Bow Drill. Let's help KGD acheive his New Years Resolution.

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
7,443
Here is what I want to do. I want to make the DEFINITIVE Bow Drill thread for WSS. Many contributors are awesome at teaching the Bow Drill. Many have great tutorials. You all have helped me a ton in making a bow drill fire a relatively easy thing.

I will start by posting the links to Bow Drill fire that helped me. If anyone wants to post up tips, tricks, or things they have done to make a good bow drill fire.

I will also commit to sending a White Cedar Hearth, 3 drills, and the makings of a kit to KGD to help out - if he wants it.

Here are the links - please help keep the thread clean and only post tips, tricks, how to's, or pictures:

This is a great web site and very complete - be sure to read it all:

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/index.html

And excellent video giving a demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0bEoVhxFJ8

Ray Mears rockin' the primitive Bow Drill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn9GmxWvABk

Part One of a three part comprehensive series - not bad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLS66JEOGmc&feature=related

This is a great list of Bow Drill Materials.

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/storm_inquiry/index.html

Help me make this thread complete.

TF
 
After you burned out your hole and cut out your notch, put a little sand in the hole before you go for the coal. It helps by adding friction.

A lil trick Kev taught me.
 
if you start a dedicated thread for this... we schould see if we can get a link to kev's powerpoijnt on the subject. it's awesome. DOc also as usual has many wonderfully infromative and helpfull things to add to this subject I'm sure.
 
I wish I was more help here, I've only used a drill once, it worked but I don't remember what all I have done, I do know that I can do it, but I've never needed to.

It will be nice to see what information comes up here, I do want to learn more. Thanks guys. :thumbup:
 
Ahw, that is very nice of you guys. Talfuchre - you are like a drill sergeant :D :D I will do my best to live up to such lofty obligations!
 
I wish I could figure out where to load a document that everyone could download - I would load up Kevin's powerpoint. It was awesome. I modified his a bit for a presenation I gave - and people thought it was awesome too.

TF
 
Talfuchre said:
I wish I could figure out where to load a document that everyone could download - I would load up Kevin's powerpoint. It was awesome. I modified his a bit for a presenation I gave - and people thought it was awesome too.

TF
Click to expand...

Why not just ask for interest and compose an e-mail? Seems to be the easiest solution...
 
I've not seen Kev's document. I'm interested. I did get one working once, back in my Tracker days. I have sold that bad boy since, but remember the good ol' days!
 
Okay - looks like I have a bit of reading to do. I took the first step of downloading all the HTML documents, printed them as Adobe files and have organized a folder on Bow Drill Techniques in my Survival Folder. I wish you could download Youtube videos for viewing off line!

I'll sit through this. Talfuchre, I wouldn't mine a hearth and drill as a practice set. I of course want to make my own, but based on the initial links, it seems that getting the technique right and being able to diagnose your method by the dust colour is important. Knowing you have a functioning hearth and drill will at least take the question mark out of that process.

One I have that, then I want to be able to make a key of trees with appropriate wood. We have lots of basswood around my parts and cedar gets abundant just north of me. Thanks, this will be a good project. Now I have to go into work. Ahhw holidays are over for me!
 
KGD,

I would suggest, for your first set, simply going to a lumber yard, and getting a piece of 1 x 4 White Cedar or Bass Wood. Poplar would be okay, Red Cedar would be okay - but a little harder than the first two.

Rip down a few spindles about 9 inches long that are .75 inches by .75 inches. Use your knife to turn those into octagon's and sharpen both ends.

Cut off a hearth board about 24 inches long (or so). This will give you spindles and a hearth.

Next, find a good rock that fits in your hand. Use a 1/2 inch masonry bit and a hand drill and cut a dimple in it about 1/4 inch deep. This will serve as a permanent top bearing. This top bearing will make life a LOT easier when starting.

Use this as your kit (you will need to make a bow - but that is simply a matter of a branch and some line - I like 550 cord - but have read that simple cotton clothes line makes for a grippier piece of cordage.

I would use kiln dried wood that you KNOW works for your first coal. You can always get your confidence up and then move on to more traditional means. This is what I did - trust me - you have enough hours of watching to spindle fly across your basement ahead of you - you don't need to second guess yourself about materials. Plus the flat hearth and straight spindles will make life easier.

Getting smoke will come fast - being able to diagnose your dust (with the link I gave above) will allow you to go on from there. Usually more speed and more pressure is what is needed - but you might be one of those fit ham fisted dudes that get the spindle to drill instead of burn - in either case - brown dust - faster and more pressure - black curls - too much pressure.

Here is my one piece of advice - and you will read it elsewhere. Get good pressure and speed to get enough dust in the notch. When you see you have good smoke and a good amount of dust - back off the pressure a tad bit and go for speed. You need to get that dust to 700+ degrees to get it to burn. Go until you cannot go anymore - make a controlled stop and see if you have a coal. Once you get the spindle under control - the rest is feel.

Kev,

THANKS for uploading that - you are a champ!

TF
 
Bake it baby!

If you're getting wood for a set that isn't very, very dry, make the kit and bake it (preferably outdoors in a BBQ or toaster oven) at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Repeat if necessary.
 
I've seen several recommendations for an 8-9" spindle. Is there a particular advantage to having a spindle this long? I've always used one around 6". It's just high enough to clear my boot and I feel like it's easier for me to keep steady while 'drilling.' Maybe with some more practice a 9" spindle wouldn't seem as difficult?
 
SMCC,

Yes there is - with a shorter spindle wiggles in your worm are amplified. A 5 degree wiggle in a shorter spindle takes less travel than a 5 degree wiggle in a longer spindle.

I find you can go even longer if you would like - but weight adds to slowing down the spindle. I have seen guys use two footers.



KGD,

In your honor today I worked up a bow drill kit from scratch. I used a Mexican Sycamore branch (Platanus Mexicana) and split it to about 1 inch thick and two feet long.

I made a spindle from a branch about 9 inches long and about an inch thick.

Bushcraft001.jpg


I made a dimple with my farmer and then burnt in the hole.

Bushcraft002.jpg


Once I had the burned in hole - I made a notch. I made this notch approximately 1/8th the size of the hole (pie slice).

Bushcraft004.jpg


I then put a business card under the hearth to catch the coal and got to work. About 30 seconds later here is what I had:

Bushcraft005.jpg


I dumped it into a little practice tinder bundle I use - filled with shredded cedar bark and blew it up into this:

Bushcraft006.jpg


You can do it bro - trust me.

TF
 
Riley,

What do you think of Northern? I love Mexican Sycamore - it is common here in Texas. It is a little harder wood for a novice but I find that it makes GREAT and stable coals quickly if you can get enough speed a pressure.

TF
 
northern sycamore is all right... it's no poplar though... I have a hard time gettting a good coal got to bear down real good..also it's been pretty wet here lately, so I'm sure that doesnt help. I think norther sycamore while being acceptable is more on the borderline with woods like cedar poplar and aspen being "money" so to speak.
 
Cedar and Pine is my 'Money' in any condition.

Can I make a suggestion - I have heard of 'warming the hearth'. Simply go slower, don't wear yourself out - when you see a wisp of smoke - slow down. I have heard this can drive the wetness out of a hearth quickly and make the process easier. I hope I haven't spoken out of turn.

I am 6'5" so pressure usually isn't a problem. I just get over top of it and bear down. I might think a little harder wood is better.

I have been able to get a coal from Oak before. Dear GOD it wore me out but I got it.

TF
 
no all feedback is always welcome.. I'm certainly no expert, just trying same as everyone else. I'll give it a shot....I'm significantly smaller, 5'9 but I'm in pretty good shape... I'll try warming up the wood a bit
 
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