Sacramento Tracker Club: An evening of fire-making with Richard?

I was on the phone with Richard Harter, discussing possible future plans for the Sacramento Tracker Club group and soaking up whatever answers I could to my newbie questions. During our first “meeting” I had learned Richard will be one of the instructors at the free East Bay Regional Park fire-making course coming up on March 23, 2008 (carpool anyone?).

Richard shared that he did not make fire despite several courses until his 70th or 80th attempt. I told him that didn’t seem right and would discourage a lot of people. Richard agreed and then told me his early instructors left out some key techniques and pre-requisites for success that he had to pick up on his own along the way. One of the big keys is to use the right wood for each part of the bow drill set.

As we talked Richard volunteered to lead a bow drill fire-making session for our Sacramento Tracker Club group at or near his Sacramento home. This would probably be scheduled for a few hours one evening before the next 2d Saturday regular get-together.

If you are interested in joining the STC for this and other activities, please post here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wilderness_Survival_and_Primitive_Skills/

Otherwise it will be just me, Richard, and his homemade beer in his backyard trying to light stuff on fire. Come to think of it ….

Here’s an interesting site, check out the Egyptian bow drill article:

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/index.html

Comments welcome, even from Richard.

This post should serve as RED FLAG to readers. The 'Primative' movement in the greater Survival community is as much a philosophy as method. It is a philosophy that can get you dead in short order. Any bowdrill method that requires specific materials is no better, in fact inferior to a $ 1.00 disposable lighter UNLESS CARRIED 24/7.It is utter folly to assume nature will provide a cornucopia of raw materials into which 'Man and the Wilderness' steps forward brandishing the latest steel wunder knif sold for 3 figures by some outdoors guru and reviewed on pigsticker forums.com. Knowing how to make friction fire is fun and usefull. It is not an inherently superior method either spiritually or solely on function.

DWeste,
Can you give more details on the March 23rd event in EBRPD?
Location?
Thanks
Bill

Chris,
agreed that bow drills are far down the list as appropriate choices for survival firemaking. But I also believe that knowing as many fire making concepts will make one a better fire builder in general.
Plus for me fire is sort of a spiritual thing so learning to make it from scratch has always been an interest.
That said I will take my Bic, firesteel and matches anyday.
Bill

http://www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect...9517.4436885417

SKILLS OF THE PAST: FIRE MAKING. - 17090



Ages: 12 Yrs. and over

Fees:
- Free Courses $0.00

Description:
Ever wonder how fire was created before matches or a lighter? We'll discover the secrets of fire-by-friction, fire-by-percussion and fire-by-compression. Unravel the techniques required to produce a glowing ember as we practice our fire making skills through hands-on activities. Parking fees apply where charged. Disabled accessible. Reg. Required: 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757).

Spots Available: 7

Registration Begins: 12-Feb-2008 8:30AM

Registration End Date: 20-Mar-2008

Fire is fire. When the Bics run dry and your fire steel is lost, or you are caught without either, it might be nice to know how to use percussion and friction techniques. Even with those tools, you can run out of cotton ball and petroleum jelly or firetabs, and learning how to make good tinder - integral to primitive fire-making - could come in handy. And why not save that Bic fuel or strikes off the fire steel if you can?

So stock up on preparedness tools and supplies, learn how to use them, but consider primitive skills as part of your survival arsenal.

Many bow drill fire makers are successful in getting embers going in less than 30 seconds - once they learn how.

It's all good.

Research and conversations lead me to make the following bow drill
fire-making summary for you critique:

Assemble the kit:

Handhold – anything fairly hard and smooth to position and apply some
pressure down on the spindle. Oak, rock, bone, etc.

Spindle – fairly hard wood or plant that is strong enough to handle
drilling and creates wood dust when spun against the fire board.
Thumb size or narrower if strong enough material, the straighter the
better, more pointed on top to reduce contact friction with the
handhold, rounded on bottom to increase contact friction with the
fireboard socket. Maybe better with carved out area for bow cord to
ride in as it spins.

Bow – still researching whether "spingy" material is better,
generally longer is better

Cord on bow – something tough, paracord, put on spindle with Clove
hitch?

Fireboard – something softer than the spindle so the spindle can spin
in to create wood dust, yucca and elm

Fire pit or socket - Narrow "V" groove to outside, or use tight gap
between two sticks making up a "board" to catch smoking wood dust or
ember you create.

Tinder – super dry, even pre-charred, easy burning stuff, pounded and
fluffed red cedar or cottonwood bark, charred cattail fluff, for
example

Techniques:

One foot on fireboard to keep it fireboard motionless

Spindle vertical and handhold or wrist of arm holding the handhold
tight against leg so both handhold and spindle stay in place, no
wobbling.

Socket pre-prepared by "burning in" to mate shape of spindle to board
for maximum contact friction.

Socket and end of spindle prepared to make fire by drilling to create
some charring, wood dust on each [?a little sand in pit?]

Narrow "U-shaped" groove to tinder, or use tight gap between two
sticks making up a "board" to catch ember you create.

Pad of tinder under board and socket

Bowing on same horizontal plane, long strokes, no wobbling. Gradually
increase downward pressure.

Once ember forms lift spindle out of socket carefully to avoid
disturbing the smoking wood dust or ember

Join the STC and vote for the evening you want to learn about bow drill fire-making!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wilderness_Survival_and_Primitive_Skills/messages

15 members and growing!

Robert would like to know who is coming. He also generously offered to make sure everyone went home with their own bow drill kit!

when is it going to be? where and what time?

To attend Richard’s class on bow drill fire-making, you must join the Sacramento Tracker Club, sign up for the Yahoo group, check the group calendar for details, and post a message on the group site confirming you will attend. You will leave you’re your own bow drill fire-making kit and learn how to make and use it!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wilderness_Survival_and_Primitive_Skills/messages

Friday 3-21 from 6-9pm in Antelope CA, a suburb of Sacramento.