Bow Drill The friction of rubbing two sticks

Bow Drill

The friction of rubbing two sticks together creates enough heat to make an ember. There are many ways to create fire through friction.

How Bow Drill Works: The bow drill kit consists of a spindle that sits on a fireboard, held in place at the top with a hand-hold. This spindle is spun rapidly back and forth by means of a bow. The bow is a curved piece of wood with a piece of cordage attached at each end.

Bow Drill Parts Hand Hold Bow String Spindle Fireboard “V” Notch where dust/embers form

Making a Kit: 2. 41 • http: //videos. howstuffworks. com/discovery/ 28196 -man-vs-wild-bow-and-drill-firebuilding-technique-video. htm

Making a Kit: 2. 07 • http: //videos. howstuffworks. com/discovery/ 41258 -dual-survival-ancient-fire-startervideo. htm

Bow Drill Technique 1. Lock wrist against leg 3. Press down on the handhold 10. Keep drill vertical 11. Your foot should be on top of fireboard and almost touching drill. 12. “ V’ Notch In fireboard should face to the inside of your knee. 13. Do not place tinder under the fireboard 17. Check string and make certain it is tight enough

Spindle 1. Spindle Diameter -Too fat = slow rpm's -Too thin = tendency to drill hole too fast 2. Make a pointy upper end 5/6. Flat/slightly pointy lower end 8. Spindle Length -Too long = too much wobble, loss of pressure -Too short = loss of pressure, loss of control, and short life 10. Add soap to the top of the spindle if it burns to reduce friction… 11. Spindle is aka Drill

Fireboard and Notch 2. “V” Notch a. too shallow b. too deep c. pizza slice notch- perfect d. blunt point, good for dust flow- perfect e. straight wall, used by some primitive culturesperfect f. notch too far to the side 8. Have more than one hole prepared as back-up, get it started by carving with a knife 10. When you use up the first hole, you can carve a notch into a second hole 11. A branch will make a quick fireboard. Just flatten top and bottom

Hand Hold 1. Type of material: Can be made of wood, bone, antler or stone 2. Should fit comfortably in the hand. Finger and thumb grooves can be carved for a custom fit 3. Hole should be small to minimize friction 5. A branch with the bark left on can work as a handhold.

Bow 1. Length of Bow should be about the size of the arm 2. The bow should have a slight curve 4. String can be made of vegetation of nylon 5. Diameter and weight should be about 1” 6. When you practice, use the entire length of the bow. 7. One end should have a fixed knot (overhand) and the other end should have an adjustable knot (clove hitch)

Clove Hitch Video http: //www. netknots. com/html/clove_hitch. html Practice Doing it! Then, memorize it…

Dust Collection

Reading the Powder Color Consistency Problem Light Brown Dusty Going too slow, not pushing down hard enough Light Brown Fuzzy Going too slowly Dark Brown/Black Fuzzy Perfect Dark Brown/Black Little Rolls Difficult, sometimes going too fast & not pushing down enough Dark Brown/Black Crusty Pushing down too hard, going too fast

Perfect Too Light Too Many Rolls Too Light Too Crusty Perfect

Use Your Ember to catch your Tinder Bundle on fire and then transfer it to your Campfire