Anyone Else Like Fire Drills?

Hello,

Never had much luck starting fire with flint and steel.

A magnifying glass works well, but only if the sun's out.

I figured out a fire drill back in my experimental archeology days. Very easy to make in just a few minutes and very effective once you learn to use it properly.

Anyone else here a fan?

Josh

The Boy Scouts in central Indiana are big fans. "Popping a spark" is a ritual of passage there.

Been there done that. It's good to know a few different ways.
Me, it's hand drill with Mullin stalk (easy local find), haven't actually got embers with a bow drill, but can get it smokin like the dickens.
I think my troubles at that time was my hearth.

Sorry ta hear yer havin trouble with the flint-n-steel, seems to be the premeire trad' way of gettin'er goin.

Paulvallindigham has some good tips on the fire drill/bow, but I prefer flint & steel . . . provided the char-cloth is available and dry.

The last time I used a fire bow was in Boy Scouts in the nasty 'ol Five methods to burn a string tied between stakes 12" off the ground relays.

A lot more fun to watch than do. :rotf:

In our wet climate it's about the only way to go if you run out of any tinder you brought with you and have to use native sources. All you need is a string of some sort, and I've even managed to use green spruce root for a "string." Flint and steel is fine for show up here, but a drill is going to save your hiney when it really counts.

I have tried for years with local wood but only get smoke.

I purchased a bow drill "kit" at a Traditional Archery shoot earlier this year. I know the base is Basswood and the drill is Yucca. I can have a good ember in about 5 minutes and fire a few seconds later.

It's all in the wood.....I just need to find local stuff that works.

Willow, and poplar( Cottonwood, Aspen) are the best woods available across this continent. There are many species of willow, but all are very good for making both spindles and fireboards, once Dried.

With my own spindle, using the techniques described, I have had embers in less than 30 seconds. I would not waste your time with giving you this information unless it produces BETTER RESULTS, FASTER, than more traditional approaches.

In survival situations, you are controlled by the Law of Conservation of Energy, meaning, that you stand a better chance of surviving if you can do required "work" with the least expenditure of energy.

Getting an ember from a bow & drill is not easy, unless you are an arm-chair expert. I suggest doing it, not just talking about it, and you will find out just how hard it is. But practice, practice and practice and eventually you will get the ember on an almost reliable basis, but certainly not as reliably as the flint & steel. But it is fun trying!

Josh Smith said:

Never had much luck starting fire with flint and steel.

Click to expand...

I just thought of something that might be the source of your Flint-n-steel troubles,

Almost all of our off the shelf clothing items has a "flame retardant" added to the fabric.

Tommy's old PJ's, old bluejeans or T-shirts won't work as char cloth. You can go through all the motions to char the stuff, but the flame retardent chemical is still in there, even after many-many washings. Sparks will land on it, but not catch.
Any fabric used to cover ironing boards is chem free, and a 1/4 yard will last a long time, un'lubed packaged shooting patches are suposed to be chem free but I've found sizing in the stuff( :barf: )

Couple tips-

1. Cottonwood works well here in the midwest, as does elm, basswood & willow. Make both the board and the drill of the same wood. The socket & bow from whatever is handy.

2. Twist your cordage so it grips the drill/spindle better.

3. Don't leave the drill/spindle round: shave/file it octagon so the cord can grip better.

4. Use a metal pan of some sort under the fire board to catch the embers and transfer them to your tinder/char.

Hope that helps,

* Josh Smith Said:


Never had much luck starting fire with flint and steel.



I just thought of something that might be the source of your Flint-n-steel troubles,

Almost all of our off the shelf clothing items has a "flame retardant" added to the fabric.

Tommy's old PJ's, old bluejeans or T-shirts won't work as char cloth. You can go through all the motions to char the stuff, but the flame retardent chemical is still in there, even after many-many washings. Sparks will land on it, but not catch.
Any fabric used to cover ironing boards is chem free, and a 1/4 yard will last a long time, un'lubed packaged shooting patches are suposed to be chem free but I've found sizing in the stuff( )

Click to expand...

That and I've found the flint that came with my kit doesn't compare to what I've found around here for sparking. Just an idea...

I have never had a problem using flint and steel in damp, wet, and windy weather. Like all fire starting techniques, it just takes practice to become proficient.

I can also get a fire in less than a minute with bow drill...if the fireboard, spindle, and tinder are good and dry.

I have found that using primitive methods to make fire requires preparation in advance of the need, in addition to sufficient practice to be successful in all kinds of weather.

IMHO, most folks use too thin material for char. IMHO, the thickest heaviest fabric will take a spark as well as thin fabric, but the thicker fabric will hold a spark longer and provide a hotter ember to light that tinder bundle...which needs to be collected in advance of the need, in addition to periodic exposure to sun and wind to keep it dry.

In addition, the use of candle stubs and fat wood will make that fire easier to maintain until larger wood is dry enough to keep 'er going long enough to satisfy your need.

God bless

I've been tring for years seriously. A friend of mine attended Brown Survival School winter session and worked out all of my bugs, I'm good for an ember in 30-45 second. Haven't tried the hand drill. Prep work is the key, wood selection, size and propertions, and then the all important notch. For the fire board and drill esu a medium soft wood. You should be able to dent it with your finger nail, woods that have worked well for me is willow, cedar, ash, poplar, sycamore.

The bow I have always looked for is the length of my arm. Para cord, shoe laces, the paracord with the innards removed have all worked well for me. The bow can be strait or have a slight bend,either will work. the drill should be the thickness of your thumb and as long as the hang loose thumb and pinky extended. The one end is pointed the other end is near flat. The hand socket needs to be of a harder wood than the drill. I use a stone, just made a piece of antler, or a chunk of hard wood. The fire board needs to be any where beteen as thick as your thumb to halve as thick. the placement of the notch is critical as to the size and shape. When I get home I can add the web sight that really helps with placement if it. Once you master it you will never be with out 2 other ways to start a fire. After the initail burn in alittle sand of dirt really speeds up the friction and cuts down on the time to make an ember. There is such a sense of accomlishment one you master this skill. If you have any questions pm me and I'm sure i can help

Don't forget to post the website!

There are some subtle( that means, " Not obvious") techniques that make all the difference when using a bow, and spindle to make fire. If you are having trouble with this, send me a PT, and I can help you out with techniques that make it much easier to get embers and fire. When I took Tom Brown, Jr.'s Basic Survival and Tracking course back in 1989, I taught some things to the assistant instructors they did not know( as well to other students around me) that got them making embers with less work, faster.

As to flint and steel, I spent Two full days demonstrating firemaking with flint and steel to crowds of people visiting my club's primitive camp, one October. I went through a coffee can( 2 lb.) of charred cloth setting fires. The stump I was using to get the embers up closer to the audience, finally dried out enough it began burning. We turned the stump over, and used the other end, having sat in the wet ground all Saturday, to start fires all Sunday. By the end of the day, I had to keep water close to put out embers in the top of the stump.

I share that true life " Adventure?? :idunno: " with you just to illustrate how you become an " Expert" at starting fires with flint and steel. I have friends who still claim I can start fires blind folded using my flint and steel, but they exaggerate some. :rotf: :haha: :surrender: :thumbsup:

"Does anyone else like fire drills?"


Sure. A chinese fire drill is my very favorite.

I've tryed many times and succedded in smoke and thats it. So I'll stick to flint, steel and char. In my emergancy kit I've a musket cap tin sealed with wax with lucifers and a candle nub.

If all you got is smoke, you are using the wrong wood, either for the spindle, or your fireboard. BTDT. Darn near ruined my arms and shoulders as a kid trying to get fire. It took me almost 30 years before I learned what I did wrong back then. I could not wait for the next time to visit my father, and show him what we were doing wrong, and then show him how easy? it is to get embers with a bow and spindle( not a "drill" ). He was delighted to learn what we had done wrong, and to watch me start a fire so fast using the right materials, and the right techniques.

If you are interested, send me a PT. You will laugh at your prior efforts when you learn how easy it is to do. :hatsoff:

The web site that really helped me with the notch is http://www.survivalschool.com/articles/Fire Making/notch construction.htm

The article is entitled "secrets of the fire drill:Notch construction"

By Rob Chatburn

Sorry I just found my print out of it and you jogged my memory

That site is " Not Available when I just tried it."

By my comments, I am not suggesting to anyone that I "invented the wheel" when it comes to making a spindle and fireboard work to make fire-starting easy.

My ideas were things I thought to try- and then are the result of some trial and error. I did not have a coach or other source of information to teach me these things. I am sure others can, and have, come up with similar approaches.

I like the McPherson book on Primitive Survival Skills most of all, because the limited text, and the photos are well chosen to convey the most information. The book also includes "additions" from readers, who have sent in suggestions to improve tools, which the authors found really help, and are simple to do.

For instance, there is a wonderful brief Addition on how to make a "HAND DRILL"( spindle turned in your two hands) work better, that is simple, and ingenious. Its the kind of thing that everyone seeing the pictures and reading the text goes, -Slapping their foreheads with their hands--- "Why didn't I think of that???" I first bought the McPherson "booklets", which became separate chapters in the current book, one at a time, from a book dealer at Friendship. They cost $3.00 each, and were terrific. Later, the authors compiled all their "booklets" into a book, each with its own chapter.

I have been haunting book stores, and libraries, and checking the " Books in Print" volumes for 40 years, trying to find thorough books on primitive survival skills, and tracking( my other passion). I don't even want to estimate how many hours I have spent doing this. I actively taught Hunter Safety as a volunteer Instructor for 25 years, and I wanted to save my students( and their parents) time and money finding these things for themselves.

So, thank you for the site reference. If you find this somewhere else, please let me know. I am always interested.