South Florida bowdrill woes

O

onebagnomad

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Sep 8, 2009
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237
After months of casual tests, I have been unable to find a well suited hearthboard/spindle wood down here. I'm swallowing my pride and asking for help. My property is pretty typical (I think) inland South Florida pine scrub. Does anyone familiar with this area have any tips on materials?
 
I've never attempted a bow drill, but I think the top has to be a tough, dense wood, along with the spindle.

I'd try Cyprus and/or Oak. Pine's not working for the base? Is it smoking or anything?
 
It is not about hardness as much as matching relative hardnesses. Medium density, even lightweight woods will do. My favorite combo for fire by friction is Cattail drill on Yucca hearth. Will go up quickly in a couple strokes and with minimum effort. Cedar always makes a decent starter hearth for bow drill.

Here is a link to various working bowdrill and handdrill combinations of Pacific States (Washington State and California) ranging from easy to difficult.

Scroll through it, I'm sure there are some of these species in your area:

http://www.primitiveways.com/Fire%20Making%20Materials.html


Hope this helps!:D
 
All of the pine I'm able to find around here is either punky or extremely resinous (I'm set for life in the fatwood dept). I'll try to find some standing dead cypress. As for the link, I appreciate the help, but the only tree on the list that I have around falls under "extremely difficult", that being live oak. More options in the handdrill section but I'm still working on those calluses.
 
I have not tried a bow drill so take this with a grain of salt, but looking at what we have to burn around us down here, have you tried making a board of Slash Pine?
 
:thumbup: Cedar makes for a solid hearthboard.... I've done Cedar on Cedar no problem...

Many of the hand drill combos should work for bow drill as well...


BTW, I opt away from sappy, resinous woods...
 
Red maple (Acer rubrum) on red maple will work for the bow drill. So will eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Suggest you try to find the eastern red cedar first, use sap wood, not heart wood.

Also, in that part of the world you got a great tinder that is practically everwhere ~ cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), just dig in where the old fronds are still attached (watch for snakes and ants though).
 
onebagnomad said:
All of the pine I'm able to find around here is either punky or extremely resinous (I'm set for life in the fatwood dept). I'll try to find some standing dead cypress. As for the link, I appreciate the help, but the only tree on the list that I have around falls under "extremely difficult", that being live oak. More options in the handdrill section but I'm still working on those calluses.
Click to expand...

You won't find a pine in Florida that is condusive to friction fire.
 
Is high humidity a contributor? I would imagine that this could be a factor.
 
Humidity will make a difference, try to completely dry out out what ever wood you are using.

If you can't get any, I am willing to send you some wood that I know will work:thumbup:

abo4ster said:
So will eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Suggest you try to find the eastern red cedar first, use sap wood, not heart wood.

).
Click to expand...

Really? Now I have something to do on my next day off:thumbup:

I am a big fan of White Cedar, but never tried Red Cedar, thanks for the new mission:)
 
Yucca, Basswood (Linden), Cottonwood and Paw Paw are all primo southern woods for hearthboard and drill. My teaching partner uses a Yucca drill and a Paw Paw hearthboard to demonstrate the hand drill method. I still have not been able to do it.

Willow is borderline too hard, but it will work. I've never tried Juniper because I'm rich in Yucca, Basswood and Cottonwood.
 
I'm really starting to feel like I ended up on unholy ground or something. I swear, sometimes it feels like the only thing that grows here is grass and brazillian pepper. Kind of a mixed bag down here, I have many of my W&SS needs met in abundance but got completely stiffed in others. For example, I have more cattail, fatwood, fruit, tinder and wildlife than I know what to do with. But lord help me if I decide I want to make a quality self bow, bowdrill set or a nice looking pair of handle slabs.
 
tonym said:
Humidity will make a difference, try to completely dry out out what ever wood you are using.

If you can't get any, I am willing to send you some wood that I know will work:thumbup:



Really? Now I have something to do on my next day off:thumbup:

I am a big fan of White Cedar, but never tried Red Cedar, thanks for the new mission:)
Click to expand...

Oh yeah! Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) works well for the bow drill (spindle, hearth, & even socket) and as the hearth for the hand drill. As a side note, it is not a true cedar.
 
Some Willow (Salix spp.) works well for hearth and drill. Apparently Coastal Plain Willow (S. caroliniana) grows throughout Florida. Give that a try. Also Box Elder (Acer negundo) if any grows around you. A range map shows it in north Florida.

Doc
 
Thank you everyone for your input, C Kyle especially. Went out today and found some standing dead cypress (his suggestion) and it worked well. I've never seen cypress on a list of suggested bowdrill woods, but I was pleasantly surprised.
 
onebagnomad said:
After months of casual tests, I have been unable to find a well suited hearthboard/spindle wood down here. I'm swallowing my pride and asking for help. My property is pretty typical (I think) inland South Florida pine scrub. Does anyone familiar with this area have any tips on materials?
Click to expand...
Cypress down bottom and Lignum Vitae for the drill.
Call Allgreen landscape, Nick, or Native tree nursery, Hugh, for a piece of lignum vitae.
Once you know what the tree looks like you can find it in the wild. Mostly near the Keys.
Australian pine, casuarina, would probably do in a pinch.
Those older dade county pines also have the best " fat lighter" going.
 
I grew up in the Fort Myers/Port Charlotte area. I have made alot of bow drills with cedar, oak, and when you get good, try palm. Palm is very, very soft so you need to take it easy and use palm for both the spindle and fireboard. Good luck.

Ron
 
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