Questions about fire with Bow or Drill

C

Classified00_2010

Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
94
I really want to give making fire by Bow and or Drill a try. I understand the theory and the design of the components but which types of wood, found in Texas work best? As I understand it, the Drill should be harder than the base, right? :confused:

This question got me thinking. Perhaps one of the young, energetic upwardly mobile types here are looking for an exciting project to work on. It would be groovy if someone assembled a list of wood combinations from around the country or around the world that are known to make good fire sets. ;)

That way, if someone lived in or was visiting say Texas :p they would know that they could use X wood for the drill and X wood for the base :thumbup:

Thanks,
:cool:
 
I'm not from TX nor know anything about the wood there but perhaps I can help a little.

You can try the "thumbnail method" as a way to determine if the wood for the spindle and hearth is soft enough - your nail should be able to make a dent in the wood.

If the spindle is harder than the hearth, you will drill through the base faster and if the other way around, your spindle will wear away quicker. You can still make an ember either way, though.

I'm not the best in identifying different types of wood, especially if they're dead already, but the thumbnail method has worked well for me. I suggest you just go out there and try it using whatever wood you have access to - you'll quickly find out the easiest combinations for you. :cool:
 
I just watched a Ray Mears video and according to him a common misconception is that the woods need to be different. He recommends using the same wood for the spindle and the fire board. You should have a harder wood (if you use wood) for the bearing block.
 
Bow drill Woods:
You should avoid hard woods like oak, hickory, and walnut. Also try to avoid soft, resins woods like pine, spruce, and fir.

Cedar
Box Elder
Buckeye
Sycamore
Aspen
Beech
Palm
Tamarack
Viburium
Maple
Juniper
Sage
Sumac
Mesquite
Basswood
Ash
Elderberry
Cottonwood
Sassafras
Guava
Birch Yucca
any fruit tree
 
Cottonwood, and willow work well. Look around creeks and rivers for "beaver sticks".... straight pieces of stick that beavers have peeled and chewed.
 
Merost said:
He recommends using the same wood for the spindle and the fire board. You should have a harder wood (if you use wood) for the bearing block.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

If your drill is harder than your hearth, you will just wind up drilling through the hearth before you get a coal.
 
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