easy, when you've never done it and when you're very good at it!
Ogri the trog

:wow1:

how very true indeed.

 

[atlatlman]

Well.... Make sure your wood is dried well - indoors and close to heat is best - and try again. I like a full notch and then do fast bowing with full length of the bow with only light pressure, enough to give lots of smoke. Fast, light bowing into a full notch should give the finest particles, freshly hot and collecting together (without falling through cold air).

cheers mate for the encouragement i had almost given up. straight after reading your thread i went and had another go. this time i put everything i had into it and it paid off. BRILLIANT.

 

[Limaed]

Hi Gary
Ive had the same problem though have previously succeded with willow sets.
I read an article which suggested using a hazel drill on willow and it worked where the willow drill failed. I know a lot of the books suggest using the same woods mainly due to one componant consuming the other too quickly, however this combination seems ok.
I think I succeded as the hazel drill is of a smaller diameter (so span faster). I also think that willow hold onto moisture very well, all the willow sets ive made in winter have needed a few days on the radiator before they work.
There's a few tutorials on here about using damp wood which are intresting.
Has anybody else varied thier wood combinations? what results did you get?
Ta Ed

 

[rich59]

cheers mate for the encouragement i had almost given up. straight after reading your thread i went and had another go. this time i put everything i had into it and it paid off. BRILLIANT.

Yee hah. Well impressed.

 

[Leon]

I initially get fine dust and smoke but then squeaking and seemingly hardened surfaces on the drill and hearth but not more dust or smoke.

What does that mean?

Hi wilekayote,
Voivode is right about the resin in the wood. When you stopped drilling, the resin cooled and formed a thin glaze over the surfaces. You may be able to get round this by sprinkling a little sand into the depression in the hearthboard and starting to drill again

 

[BobFromHolland]

I used to have polished drill surfaces as well at the 'working end', but the polish effects now only show at the bearing block end. That is the moment my set starts to squeek as well.
The remedy I use is to toss in a green leave (in bearing block indent) and I can make an other ember.
I never wondered why the working end stopped polishing though
maybe this is because I now mostly use drills of known woods, and maybe because the working ends now wear too much to become polished