Things a beginner needs to know about the bow drill...

[Stringmaker]

I made my first ember last night using my bow drill set and I'm dead chuffed with myself

I have made fire once before with this method when I was first shown how to do it, but that was with someone els's kit which was well used, and I didn't know the details of exactly how it works and how important it is to have good technique and a well sorted set. I read everything I could find from various sources, but I still had to learn from my mistakes when doing it for real, which is of course the best way.

That said, if you are a complete beginner to this method, hopefully these tips will help save you time, effort and frustration. I need to do it again tonight to prove it wasn't a fluke!

1. When you "burn in" the set, make sure that the hearth hole is deep enough to help support the drill when you use it in anger. If you don't you will get mightily fed up with the drill repeatedly falling off the hearth! Also make sure you burn it in long enough to produce a perfect fit between drill and hearth; any gaps or uneven edges waste your effort and reduce the effiiciency of the set.

2. Likewise for the bearing block, make sure the hole is deep enough to locate the top of the drill for the same reason.

3. Every time you use the set, lubricate the bearing block with green vegetation (I used wet grass) to make sure that all the friction (and therefore the heat) is generated where you want it in the hearth instead of the bearing block.

4. Get your body position right; I had my head right over the top of the drill, looking straight down at the hearth. This helps maintain vertical pressure on the drill in a dead straight line and again gives maximum efficiency for your effort.

5. Make sure that you bow horizontally, using the full length to begin with; any slight deviation leads to the cord "creeping" up or down the drill and ultimately forces you to stop.

6. Make sure that the cord is tight enough to grip the drill properly; having it slip when you are working hard is another waste of your effort.

7. What worked for me was "fairly slow with enough pressure to produce black powder and wispy smoke", followed by "flat out until your arm falls off".

I have to say that the satisfaction I got from kneeling on my garage floor in the cold, gently fanning that ember into a glowing coal was immense. This is about as perfect a learning experience as you can get.............

 

[Shambling Shaman]

Nice wright up do like the "flat out until your arm falls off" sound about right lol

 

[Graham_S]

Steady even drilling until the smoke starts to twist around the spindle, then speed up for about 30 strokes.
Lock your bearing block wrist into your shin to prevent spindle wobble.
Don't put the burnt in spindle onto the ground, it'll absorb moisture.

 

[lannyman8]

welcome to the bow drill club dude..........cuffed for you mate, some people find it easy, im one who does, but i do alot of fire craft, my next step is the hand drill, will be giving that a go in the summer..........

well done, and nice little write up too........

regards.

chris......................................

 

[Stringmaker]

Thanks guys

There really is no substitute for learning as you experiment; even down to being able to "feel" the drill generate the powder as opposed to simply polishing the hearth.

"If you give a man a match then has fire for a day; if you teach him how to use a bow drill then he has fire for life, a sore arm, grazed knuckles and blisters..."

 

[tim_n]

"If you give a man a match then has fire for a day; if you teach him how to use a bow drill then he has fire for life, a sore arm, grazed knuckles and blisters..."

sounds like my experience so far... hand drilling I seem to have no problem with...

 

[Biker]

"If you give a man a match then has fire for a day; if you teach him how to use a bow drill then he has fire for life, a sore arm, grazed knuckles and blisters..."

I read your posting with a grin on my face because I know that feeling of getting that ember glowing so well. Got mine for the first time last year in the woods when I camped out. The plan is to repeat that experince and build upon it.

One thing I did find was the way the cord was wrapped around the drill. Having it anti clockwise tended to make the cord ride up the stick, clockwise and it stayed about right. It's a bit difficult to explain, hopefully you get my drift.
Obviously wrapping the string clockwise and anti clockwise depends on the user and thier technique but it worked for me using a bit of paracord and a green stick I found that I could bend into a bow.

As for your quote above, I read a similar one somewhere:

"Give a man a match and he will have fire for a day. Set the man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life."

 

[sandbender]

Paul Kirtley (formerly the head instructor for the Woodlore School) has an article on the bow drill here, very concise, lots of good info.

 

[Stringmaker]

I read your posting with a grin on my face because I know that feeling of getting that ember glowing so well. Got mine for the first time last year in the woods when I camped out. The plan is to repeat that experince and build upon it.

One thing I did find was the way the cord was wrapped around the drill. Having it anti clockwise tended to make the cord ride up the stick, clockwise and it stayed about right. It's a bit difficult to explain, hopefully you get my drift.

Thanks for the tip; that makes a lot of sense because I wrap it anti-clockwise.

I'll report back tomorrow!

 

[Stringmaker]

Paul Kirtley (formerly the head instructor for the Woodlore School) has an article on the bow drill here, very concise, lots of good info.

He was the guy who first showed me the technique.

I'll check that link; thanks for the heads up.

 

[Stringmaker]

He was the guy who first showed me the technique.

I'll check that link; thanks for the heads up.

I was on the course where that photo was taken!

I must have been sitting next to the person who took it; of all the millions of times he has done that demo, I was almost on his blog in a supporting role.

 

[Stringmaker]

One question for the experts.

From my limited experience so far, I have produced an ember three times, using two different kits (one was the guy who taught me, one was mine). In all cases, the ember came from a new notch; trying to re-use an existing notch didn't work. Is it just me or is a fresh notch every time the best way to go?

 

[sandbender]

Paul Kirtley's blog article on the bow drill has been updated with some new photographs, it is worth a look through.

http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bowdrill/

 

[ged]

One question for the experts. ... In all cases, the ember came from a new notch; trying to re-use an existing notch didn't work. Is it just me or is a fresh notch every time the best way to go?

Well in no way would I class myself as an expert, but I've had success with both and I've tended to prefer a previously used socket because it's that bit warmer and dryer. The thickness of the hearth will be the ultimate limitation, sooner or later you'll drill through it. The notch needs to be deep so the hot particles go where you need them to go, maybe that's the problem? You polish the hearth with the drill of course, so you may need to adjust your technique slightly to compensate for that. I always seemed to be pressing too hard at first, when I eased off a little things went a lot more smoothly. Just over-enthusiasm I suppose.

 

[addo]

No odds in using an old notch, saves time. It helps the next time and each time round, to chamfer the edges a little to increase smooth running.
I like to get 3 fires from one notch on a board.