Friction Fire!

Pritch

Pritch

Joined
May 3, 2006
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Over Labor Day, my wife and I went back out to the log cabin near Mt. Baker. One of my goals for this trip was to build and use a bow and drill to make fire. I didn't want to be studying a survival manual while I did it, so I determined I would just use what info I could remember.

I had brought up a piece of dry cottonwood because Doc and/or others saying that it is important to have a hard fireboard and spindle. It turns out that the cottonwood fireboard was too hard, but the spindle was fine. I also used a piece of the cottonwood for my bearing block. For a replacement fireboard, I took a piece of firewood off of the pile, split off a board with my RAT-7, and carved the start of the hole with my Mini-Northstar and my Kershaw folder.

The stick I chose for the bow was not really springy, but had a good shape to it. I used jute rope for the bowstring and unraveled more for my tinder bundle.

Here is the finished kit and the tools used:
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I modified the bow with a "tensioner" so that I could snug up the string on the fly. It worked pretty well.

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So after farting around with building the kit, and trying to drill through the cottonwood fireboard, I was about spent! I managed to get a lot of smoke, but was too tired to keep up long enough to get an ember.

Brainstorm! You're not always all by yourself when you are in a survival situation and need a fire. I recruited my nephew to work the bow while I held the bearing block.

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It took a couple of trys to get coordinated, but it worked! We got an ember, which I successfully transferred to my tinder bundle and blew into a flame. Unfortunately, the girls were napping, so no photographic evidence.

We did a happy dance, caught our breath, and tried it again for the cameras. About that time, the original hole in the fireboard was all done so we had to start a new one. We got a weak ember, but I managed to kill it prior to successfully transferring it to the tinder bundle.

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So far we haven't replicated our original success, but now that I have the setup, I'll try it at home.

-- FLIX
 
Looks like good fun and pracitce, if you know you can do it then its just another mental edge you have going for you in the bush.
 
QUOTE:I had brought up a piece of dry cottonwood because Doc and/or others saying that it is important to have a hard fireboard and spindle. It turns out that the cottonwood fireboard was too hard, but the spindle was fine. I also used a piece of the cottonwood for my bearing block. What do you mean by hard, are you talking about a hardwood vis a vis a conifer? It's better if the wood isn't too hard (like Oak or Elm). Perhaps the Cottonwood was too dry? If it was it will tend to 'polish' the wood rather than to create the necessary friction.

I modified the bow with a "tensioner" so that I could snug up the string on the fly. It worked pretty well. That's pretty innovative. I can see where it would work pretty well. There are other methods. The one I use is a forked stick with unequal diameter forks, and I can determine the tension on the string by how the cord is wrapped around the forks.

We got a weak ember, but I managed to kill it prior to successfully transferring it to the tinder bundle. With any of the Poplars (Cottonwood is one) and Basswood (Tilia americana) the coals formed are usually more fragile than a lot of other materials (they fall apart when you're transferring them to your tinder bundle), so before you move the coal, start a piece of punky wood, or some false/true tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius/Inonotus obliquus) smouldering, then transfer your coal and the 'coal extender' to your tinder bundle. Even if the coal falls apart, the 'coal extender' will continue to burn.

Doc
 
I did it once using an old boot lace for the bowstring. Maybe it was more a problem with the lace, but I found that it slipped too much on the spindle piece. I solved that problem by using the wood saw on my SAK and just made long (longitudinal) scratches up the spindle. It roughed up the spindle enough for the lace to grab it and spin it without slipping.

I used cedar for the bow, spindle, and fireboard and the bottom of a broken bottle for the bearing block. It wasn't easy, but I got fire!
 
Hi Doc,

Yeah, the Cottonwood was VERY dry.

I'm not sure what the replacement fireboard is. I cut it from a previously cut piece of firewood. The bark looked just like the four spindly trees behind the cabin in this picture. They are desidiuous, pretty straight, and only have a few branches, very high up. Does anybody recognize it?

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I tried to zoom it in a little better.

192450768-L.jpg


-- FLIX
 
QUOTE=lukusI did it once using an old boot lace for the bowstring. Maybe it was more a problem with the lace, but I found that it slipped too much on the spindle piece.Rather than using a single piece of shoe lace, reverse twist it and it will grab the drill much better. I solved that problem by using the wood saw on my SAK and just made long (longitudinal) scratches up the spindle. It roughed up the spindle enough for the lace to grab it and spin it without slipping.
 
I makes me happy :) to see folks acquiring the skills rather than equipment. Occasionally equipment will allow us to overcome lack of skills, but not always. And as I constantly harp, anything you can own can be lost, stolen, broken or worn out, or taken from you. As long as you have your ability to think and reason, the skills will be with you.

Codger :thumbup:
 
Nice job Flix! Congrats :) I'm still trying myself, like you did before, I can make a ton of smoke signals! and this sounds bad but like Doc said I've polished a lot of wood too :D Very good tips here, coals falling apart, types of wood, I'll get it...
 
lukus said:
I did it once using an old boot lace for the bowstring. Maybe it was more a problem with the lace, but I found that it slipped too much on the spindle piece. I solved that problem by using the wood saw on my SAK and just made long (longitudinal) scratches up the spindle. It roughed up the spindle enough for the lace to grab it and spin it without slipping.
Click to expand...

That is a great idea. I run into that problem alot. I carved the middle portion of the drill into a square. That gives it a gear like action it helps but sometimes that doesn't work.

Using anoth person is what I must do to succeed at this. I have been trying on and off for a long time but haven't had success.
 
Try making the spindle more of a hexagon shape too, with squared edges. It gives the cordage a better grab. Nice work though. It's a great feeling the first time you get a coal!
 
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