Bow Drill Success!!!
Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:32 pm
I have been mucking about with the bow drill recently. It has taken a bit of experimentation but I now have a pretty repeatable method on which to build my experiences.
I have used both willow and poplar for the drill and hearth finding that the willow gives a slightly darker finer tinder powder than the poplar. Today I used a sawn willow board that I had cut up for carving lids for shrink boxes.
The first success I had was at the Beorg-wic medieval encampment over the long weekend. It was a rainy weekend and there was not a lot to do than sit about and whittle. I had the poplar with me for carving but made the bow there from a piece of tea tree. It took me about 1 hour from starting to have fire which I didn't think was to bad for my first success. (I had tried unsuccessfully at home weeks prior - however the experience of failure was also important).
At home it takes me only a few minutes now.
For tinder I am using finely fluffed jute string which catches easily from the bow drill ember. Rice straw is much more stubborn (from one test only).
For me the trick is letting the ember grow before moving the hearth away from the drill powder. This can take a couple of minutes and may need a bit of gentle puffing. You need to be careful not to blow the powder away as you puff and pant after working the bow.
It is hardly proof as I could have used a box of matches, but here is a photo anyway.
I have used both willow and poplar for the drill and hearth finding that the willow gives a slightly darker finer tinder powder than the poplar. Today I used a sawn willow board that I had cut up for carving lids for shrink boxes.
The first success I had was at the Beorg-wic medieval encampment over the long weekend. It was a rainy weekend and there was not a lot to do than sit about and whittle. I had the poplar with me for carving but made the bow there from a piece of tea tree. It took me about 1 hour from starting to have fire which I didn't think was to bad for my first success. (I had tried unsuccessfully at home weeks prior - however the experience of failure was also important).
At home it takes me only a few minutes now.
For tinder I am using finely fluffed jute string which catches easily from the bow drill ember. Rice straw is much more stubborn (from one test only).
For me the trick is letting the ember grow before moving the hearth away from the drill powder. This can take a couple of minutes and may need a bit of gentle puffing. You need to be careful not to blow the powder away as you puff and pant after working the bow.
It is hardly proof as I could have used a box of matches, but here is a photo anyway.