Bow drill question

ISKski

ISKski

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What wood in the north east (particularly Pennsylvania) is best for making the different components of a bow drill? I tried with what I think was Norway Pine, and some other non-descript very soft wood - and i had it going, but it seemed that it was mostly my materials that were working against me.. Do you want soft wood or hard wood for the drill/base? and do you want all the wood to be dry deadfall? any help would be great, thanks in advance

ISK
 
Look for some other woods. Like willow, cottonwood, bass wood, etc. those are some great starter woods for the bow drill. also get a tree identification book to help with learning the different trees in your area. Also try different woods for the spindles and the hearth boards.
IMG_1669.jpg


Also dont for get you practice using a corn cob for a spindle and as a hearth board with you put 2 together like in the bottom of the pic I posted. It really works and is neat to show people :)

Once you see some smoke just keep on drilling and then watch for the dust in the notch to collect and gather there as it piles up it will not be long and then it will form the coal and start smoking on it own.

keep at it, you will get it.

Bryan
 
sicily02 said:
Also dont for get you practice using a corn cob for a spindle and as a hearth board with you put 2 together like in the bottom of the pic I posted. It really works and is neat to show people :)

Bryan
Click to expand...

That is the first I've heard of using a corn cob. I'll have to try that.
 
Thanks, Doc.

Remo1, Next month will be one year since I heard of it and tried it lol. I hope you give it a try. it really is a neat way to spin a coal up. Just some heads up make sure you skin the cob down as much as you can and use a bearing that will keep any of your fingers away from the cob spindle if not you will take the flesh off your fingers. I learned that the hard way lol.

ISKski, If you are able and do not want to look for dead wood to make your spindle and hearth you can cut up some wet or green wood and then carve your spindle and hearth then set them aside and let them dry it can take just a few hours to several day with soft wood and with the harder woods it can take up to a week.
If you look in that pic with the spindles and hearths you will see bald cypress. I cut that green at 9 am back in march or april skinned it and shaped and set it out in the sun to dry. it was 52 degrees and a light breeze. At 3:30 pm that SAME day I used a corn cob to spin up a coal. Now that walnut in the pic I did the same thing and it took me 5 days before I got my coal. I tried it at 3 days but nothing. a couple of days ( day 5) I got my coal. Thge reason I am telling you this is there is video on Youtube where a guy cut fresh Willow and carves it all up and then says it will take 3 months to dry before it will be ready. That is a crock of crap. It does not take that long. Anyways If you get a chance and try this....Great. Only by trying it out will you see what works and what does not.

I like to collect and carve up green wood into my spindles and hearth boards. On the med to hard woods it really makes it easy to do when you get the wood green or close to it. when hard wood is seasoned and dry I personely do not like to carve that stuff.
In the next couple of picks you can see that I got some sycamore wood 5" thick and about 5 feet of it. I got this just a couple of days back in my neck of the woods. A storm and nocked over that small tree a couple of weeks back and I am not letting it go with out getting me some prize straight grain sycamore wood for spindles and hearth boards.
Today I cut off a portion of that log and then split it with my knife and carved up a few hearth boards and one fat spindle this afternoon.

IMG_0403-1.jpg


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Anyways I hope this helps ya and anyone else.

Bryan

PS. KEmSAT Survival if you read this take a look at that knife with orange handle. I did change the pommel some as I did not like the angles that you designed on your knife design. other than that I keep it pretty close I think. Great design. I hope to use the divit in the handle wednesday. for the bow drill.
 
sicily02 said:
Thanks, Doc.

PS. KEmSAT Survival if you read this take a look at that knife with orange handle. I did change the pommel some as I did not like the angles that you designed on your knife design. other than that I keep it pretty close I think. Great design. I hope to use the divit in the handle wednesday. for the bow drill.
Click to expand...

Bryan, tell me something, why are most handle designs with a bow drill divot, placing it so close to the end of the handle? If I were making it, I would put it in the centre and use 4 pins instead of 3. I think it would be much more comfortable to use.

Doc
 
DOC, this is the first time I have ever done that to a knife handle. I did mine here instead of in the middle to try out since there is a longer blade and more wieght towards it I thought it might balance it out a bit more. The design that I was sent for this knife design does the the divit in the middle but after i handled the knife when I got the handles on it I had a thought to move it over some. If it does not work I can change out the handle and redrill if I want. If you want to know how it works just let me know and I will tell ya.

Chat with you later,

Bryan
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Bryan, tell me something, why are most handle designs with a bow drill divot, placing it so close to the end of the handle? If I were making it, I would put it in the centre and use 4 pins instead of 3. I think it would be much more comfortable to use.

Doc
Click to expand...

I think maybe the intent behind that is to put the divot in a place less like to effect the stronger fingers in the hand that do the most gripping in the handle. Maybe to keep from causing hot spots in the tips of the fingers applying the most force in a grip in long term use. However having knives with divots near the pommel end and ones with it in the center I find all of them serviceable but the ones with the divot in the center more comfortable for a bearing. Personally if I ever do one of my own handles that way on a longer bladed knife I am going to try the divot closer to the blade end of the handle so the weight balances better and I can then just apply the pressure with the heel of my palm.
 
That's cool, Bryan. Looks like it works, judging from that mountain of shavings! Like I said on the phone, you're free to have fun with it and change the original however you need to. I hope it works well and performs like I had hoped when I conceptualized it.
Just seeing it in quasi-real life is fullfilling enough for my miniscule little ego.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Bryan, tell me something, why are most handle designs with a bow drill divot, placing it so close to the end of the handle? If I were making it, I would put it in the centre and use 4 pins instead of 3. I think it would be much more comfortable to use.

Doc
Click to expand...

I would think, closer to the end would make it easier to use while in a sheath, and safer as well

sicily02 said:
Look for some other woods. Like willow, cottonwood, bass wood, etc. those are some great starter woods for the bow drill. also get a tree identification book to help with learning the different trees in your area. Also try different woods for the spindles and the hearth boards.
IMG_1669.jpg


Also dont for get you practice using a corn cob for a spindle and as a hearth board with you put 2 together like in the bottom of the pic I posted. It really works and is neat to show people :)

Once you see some smoke just keep on drilling and then watch for the dust in the notch to collect and gather there as it piles up it will not be long and then it will form the coal and start smoking on it own.

keep at it, you will get it.

Bryan
Click to expand...

Got to love the corn cob. And JCL-MD is right the stalk will work to.
 
Try cedar for the hearth.I have had great success with it.For the spindle anything from the cedar itself to whatever other wood I've tried so far.
 
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