Fire by friction- help

[Ben Casey]

Try like I said mate but Im sure there will be a few guys who can do it and will show you a trick or two.

[Adam Savage]

Should be ok, like I said I was bedding in the spindle, and thinks were going ok.

[MikeWilkinson]

Hmmmm. If your getting really knackered trying to get an ember, it might be that you are trying to hard.
There are two stages to producing the ember after you have made your notch.
The first stage is to make the powder you need to create your ember, this should be achieved with firm pressure on the spindle and drill slowly, there should be minimum smoke and a fuzzy coffee/black powder should fill your notch. If it is crusty and black then you are pushing to hard and bowing to fast. If it is fine and light brown then there is not enough pressure and you are not bowing quick enough.

The second stage is the heat stage, once the notch is full of powder you need to lighten the pressure on the spindle and bow vigourously, there should be little powder produced in this stage, but lots of smoke. Keep breathing, but don't huff and puff onto your set - you will just extinguish your ember.
You should be breathing hard, but shouldn't be totally knackered.

Hope this helps. Mike

[paul standley]

Thanks Mike, I too had been struggling with my bow drill and my stamina....!

Explaining it in terms of creating the powder in the bowl as a first stage and then turning the powder into a smouldering ember as a second stage is a great way to approach it in my mind so I'll be trying this at the weekend.

Paul.

[MikeWilkinson]

I put a link to an article on page 1 of this thread, if you have a look on there and scroll down to the section 'getting a coal' there are some photos and great advice on what you should be looking for.

I pretty much learnt how to the bow drill from that document.

[Bernie]

This has got to be THE best video I've ever seen on technique. It doesn't help much with wood selection, but her technique and clear instruction is something I never tire of watching.

[luresalive]

That is actually a very good video, good post

[Ben Casey]

Good vid I will have to try it again

[Adam Savage]

Hmmmm. If your getting really knackered trying to get an ember, it might be that you are trying to hard.
There are two stages to producing the ember after you have made your notch.
The first stage is to make the powder you need to create your ember, this should be achieved with firm pressure on the spindle and drill slowly, there should be minimum smoke and a fuzzy coffee/black powder should fill your notch. If it is crusty and black then you are pushing to hard and bowing to fast. If it is fine and light brown then there is not enough pressure and you are not bowing quick enough.

The second stage is the heat stage, once the notch is full of powder you need to lighten the pressure on the spindle and bow vigourously, there should be little powder produced in this stage, but lots of smoke. Keep breathing, but don't huff and puff onto your set - you will just extinguish your ember.
You should be breathing hard, but shouldn't be totally knackered.

Hope this helps. Mike

I just asserted a little too much downward pressure to the spindle at one point, causing the bow to pretty much stop dead, resulting in "el twisteedo, backtickular muscularitis"

Had success with fire by friction at the weekend, as well as getting involved with a group bow drill exercise, for with I will be posting photos at some point.

Thanks for the advice though friend.

[MikeWilkinson]

Look forward to seeing the photos, hope your back is feeling much better.