Bow drill fire for Loblolly pine... why so hard?

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

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Mar 19, 2007
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I have tried a few times to make fire with the bow drill and the loblolly pine. It was fully dry, not pitchy, and very light. It absolutely passed the thumb nail test - and made good looking dust right away... then it took FOREVER of spinning at high speed to get it to smolder into a coal. When it did - it made very fragile coal.

The first four times I tried this wood - I failed. Normally - with what I did I would have no issue with a myriad of other woods with getting a good strong coal.

Any theories on this one?

TF
 
Use your thumb nail - if it makes a nice clear indentation - good wood.

Too soft - it crumbles. Too hard - no indentation.

Make sense?

TF
 
I have never had any luck with pine. I don't know if it's the resin or the density or what.
 
tknife said:
I have never had any luck with pine. I don't know if it's the resin or the density or what.
Click to expand...

Same here. I've tried all kinds of woods, but pine never worked. Maybe the pine I tried was too hard, but it seemed that the hotter it got, the harder it got (just re-read that; I'm talking about the pine), and the end just glazed over.
 
I have only ever used Pine for a hearth board. And that was with Yucca Or Cedar as a spindle. Never had good luck with Pine on Pine. My theory, to much sap?? IDK
 
Because it is co common it would be just too easy. :D

I don't really have any idea but my SWAG would be it has to do with the density. I have even tried kiln dryed pine before, no luck. Chris
 
I think and this is just theoretical, that probably regardless of how dy the pine is there are still miniscule dried deposits of resin impregnated in the wood. as the friction heats things up the heat frees trace amounts of resin.which can easily solidfy and glaze..nust a thought, and one way I use rationalize why I can not achieve a coal with pine...

(Silently waiting for Doc's answer)
 
RR,

I was able to get a coal - but the situation was ideal (garage) the material was idea (split and sun dried) and I still had to work my butt off and even then the coal was weak and had to be coaxed into life.

TF
 
I got coals from White Pine. It took 3 tries to get it right. For me it was my downward pressure that needed adjusting....
 
I have found that pine needs less pressure and more speed. The wood seems to grind down faster... IMO, it makes too much dust for it to heat to ignition. Laying off on the pressure and speeding up makes more heat less dust... which the "fire gods" seem to prefer for pine.

Rick
 
Okay tal you're on my s list. Two posts in different subforums and no pics. Ahh yeah, s list. ;)
 
Hey RR, looks like your questions have been answered. I've only used Pine, once or twice and I don't remember it being a problem, but since there are generally better choices available.......

Doc
 
Magnussen said:
I have found that pine needs less pressure and more speed. The wood seems to grind down faster... IMO, it makes too much dust for it to heat to ignition. Laying off on the pressure and speeding up makes more heat less dust... which the "fire gods" seem to prefer for pine.

Rick
Click to expand...

My attempts at white pine last week met without success, but I agree with Rick's suggestion. Right off the bat I was producing smoke and too much brown dust. I then shaved my spindle smaller in diameter and lightened up the pressure. This started to create black dust and things were looking good. Then my thin spindle snapped on me. I screamed my 'agony of defeat' scream and manufactured a couple of cuss words. Then I used cotton wood and all was harmonious again.

I used a fir tree a few months back and it worked great as did cedar. I tried ash. Everything was looking good, even the dust, but I just couldn't get that sucker to go. I'd even have independent smoke trailing out of my dust pile and I'd fan that baby for about 3 minutes and it would just trail out. So close, so close, but no cigar!

Bowdrill on different woods is like gambling - lots of random reinforcement which contributes to the addiction!
 
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