I failed

B

benchmadebob

Joined
May 12, 2008
Messages
756
I am trying to make a fire with a fire bow. I get lots of smoke and i know that means to keep going so i do. And it feel like as soon as im right on the cusp of a coal my spindle flys into the air. I also get good amounts of dust but no coal. Im using pine for a spindle and pine for the socket and a pine bow witch works pretty good with para cord. and a piece of hemlock for the base. And al my materials are dry but i cant get a coal. And for tinder im using jute twine. Also it seem the para cord get slippery after the 20th try and dosnt spin the spinde very good. So if you have any idea what my problem is please give me some info.
 
pine has too much resin...and is generally too soft.. what color is the dust?? learning how to read dust properly is the next step towards correcting your technique after selecting the appropiate wood of course...
 
Pine is supposed to be problematic because of the resin content. I had cedar work for me, however. I like using paracord although it is slipperier then other cords. Why I like it is because it is so strong, you can wrap the spindle very tight. You will have to adjust the knots every few tries to keep it tight.

If you are getting black dust and smoke then the wood is probably okay. Make sure you aren't pressing too hard on the spindle with the head piece. That is one thing I do frequently and it leads to both fatique and having the spindle randomly unbalance itself and fly off the hearth.

If possible, make the hearth and spindle from the same piece of wood or limb. I had a problem with cedar, until I made both from pieces from the same wood block. Then it worked. When you see the smoke, try not to tense up. Increase your speed, but you don't have to increase it drastically. Just about 20% more or so. It is more important to keep your shoulders and muscles relaxed and your spindle spinning than to step up the speed. You will have a coal when you find the smoke coming from multiple places. When you remove the spindle, it should still be smoking for a few seconds on its own. Then wave the coal with your hand to feed it oxygen.
 
kgd said:
Pine is supposed to be problematic because of the resin content. I had cedar work for me, however. I like using paracord although it is slipperier then other cords. Why I like it is because it is so strong, you can wrap the spindle very tight. You will have to adjust the knots every few tries to keep it tight.

If you are getting black dust and smoke then the wood is probably okay. Make sure you aren't pressing too hard on the spindle with the head piece. That is one thing I do frequently and it leads to both fatique and having the spindle randomly unbalance itself and fly off the hearth.

If possible, make the hearth and spindle from the same piece of wood or limb. I had a problem with cedar, until I made both from pieces from the same wood block. Then it worked. When you see the smoke, try not to tense up. Increase your speed, but you don't have to increase it drastically. Just about 20% more or so. It is more important to keep your shoulders and muscles relaxed and your spindle spinning than to step up the speed. You will have a coal when you find the smoke coming from multiple places. When you remove the spindle, it should still be smoking for a few seconds on its own. Then wave the coal with your hand to feed it oxygen.
Click to expand...

Im going back out and im gona try with cedar. I will report back soon. THANKS.
 
I did it wooooooooooooo. i got a coal but i couldnt get my jute to light im going to try tommaorw with a digi cam and ill put it on youtube. Thanks kgd a bunch.
 
Try using a bigger tinder bundle as well about the size of a large orange of loosely packed highly teased twine
 
Well done! Another tip is to place a dead leaf under the hearth, as the dust settles on it and then eventuates into a coal, you can use the leaf to more easily transfer the coal to the bundle.
 
benchmadebob said:
I did it wooooooooooooo. i got a coal but i couldnt get my jute to light im going to try tommaorw with a digi cam and ill put it on youtube. Thanks kgd a bunch.
Click to expand...

Awesome good job.

Take dinkum's advice and place a piece of bark or a leaf under the wedge of the heath to catch the coal. Make sure you have your tindle bundle at the ready before beginning the drill. Take about 8" of jute twine. Unravel it into individual strands and make a little birds nest with the fibres. If you want to double up you insurance, stick a piece of charcloth in there as a coal extender.

Now when you have your coal, pick up the leaf or bark that it is resting on and carefully pour it into the depression of your tinder bundle. Fold the strands over the coal. Hold it up in the air and blow upwards.

Good luck!
 
If your spindle is flying - you are moving about too much. Try a bow with a decent amount of bend to it. I found when learning that a bendable bow can take up some of the poor form you will have when learning.

Also - check out the notch size - if your notch is oversized - it can cause the spindle to FLY acrossed the garage.

Also - you didn't fail - you learned. ;)

TF
 
Talfuchre said:
Also - check out the notch size - if your notch is oversized - it can cause the spindle to FLY acrossed the garage.

Also - you didn't fail - you learned. ;)

TF
Click to expand...
So very , very true. That's one that's hard to figure out on your own.
:thumbup:
 
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