Dick Baugh - concerning bow drill fires with stick hearth board.

[Diomedes Industries]

Check out this link HERE.

I was greatly confused as to how this worked - I asked the following questions to Dick for clarification. I thought you would like to see the answers.

My questions are in normal type - Dick's answers are in bold and italics.


I believe I can see in the picture that you only tie one end - why?

Both ends should be tied.

Where does the coal fall?

Into the previously drilled hold next to the spindle.

I hope I can successfully answer your questions. This method, in my opinion, is not as reliable as the notch method but its advantage is that it can be done without a knife. A gentleman from Texas sent me photos of a different notchless hearthboard method wherein a wider pilot hole was drilled from the bottom. After the drill broke through the char fell directly under the drill. The originals were found in dry caves in Texas.

Feel free to ask more questions.

Dick

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Hey TF,

You can see in the bottom of the 3 pictures that the sticks are tied on both ends.

Dick Baugh: Into the previously drilled hold next to the spindle.

I don't think Dick was trying to mislead you, but the original coal forms in the depression formed by the 2 sticks touching on each side. I have got a coal on each side of the drill at the same time, occasionally.

If this isn't clear, I'll draw a sketch.

Dick's recommendation (well maybe not quite a recommendation, but it should be) of Kochanski's book is a good one . Given the interest and effort you have displayed in fire by friction, I would advise you pick up a copy. It has a lot of other good stuff that you don't see in many similar-genre books.

Doc

 

[Diomedes Industries]

Doc. I don't believe he was trying to mislead. I missed the last picture somehow - but I just thought I would share what he replied. It made sense after he explained it to me as he did above.

I will look into the book. I love the fact that I work at a college that has a public library attached. It means I have about 12 full time librarians that can help find texts for me to borrow.

TF

 

[shotgunner11]

Bushcraft is an amazingly good book. Great discriptions and nice illustrations.