Fire drill

[chazzpott]

I am going to have a go at making a fire drill, or fire bow. I've got all the details on how to do it, have seen them used on telly loads of times and know what's required. The only problem is, in all the books, et al, that I have got and read, nowhere does it state which woods to use. Not even Mr. Mears tells you
I know the drill needs to be hardwood and the board softwood, but which woods are best? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Charlie.

[FungiJus]

Hey Chazzpot - looks like you don't have many takers for your question, but I shall let you know what I know (which isn't much I'm afraid).

I have read (can't remember the source) that sycamore is good for this job. I made myself a bow, drill and hearth (?) out of sycamore, but as yet, despite a good long while pushing and pulling, haven't fully succeeded in getting anything to light. I think my problem is that the drill I ended up with was too large in diameter, leading to too slow a rotation and hence not enough friction.

I did attend a bushcraft course a few years ago, and their advice was not to have too much of a difference in the hardness of both woods as you will only end up wearing one or other out too quickly, and not get enough friction. On the course they had a cedar hearth, but, somewhat unhelpfully, I can't remember what they used for the drill...

You do however want a harder wood for the "anvil" (your top hand).

If your'e really interested, here is a link to the Youtube video of me failing miserably to make fire with sticks....

YouTube - andysnlong's Channel

Hope this helps ?
Best of luck!

[nightshade]

Try an Oak drill and a softer resinous fireboard, Willow, Poplar, Sycamore, Larch Look for papery bark like birch or juniper or even woodbine for tinder.
Birch fine twigs and twigs have a natural oilyness and catch well.

[darylp]

Hi Chazzpott

Well you have set yourself a challenge .
Firstly I would forget fire drill for the moment and use the bow drill method of fire by friction first, once proficient then at that think about the fire drill.
The reason for this is twofold, firstly its phyically easier to generate drill speeds and pressure needed to raise the temperature of the wood to make a usable coal/ember for ignition of tinder, secondly in the northern latitudes the ambient environmental moisture and the high moisture content of the wood used, even dry, dead wood inhibits the production of a coal when using the lower pressure and speed of a hand drill.

Now the thing to remember with any firemaking is preperation, preperation, preperation!!!! Have everything ready and to hand, especially tinder, nothing worse than getting an ember/coal and nothing to put it in!! Second rule is persistance!!!

You wont get it first time (ruddy lucky if you do), just keep at it.

There are many misconceptions about woods and combinations, to use. First the woods dont need to be of a different species, or soft hearth, hard drill etc.

Ive been succesful with hazel, drill and hearth, ivy (easy) drill and hearth, Western red cedar and hearth (fairly easy), horse chestnut drill and hearth(look at it and catch fire), oak drill and hearth (very hard), goat willow drill and hearth (not to bad) hazel and lime, hazel and ivy, Ivy and willow.

Forget oak, beech, holly, chestnut (lots of smoke no fire), mainly because they are difficult.

I would start with ivy, western red cedar or or goat willow.

• Good size bow, with good quality cord (about the length of armpit to finger tip).
• Drill length about 12" 30cm, about as thick as your middle finger and as round as possible, longer drill makes life easier.
• One end with an acute point carved (goes to bearing block) the other fairly obtuse.
• Make the bearing block out of a harder wood such as holly
• Good clean notch cut in the hearth, not to wide.
• Lock everything in place well the drill should be perpendicular to the hearth and the bearing the block locked into your shin, the more stable the better.
• Start bowing slowly with minimal downward pressure until you get the 'action' then increase speed and pressure.

Voila, seriously if you need any tips or have any problems just shout, ive probably been there and hopefully know the solution.

Good luck

[Dragonyka]

That's fascinating darylp. I've done a lot of camping and cooking on campfires, but never started one without at least one match And wouldn't have known where to start before I read your post.

I had to look up the bearing block and it all makes sense now I'll have to have a try one day.

Thanks!

[chazzpott]

Thanks guys for all your input, it's all been very interesting and hopefully useful.
All I need to do now is go out and find some more suitable pieces of wood and get whittling and practising Many thanks to Fauna also. I got your PM thanks. A very informative site.
One further question regarding the bearing block. I have found a nice round stone (a type of flint) with an almost perfect depression in the middle. Do you think this would work.

Cheers. Charlie.

[darylp]

Chazzpott

A stone can be used as a very effective bearing block, as long as the depression is deep enough to retain the tip of the spindle (drill), add a little lubrication (soft leaf crushed with a little water) to reduce the friction.

[nightshade]

Soapstone was the favourite material for a bearing block, as it is self lubricating usual source was jumble sale ornaments like ashtrays and ugly statues

[chazzpott]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Soapstone was the favourite material for a bearing block, as it is self lubricating usual source was jumble sale ornaments like ashtrays and ugly statues

Now that's a good idea. It's nice and soft too, so easy to carve.