Primitive Fire Starting Boy Scouts of America FIRE

Primitive Fire Starting Boy Scouts of America

FIRE SAFETY VERY IMPORTANT! DO NOT COMPROMISE! JUST AS IMPORTANT as STARTING YOUR FIRE = YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

TWIG BUNDLE • VERY IMPORTANT!!! • 2 HAND FINGER CIRCLE • Tie with cordage (string) of Twigs

These Skills: • Require lots of practice • Have a Failure rate • Are difficult at times • Sometimes take more time than you want

Bow Drill • He who knows bow drill carries matches…MK • You can do this! But not without practice

Bow Drill: Parts • • • Socket Fire Board Spindle Bow String (aka cordage) • Ember catcher

Bow Drill: Parts • • • Socket Spindle Fire Board Bow String hand hold dowel-like pointed on top Medium hardness: thumb nail test forked, notched or split natural, manmade or improvised • Ember catcher leaf, wood sliver etc.

Socket • Keeps downward pressure on spindle • Gives more heat to spindle & fireboard • Rock, Antler, Wood, Hatchet, Magnesium • Bark: Hemlock, Pine, Locust, Cottonwood etc.

Fire board • Thumb nail test: – No dent = wood is too hard – Pulverizes = wood is too soft – Leaves mark = Just Right!

Fire board • Thick as spindle: good guide

Spindle • Top: pointed to reduce friction • Bottom: sides rounded to reduce the sides of fireboard less wear & tear on string

Spindle • Carve branch (large can be thinned) • Natural usually wobbly • Wobble test roll on ground (flat surface) • Little longer than: thumb to pinky • Thumb thick

Bow • Thumb thick • Armpit to fingertip long • Forked top notched • Peel: if you have time or holes less wt. & moisture

String • String or Cordage • Plants: • • Milkweed Dogbane Stinging nettle Evening primrose Barks: Willow Hickory Striped Maple Basswood • Note: taking too much BARK hurts/kills tree (use strip) • Ok if Survival Situation: your life matters!

Cordage: String • Peeling stalk squeeze then split • Snap pith side up • Reverse wrap away then toward • Adding fibers “horse-shoe” or “U”

Ember catcher • Catches ember underneath Fireboard • Keeps ember from absorbing moisture---(bad) • Leaf • Wood shaving • bark

Bow Drill: Technique • Twig bundle & other materials (fuel) gathered • • • Ember catcher Fireboard Spindle Bow Socket • Burn in hole • Notch is made • Ember is made next on floor twisted-in on top

Technique Ember is placed in Kindling bundle Blow in to flame Twig Bundle is lit Fire is made!

Technique • Knife starts hole • Notch is 1/6 to 1/8 to burn-in pie slice • Drill: warm-up set don’t go crazy • Powder fills up hole • ~10 good strokes gets ember to glow • May wave/fan ember

Kindling Bundle • Kindling should not be confused with Tinder • Tinder: superior form of Kindling that glows from an incendiary spark • FINE KINDLINGS: will ignite readily from a glowing piece of Tinder as from a flame

Coal extender • Milkweed fluff rub in hands • Cattail fluff • Rectangulated wood rot • Flammable outer layer needed • • Grass Inner bark Leaves Birch bark (later will intensify flame)

Ember to Flame 2 parts: Ember Flame ____________________ Fire is last step fire is usable

Hand Drill • Harder than Bow Drill smaller ember • More skill needed in making Kindling bundle • Fewer pieces to make • BLISTERS! but may not be DRY! Cordage: Break Hands: Blister

Hand Drill • 3/8” diameter • 18 -24” long works for me

FLINT & STEEL • Carbon steel or Iron Pyrite • Flint rolling story • Flint: flint, Iron pyrite, other hard stones • Try rocks • Tinder: Char cloth, Steel wool (000 or 0000) • Tinder fungus • Jute bundle

FLINT & STEEL • 100 % Cotton t-shirt • Hole in can place on fire • Smoke comes out smoke stops = done • CAUTION: Let can COOL before you touch

Other Methods • • Flint & Steel Magnesium Ferrocerium Battery & Steel wool Soda can (Bottom) 2 L plastic bottle Magnifying mirror Magnifying glass Fresnel lens Fire piston

Other Methods • Don’t count out: • Lighters: very effective, 1 handed, keep dry • Matches: get good w/ matches & Twig bundle

Bow Drill Woods • • Ash Aspen Basswood Cottonwood Elm Hickory maple Pawpaw Spruce Sycamore Tamarack White Pine Willow

Bow Drill Woods • Hemlock get trunk wood • Cedar • Yucca not local • Fungal fireboards: i. e. Tinder fungus

Hand Drills • • Goldenrod Mare’s tail Teasel Mullein Cattail Rose Seep willow Yucca best near water hard on hands, not 1 st choice

Wrap-Up • Fire Safety is #1 • Practice, Practice • Put it Out Properly!

Questions?