I worked on the bow drill today.

First, I want to offer thanks to YCC...He set the learning environment that inspired me. I'd also thank WSF...If it weren't for ya'll I'd of been a long ways from trying to do this. I didn't get fire, but I did get a coal twice and on the first try...or first hole. My coal melted it's way through my tender bundle twice, it did rain today and yesterday. I learned alot about getting it done. I learned the tension on your cordage has to be just right. I also learned when it is set up perfect it isn't much work. I used Mimosa tree dead branches, an invasive species that resides in my pasture. I easily got a coal twice but couldn't get fire the first time, I dropped the coal. The second time it just melted through the dandelion fluff in the center of my birds nest. It didn't help trying to show ya'll the cam battery died. More to come...

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN3124.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN3123.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN3121.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN3117.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN3120.jpg

Your getting closer than I am. I don't even get coals yet.

I learned alot! I am confident I can get it to fire with the right birdsnest...I was disappointed in dandelion fluff...I went all natural except for the paracord...cotton would of made flames! For a first attempt I am satisfied. Keep trying Rebel!

Another thing I learned is to keep the bearing block side sharp ( I used an oyster shell for my block) at one point the shell got hot on my hand!

I'm still working on finding the perfect combination of woods for my drill and board. Ill get to fire one of these days

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by welderguy

I'm still working on finding the perfect combination of woods for my drill and board. Ill get to fire one of these days

---

Don't discount using the same wood for both...

Cowboy, remember that as you blow the ember into the tindle, to keep tightening it up around the coal. Dandelion fluff works well for me to catch the dust and coal, so I'm thinking that your birdnest might not have been kept tight around it.

Excellent try tho. I've been wanting to try mimosa for a while now, just haven't gotten around to it. We're inspiring each other! I'm sure with that sort of progress, you'll get it in the next few tries. I must have tried 20 times before I figured out the mechanics and got fire. The good thing about the bowdrill, you can use materials that would not work with the hand drill, like red cedar.
Good work!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by your_comforting_company

Cowboy, remember that as you blow the ember into the tindle, to keep tightening it up around the coal. Dandelion fluff works well for me to catch the dust and coal, so I'm thinking that your birdnest might not have been kept tight around it.

Excellent try tho. I've been wanting to try mimosa for a while now, just haven't gotten around to it. We're inspiring each other! I'm sure with that sort of progress, you'll get it in the next few tries. I must have tried 20 times before I figured out the mechanics and got fire. The good thing about the bowdrill, you can use materials that would not work with the hand drill, like red cedar.
Good work!!

---

I'd say you got it right. In the first pic of the birdsnest you can see where the coal burned through. Also it was very humid and had rained in the AM. Glad I can inspire back but, really it was reading your efforts that afforded me such quick success at learning what it will take. It will be fire next try!

Got inspired, whipped up a kit from birch with the bow made of willow. Got plenty of smoke, but no coal. Didn't take too much to get it smoking and producing the dust... I suppose I have to keep on going longer..

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Z...2/IMAG0770.jpg

For me and using my materials the coal came after about a minute after the thick persistant smoke started. Maybe try something harder for the bearing such as a seashell or such. It will reduce friction at the bearing end.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NCO

Got inspired, whipped up a kit from birch with the bow made of willow. Got plenty of smoke, but no coal. Didn't take too much to get it smoking and producing the dust... I suppose I have to keep on going longer..

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Z...2/IMAG0770.jpg

---

Looking at your hearth in the picture, (from what I can see anyway) you need to notch the drill hole further in. You want the tip of the "V" in the notch to be just a tad forward of the center of the hole. I hope that makes sense.

In other words, cut the notch deeper into the hole and see how it goes.

Get 'er done!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

For me and using my materials the coal came after about a minute after the thick persistant smoke started. Maybe try something harder for the bearing such as a seashell or such. It will reduce friction at the bearing end.

---

In complete agreement. Whenever it works for me, I attribute it to minimizing the friction at the bearing end and maximizing the friction at the 'business' end.

You might try some natural lubricants in the bearing too. Here in the tropics there are a few plants that produce a bit of oil that I use for that.

Keep at it and once you figure out what works, try to always replicate that combo. Good luck!

i've made it a habit of keeping an eye out for " firebow " branches ( on the ground )
once i use a branch as a firebow, i toss it into the fire
sometimes i've gone for a walk in the bush and come out with 3-4 possible firebows

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dolfan87

Looking at your hearth in the picture, (from what I can see anyway) you need to notch the drill hole further in. You want the tip of the "V" in the notch to be just a tad forward of the center of the hole. I hope that makes sense.

In other words, cut the notch deeper into the hole and see how it goes.

---

Thanks for the tip! Though I came to that conclusion earlier, and tried it. No luck. It appears that my hearth hardens too quickly and won't have enough friction to generate enough heat to produce a coal. I'm looking in to alternative hearth materials.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Z...0/IMAG0772.jpg

looking at the first picture I know where the trouble lies.

The problem is that you cut your wood with the wrong knife.

A proper kit must be made using either a Mora or a Swiss Army Knife.

I'd try using the same material as the spindle for the hearth. I also scraped the char from the hearth and the spindle each time I ran out of gas, before proceeding. I plan to give it a go in a little while this evening. I am home early with a sick little girl, doc said it is Strep! First time to the doc in 3 yrs though! I hope she feels better soon!

I don't mean to nit-pick, but the notch in the pic above is too narrow. It should be 1/3 as wide as the spindle. The narrow notch might be suffocating your possible ember. I wish I could draw a diagram of it.. Maybe this picture will suffice.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...g/DSCN3246.jpg

At the point where the notch intrudes into your divot, the cutout should be 1/3 as wide as the diameter of the divot. I'm imagining your dust piling up in that narrow notch and never flipping out a live ember because it can't get enough air. Probably lots of smoke tho. Try a slightly wider notch and see how it works.

YCC I just compared my notch to your pics. Mine is slightly wider...not much. I was getting a good sized pile of char dust. Another difference I see is my notch was not straight through...kinda sloping outward towards the bottom and smaller. I was using a round hearth stick though....What are your thoughts drop it straight or let it roll out the side?

Some things I would tell a friend if I saw this post...

Bring your arm out side your leg to stabilize the top of the spindle. You will probably get a coal much quicker that way.

You are getting a coal though. So, I would say increase the surface area of your tinder bundle by rapidly rolling the grass in your hands.

Back the tinder bundle with something that reflects both heat and air back into the bundle. It really makes a huge difference for me.

Also, with the coal don't rush it. It'll start as a pin head and grow really big. Just fan it with your hand to get a great coal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

For me and using my materials the coal came after about a minute after the thick persistant smoke started. Maybe try something harder for the bearing such as a seashell or such. It will reduce friction at the bearing end.

---

You could use a rock too. In my neck of the woods (southern end of the N. GA mountains) we have lots of softer rocks (the rusty ones) and you can usually find a piece of quartz lying around too. If you find a piece of quartz with an end shaped sort of like a flathead screwdriver it will fairly quickly carve a bit of a divot into the softer rock. If you want to cheat at first (think training wheels), you could also use a 1 Tbs stainless steel measuring spoon on the top end. Won't wear out and it is deep enough that you'll never have the spindle pop out. Of course then when you go to a rock, you have to learn to deal with the much shallower bearing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

YCC I just compared my notch to your pics. Mine is slightly wider...not much. I was getting a good sized pile of char dust. Another difference I see is my notch was not straight through...kinda sloping outward towards the bottom and smaller. I was using a round hearth stick though....What are your thoughts drop it straight or let it roll out the side?

---

I drop my notch straight down. A top-view looks like a V, clean through. This allows dust from near-center of the spindle to fall directly below and heat up without getting kicked out from under the spindle before ignition. I've seen folks have success with the compound V notch, which from top looks like a V and from the side also looks like a V, but IME this does not allow enough air under the dust. I've also seen it inverted, where the side view looks like a ^ notch and I find that one to not retain dust near enough the spindle. Of course, different materials respond differently, so experimentation is key, but during the learning process, I would elect to use the straight dropped V. It's what I learned to use and have the most consistent success with.

Also, I flatten both sides of my hearth stick. Hope that helps. I'm sure you'll get it soon!! Keep trying!

It could be after all that also my issues are due the wrong kind of hole... Better not to tell the mrs...

I've always tried to deal with the B hole or C hole. But knowing how you feel about Moras you're probably much better dealing with A holes. (I slay myself, I really do)

It's not the hole, it's how you work the spindle.

Bwah!

Actually, I prefer the inverted V or the straight up V as YCC described. And, I believe the tip on using both the same material for spindle and fireboard is a good one. Also, trimming off the charred end of the spindle helped me greatly. For me, it was the combination of all these things being just right that made it possible for me to get embers consistently, not just one or two. Everything has to be just right. I like a really dense birdnest, I call it a birdnest because bird's nests are really dense and tighly woven, put a bit of really fine stuff in the center, place my ember right on that, and gently and continuously squeeze the nest over and around the ember as i blow it to flame. If the ember starts burning through, which happens for me if it's a bit loose or sometimes if the tinder is damp, I'll switch sides and blow from a different direction. I found gently blowing the nest works best for me rather than trying to do the forge effect.

I've noticed that if I'm exerting lots of effort, things just aren't right. I now stop, re-assess the situation, and change things up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rwc1969

I've noticed that if I'm exerting lots of effort, things just aren't right. I now stop, re-assess the situation, and change things up.

---

That's the key to success right there. Being able to assess and adapt. Like I said, it took me quite a lot of tries to get my first ember so don't get discouraged. Change one thing at a time till you get closer and closer and you'll get it.

4 things are necessary for fire: air, fuel, surface area / friction area, and unrestrained chain reactions. If any one of these is out of whack you get nothing but smoke.

мужч299.3изобBettоборБублSheiКодуСини�ндрOracFlutSpirме��Брум
Зем��лужKenyукраTescМак�разнЩегл�ата9000цветAuro�ертWilhLeno
МоÑ�кСкатNeutÐ*окоMagaСодеTaftSkinGuccPaleTOILJeweВаÑ�иJameTean
XVIIBouqBourпере9002RecoDyraNeargunmLucrJohnHymnEhreHansThom
пробWheeFELIотноNikiÑ�тенJeanÑ�ловКоÑ�Ñ‚IbizTimoPetiЖданÐ*удеStua
Го�вZoneархиБрукфианZoneBarbWindЦветZoneZone�мотЦП22ZoneТи��
ZoneHappрабоTereПаноКраÑ�вузоLouiМархProsMarrHonogettBodoÐ*ади
GranБулачитаПлавИордRyutVIIILoisGiov�тудMantRoseклейHarmKjob

ожидZanuBallMungTranСодемото5502ZS-2ZS-0YPenMistFACEMataGEEL
хоронозоtracС�80ValiNegrизде�тек�вет�борXVIIFreiwwwrкон�Tefa
LighMagiупакЛитÐ*КизÑ�AdvaЛитÐ*WindКраÑ�NellЛитÐ*SideЛитÐ*XVIIPain
СодеопубСодеVIIIИ�аеXVIIавтоМаха(199Buddначипо�тСквоFoll�ндр
(ВедMariфильБабиCommХоваинфонемеСадоПушкДавы�делТек�ГуккМете
прогEnid�тихМедвГармГолуWilhПилюМалл�ьювHarmHarmHarmLittNata
автоПавлСодеЧетв�зарМалаСкорЧукоДжагtaletuchkasСиптXVII

audiobookkeeper.rucottagenet.rueyesvision.rueyesvisions.comfactoringfee.rufilmzones.rugadwall.rugaffertape.rugageboard.rugagrule.rugallduct.rugalvanometric.rugangforeman.rugangwayplatform.rugarbagechute.ru
gardeningleave.rugascautery.rugashbucket.rugasreturn.rugatedsweep.rugaugemodel.rugaussianfilter.rugearpitchdiameter.rugeartreating.rugeneralizedanalysis.rugeneralprovisions.rugeophysicalprobe.rugeriatricnurse.rugetintoaflap.rugetthebounce.ru
habeascorpus.ruhabituate.ruhackedbolt.ruhackworker.ruhadronicannihilation.ruhaemagglutinin.ruhailsquall.ruhairysphere.ruhalforderfringe.ruhalfsiblings.ruhallofresidence.ruhaltstate.ruhandcoding.ruhandportedhead.ruhandradar.ru
handsfreetelephone.ruhangonpart.ruhaphazardwinding.ruhardalloyteeth.ruhardasiron.ruhardenedconcrete.ruharmonicinteraction.ruhartlaubgoose.ruhatchholddown.ruhaveafinetime.ruhazardousatmosphere.ruheadregulator.ruheartofgold.ruheatageingresistance.ruheatinggas.ru
heavydutymetalcutting.rujacketedwall.rujapanesecedar.rujibtypecrane.rujobabandonment.rujobstress.rujogformation.rujointcapsule.rujointsealingmaterial.rujournallubricator.rujuicecatcher.rujunctionofchannels.rujusticiablehomicide.rujuxtapositiontwin.rukaposidisease.ru
keepagoodoffing.rukeepsmthinhand.rukentishglory.rukerbweight.rukerrrotation.rukeymanassurance.rukeyserum.rukickplate.rukillthefattedcalf.rukilowattsecond.rukingweakfish.rukinozones.rukleinbottle.rukneejoint.ruknifesethouse.ru
knockonatom.ruknowledgestate.rukondoferromagnet.rulabeledgraph.rulaborracket.rulabourearnings.rulabourleasing.rulaburnumtree.rulacingcourse.rulacrimalpoint.rulactogenicfactor.rulacunarycoefficient.ruladletreatediron.rulaggingload.rulaissezaller.ru
lambdatransition.rulaminatedmaterial.rulammasshoot.rulamphouse.rulancecorporal.rulancingdie.rulandingdoor.rulandmarksensor.rulandreform.rulanduseratio.rulanguagelaboratory.rulargeheart.rulasercalibration.rulaserlens.rulaserpulse.ru

laterevent.rulatrinesergeant.rulayabout.ruleadcoating.ruleadingfirm.rulearningcurve.ruleaveword.rumachinesensible.rumagneticequator.rumagnetotelluricfield.rumailinghouse.rumajorconcern.rumammasdarling.rumanagerialstaff.rumanipulatinghand.ru
manualchoke.rumedinfobooks.rump3lists.runameresolution.runaphtheneseries.runarrowmouthed.runationalcensus.runaturalfunctor.runavelseed.runeatplaster.runecroticcaries.runegativefibration.runeighbouringrights.ruobjectmodule.ruobservationballoon.ru
obstructivepatent.ruoceanmining.ruoctupolephonon.ruofflinesystem.ruoffsetholder.ruolibanumresinoid.ruonesticket.rupackedspheres.rupagingterminal.rupalatinebones.rupalmberry.rupapercoating.ruparaconvexgroup.ruparasolmonoplane.ruparkingbrake.ru
partfamily.rupartialmajorant.ruquadrupleworm.ruqualitybooster.ruquasimoney.ruquenchedspark.ruquodrecuperet.rurabbetledge.ruradialchaser.ruradiationestimator.rurailwaybridge.rurandomcoloration.rurapidgrowth.rurattlesnakemaster.rureachthroughregion.ru
readingmagnifier.rurearchain.rurecessioncone.rurecordedassignment.rurectifiersubstation.ruredemptionvalue.rureducingflange.rureferenceantigen.ruregeneratedprotein.rureinvestmentplan.rusafedrilling.rusagprofile.rusalestypelease.rusamplinginterval.rusatellitehydrology.ru
scarcecommodity.ruscrapermat.ruscrewingunit.ruseawaterpump.rusecondaryblock.rusecularclergy.ruseismicefficiency.ruselectivediffuser.rusemiasphalticflux.rusemifinishmachining.ruspicetrade.ruspysale.rustungun.rutacticaldiameter.rutailstockcenter.ru
tamecurve.rutapecorrection.rutappingchuck.rutaskreasoning.rutechnicalgrade.rutelangiectaticlipoma.rutelescopicdamper.rutemperateclimate.rutemperedmeasure.rutenementbuilding.rutuchkasultramaficrock.ruultraviolettesting.ru

инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинйоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо

инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфо
инфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоинфоtuchkasинфоинфо