- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,443
Once you get the basics down - Doc and many others on this board have AWESOME tutorials on making a bow drill fire - I was reminded of a thing for newer people to the art to remember.
Don't worry so much about the TYPE of wood - as to the PROPERTIES.
The last two bow drill fires I have made in the field have been with wood that I did not, and likely could not, identify. Today, while making a bow drill kit for my brother, I grabbed standing dead tree that had the right properties. The first try with the spindle from the same tree and I had a coal that lasted nearly 5 minutes when simply left to smolder.
The properties you are looking for are:
1) As dry as you can get it (although you can cheat this a bit).
2) Medium hard wood - that passes the "Thumb Nail test)
3) Not punky
4) a thumb sized section that is straight (or close to straight) for about 9 inches - this will make up the spindle.
5) a double thumb sized section that is about 12 inches long - this will make up the hearth.
I often can make the entire bow drill kit (sans the hand hold - I like to find a section of oak for this) out of one branch or smaller tree that is standing dead. I take the thicker section and make my hearth and the middle section and make a few spindles and the top section to make my bow.
The Thumb Nail Test:
When you press your thumb nail into a bare section of wood (I simply take a little bark off with my blade) it should made a nice dent in the wood. To test this - grab some Oak, some Pine, and some White Cedar (all of this can be found at Home Depot) - the Oak will BARELY make a dent, the balsa will crush, and the White Cedar will make a nice impression. Remember that impression that the White Cedar made - this is what you will be looking for when you are in the field.
Hope this helps,
TF
Don't worry so much about the TYPE of wood - as to the PROPERTIES.
The last two bow drill fires I have made in the field have been with wood that I did not, and likely could not, identify. Today, while making a bow drill kit for my brother, I grabbed standing dead tree that had the right properties. The first try with the spindle from the same tree and I had a coal that lasted nearly 5 minutes when simply left to smolder.
The properties you are looking for are:
1) As dry as you can get it (although you can cheat this a bit).
2) Medium hard wood - that passes the "Thumb Nail test)
3) Not punky
4) a thumb sized section that is straight (or close to straight) for about 9 inches - this will make up the spindle.
5) a double thumb sized section that is about 12 inches long - this will make up the hearth.
I often can make the entire bow drill kit (sans the hand hold - I like to find a section of oak for this) out of one branch or smaller tree that is standing dead. I take the thicker section and make my hearth and the middle section and make a few spindles and the top section to make my bow.
The Thumb Nail Test:
When you press your thumb nail into a bare section of wood (I simply take a little bark off with my blade) it should made a nice dent in the wood. To test this - grab some Oak, some Pine, and some White Cedar (all of this can be found at Home Depot) - the Oak will BARELY make a dent, the balsa will crush, and the White Cedar will make a nice impression. Remember that impression that the White Cedar made - this is what you will be looking for when you are in the field.
Hope this helps,
TF
