Recently I've been learning to use the bow and drill technique to create a fire, and I was wondering if anyone has used parachord as the string when doing this? If so, what was the result?
Recently I've been learning to use the bow and drill technique to create a fire, and I was wondering if anyone has used parachord as the string when doing this? If so, what was the result?
I use para cord a lot. It works fine. Sometimes if you have a lot of friction on your bearing block or the spindle is really slick it might slip a little but that's an easy fix. I have a couple of river rocks that I've pecked sockets into that work great for blocks. They're almost frictionless. I also secure only one end of the para cord to the bow and put my first finger through a loop on the other end. I can control the tension on the string that way. If your spindle and hearth are well matched you don't really need a lot of tension and if the cord starts to slip just pull a little harder on the loop with your finger.
Paracord is good to go. I also tried #36 "Tarred" Nylon Seine Twine made by Catahoula Manufacturing Inc. http://www.houla.com/tarred.htm and it works really good too.
My hand hold is made of Australian Pine (aka iron wood) and I use bar soap as lubricant to reduce friction...
DomC
Last edited by DomC; 06-15-2014 at 02:55 AM.
"There are only 2 classes of ships in the Navy...Submarines and Targets!" RM2(SS)
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That's what I do. I control tension with my fingers. Too tight and the spindle will fly out and too loose and it will slip.
550 paracord works excellent for bow and drill cordage. I get 40 or more embers per cord. I tie my cordage solid to a stiff bow using a quick adjust method of tieing. If the spindle starts slipping during the "bowing" I reach my fingers out and grab the line near my grip and pull it to the grip thus tightening the line. It can be done quickly without hardly "breaking stride".
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Paracord works well. I've tried bankline but it breaks after a short time.
~~Combat is the least important skill a ninja can posses.~~
What weight bankline were you using? They range from the lightweight to the super duper heavy duty.
I have a couple, but I think that time I was using the lighter stuff, like the 96 lb line or something.
It was my first try and I didn't have the set done right, so I was over-stressing it and it frayed and broke. It could work if you had everything perfect, at least for the first few goes at it.
~~Combat is the least important skill a ninja can posses.~~
I know they make an 800 lb bank line. I haven't used it though.
It's important (I think) to remember that the tensile strength of cordage does not necessarily translate to its ability to resist abrasion damage. I recently picked up a spool of Amsteel 7/64" that has a tensile strength of 1600 pounds, but would be leery of its ability to resist abrasion when used for a bow drill application.
I don't use the tensile strength for anything other than determining what cords are stronger than others. Somebody said paracord wouldn't work on a hammock. I weigh less than 200 and it's rated at 550. Apparently knots weaken it as well as dynamic stress from inertia. Also the angle at which the stress occurs factors in too. Then you have abrasion issues to contend with.
~~Combat is the least important skill a ninja can posses.~~
Paracord works for hammocks, but you have to contend with stretching. That's why I picked up the Amsteel. I made a set of Whoopie Slings and several soft shackles for hammock use. It's lighter than paracord and floats too. I'll probably give it a try on the bow drill to see if it works. For the record, I have broken paracord while using it on a bow drill. Not on its firs use, but it will break eventually.
Yep..550 paracord works...but need adjusting from time to time...
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550 and me.. well I have a couple pieces that got really shredded. A natural coarse fiber or a whole weave rope work better for me. Also of note is that I'll try just about any wood for kicks, so if you don't have the right combination of materials, it won't last through many tries, but neither will a cotton rope. Cotton will grab the wood well, where poly will slip. All things considered, if it's what you have, it'll work several times when experimenting, and with the right combination of materials you'll get fire quite a few times before it needs replacing.
"There are only 2 classes of ships in the Navy...Submarines and Targets!" RM2(SS)
"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"...Nordic proverb.
"No man's knowledge can go beyond his experience." John Locke.
"Survival is about getting out of the wilderness ALIVE, Bushcraft is about getting into the wilderness and THRIVING."
ive always use the bottom half of my t-shirt right above the stitching poke a hole then rip it all the way around. it has always worked good especially if ya twist the strand a bunch of time then attach to the end of the bow, and you can still wear the shirt
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