My Bow Drill Fire Presentation - Pics inside.

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

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I gave a presentation at Lonestar College - Cy-Fair (where I am a professor) on how to start a bow drill fire (actually I showed them 5 others ways to start fire without matches or a lighter as well).

About 30 people attended and said a lot of nice things afterwards. I made an extra bow drill set to be raffled off (last pic) and had a TON of fun. The pics are grainy and a little out of order - but you get the point.


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Here I am in the mechanical lab (it had sprinklers and a huge bay door to open. I have, at this point in the lecture, already talked to them about preparing their fire lay, preparing the kit and so on. I am now ready for the good stuff.

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As you can see I am answering questions as I go. I am using a Hickory hearth and spindle with a river stone top rock and 550 cord in my bow. I used a tree from a branch on campus. In fact, this branch was JUST outside the lab you see here.

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Actually this picture shows me simulating what I am about to do - you can see many burned holes. This board is a five step sample board showing the steps from making the dimple to cutting the notch to burning in the hearth.

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I held the tinder bundle until it about burned me - and then set it down. I had to give it one more breath to make it REALLY go. It burned for almost 5 minutes. The tinder bundle was simply dried grass and pine needles. Way too much - but showed the advantages of prepared material. You can see the coal in the above pic - as I read for my Kosters bushcraft to help transfer the coal to the tinder bundle.

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Thanks to everyone for the help with this project. Many of you that I don't even know helped me. Doc and K Estella were GREAT in this endeavor (I haven't forgotten about your custom Ferro project Doc - I just got it back from anno).

TF
 
It must be a good way to do some pushups! :D

Nice pics and I hope everyone learned a lot! :thumbup:
 
Nicely done brother! Helping you was my pleasure. Knowledge is information shared. Thanks for spreading it around!
 
For a second I thought you were superman but then I saw it was the joint in the floor...
Great stuff!

Have you tried throwing flames from your eyes?
 
Awesome ! I wish we had courses like that at our little community college we have. Forestry is the only outdoorsy class they have, or I'd have a Phd. in bushcraft :)
 
VERY COOL! even more so that the college/university lets you teach such skills, and that everyone was so keen.

there is hope yet for the world
 
Talfuchre said:
Thanks to everyone for the help with this project. Many of you that I don't even know helped me. Doc and K Estella were GREAT in this endeavor (I haven't forgotten about your custom Ferro project Doc - I just got it back from anno). TF
Click to expand...

Sounds good, TF. Kevin must have taught you that 'laying on the floor' technique, because I don't seem to recall it. :rolleyes: :D

Is this part of a course, or how does this demonstration come about?

Doc
 
There is a hiking and camping course offered on our campus - but this was a special event for a LIFE presentation. I cannot remember what LIFE stands for - but the theory is that we make a bridge to the community by giving small lectures to anyone who wants to come about a huge variety of topics.

I have taught presentations on how to play the harmonica, how to make a Survival Bracelet and other things.

To answer questions:

1) I normally don't 'Superman' my fire - but the tinder bundle was a little loose - it had blazed up and was burning my hands. I set it down to simulate a fire lay and then blew it into a large flame. Holding it up in the air is the proper form and I was doing that... just no pics.

2) I have started fire with my eyes - but that was just on the seat of a hot girls jeans.

3) That is not a small bow - it is almost 27 inches - I am just 6'5" tall.

4) I taught them how to start fire with:

a) A Fresnel lens.
b) A Fire Piston
c) A Flint and Steel (old school).
d) A Bow Drill
e) A Firesteel (I gave away about 7 of them that I had made from wooden beads and a cut up hack saw).

Then to finish up I showed them to correct way to strike a match if they had one.

I think the next session will be how to create a survival kit for the car from inexpensive items. I will likely be soliciting help for that one. People really liked this one.

The woman who won the bow drill kit said she is giving it to her son and he is PSYCHED!

TF
 
I wish my local college taught stuff like that. Good job on the lecture Talfuchre.
 
Wow you went all out. That is excellent. It is good to hear that there was that much interest.
 
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