At long last.I've finally done it!!!!

[savagesicslayer]

I"ve finally made fire with a fire bow. My buddy took a pile of pics as I went.
I know it doesn't look like the wilds but there's 3 feet of snow and ice everywhere here so i did it all on the step of my barn under the close supervision of my Llama Tom.
I started off with an All Cedar set-up.All parts I used came from the same dead tree.The bow was maple.I used the Fire piston tinder box to hold my tinder as it was quite windy today here.

I got good smoke right off the bat.And very dark dust.I knew I couldn't stop.

Then my buddy told me to stop.I couldn't see through the smoke but there was an ember.(you can faintly see the little thread of smoke against the black dust).

I gently blew on the ember and it glowed bright.

I had made 1 mistake and didn't have my tinder right under the ember to catch it so I had to chase it around for a few desperate seconds trying to get it into the tinder box.But,once inside it was cinched.

Flame soon followed.

BTW I used a BRKT Aurora and a Swisstool to make it all.

 

[BlairB]

Congrats! I need to try that.

 

[jca21]

excellente amigo.

i gotta go make me a fire bow and drill as well.

 

[Bushman5]

awesome! well done!

i got to start doing this more often........

 

[Pritch]

Good job!

A couple of questions: First, what did you use as your bowstring? Second, how long did it take you total, from fabricating your rig until you had fire?

Thanks,

-- FLIX

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Congratulations, SSS! I know what a special moment that is. Luckily, I had a camera with me for my very first coal (after trying for many years). I took a 'Les Stroud' picture (camera held at arm's length ) of the smile on my face, and I dated the back of the photo to remind me when it was.

BTW, a lot of people don't put tinder under the hearth, but rather use a little wood chip, a leaf, etc. as a fire pan, to transfer the coal to the tinder bundle and also to keep moisture away from the coal. If you do this, you might want to do it in conjunction with a 'coal extender' - a piece of True Tinder Fungus (Inonotus obliquus), False Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomentarius) or a piece of punky wood that you ignite from the coal before you try to move it (you then transfer the coal and the coal extender to the tinder) - even if the coal falls apart, the coal extender will be sufficient to light your tinder bundle.

Doc

 

[tholiver]

Congratulations!
:thumbup:

 

[abo4ster]

Great job! What a feeling! :thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Awesome and congratulations!

 

[pict]

Well done, it feels good doesn't it. Mac

 

[savagesicslayer]

Good job!

A couple of questions: First, what did you use as your bowstring? Second, how long did it take you total, from fabricating your rig until you had fire?

Thanks,

-- FLIX

Thanks for asking.The bowstring was 550 para cord.All told it took us about I'd say a half an hour from knife in wood to flame.I was amazed at this because I've drilled for that long and got nothing in the past.It was just meant to be this time.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Great job ... I will be experimenting with this soon ... hope it works for me too.

 

[Dannyboy Leather]

Congratulations! :thumbup: Every time I can get a fire going with these ancient methods and tools; it is as exciting as it was the first time.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

If ya put the glowin' ember in the X on the tinder box and open the end just a little, (like partly takin' the lid off) all ya hafta do is blow and it bursts into flames.

When yer done just put the lid all the way on and it'll snuff out the flames, then just stuff new tinder in the end with the lid and it'll push fresh tinder into the opening makin' it ready for the next time.

 

[tknife]

Good work man. Getting my first fire with a bow drill took and amazing amount of effort (and restraint from stomping the pieces into sawdust out of frustration!)

 

[DutchV]

That's great stuff! I know guys who can't start a fire with Coleman fuel, much less a bow.

 

[wildmike]

Good job and congrats. You will always remember your first friction fire, and the renewed confidence and joy you walk away from it with.

 

[Sharp Eye]

Great work.
Your first friction fire is always an exciting time and a great memory.
Your friend did an awesome job taking the photos.

 

[task force k]

Welcome to the Firebug Club. I imagine the only fire started that way that's more exciting than the first is the one you make when you really need it. Keep practicing until it is second nature though...I thought I was pretty good at it until I demonstrated it in front of my daughter's Brownie troop...it seemed like it took forever and the average Brownie's attention span is something like six seconds. This year's campout they all get to try it. The other parents are surprisingly cool about it.