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#209626 - 10/13/10 10:07 PM Bow Drill Troubles
MED71 Offline
Stranger

Registered: 10/13/10
Posts: 11
Loc: Kentucky
I am having issues with my bow drill. I can get smoke for days on end, but no ember. I am using a cedar fire board and a cedar spindle. I use steady pressure and motion on the bow, and speed up when the smoke really gets going. I get alot of dust in the notch and just a spec of black dust on top, almost like it's trying to become an ember. Any help would be great, thanks in advance.


Edited by MED71 (10/13/10 10:09 PM)

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#209629 - 10/13/10 11:57 PM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
Fox10 Offline
Newbie

Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 33
I've also had problems with cedar. Try poplar for fire board and spindle... it works for me.

John
_________________________
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#209630 - 10/14/10 12:06 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
MED71 Offline
Stranger

Registered: 10/13/10
Posts: 11
Loc: Kentucky
Thanks I'll go out tomorrow and find myself some new materials. Thanks for the heads up.

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#209637 - 10/14/10 01:57 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
Nicodemus Offline
Paranoid?
Veteran

Registered: 10/30/05
Posts: 1341
Loc: Virginia, US
Getting the Bow Drill technique down and understanding the various useable woods, pressures and speeds that it takes for success can be pretty tough. There are a lot of factors that can affect your outcome so I don't think I could help much without seeing your technique.

It could be something as simple as cutting a smaller notch in your hearth board or using a thinner board. A thick hearth and a large notch make for a lot of effort.

There are also external variables such as humidity and the dampness of wood to consider.

You should be able to get a coal with most Cedars, but they're not all the same. For example, it has been my experience that I can more easily produce a coal with Eastern White Cedar than I can with Eastern Red Cedar.

Willow and Basswood have always been easiest for me to use, though I've been told by some that it should be just as easy to use White Cedar.



Edited by Nicodemus (10/14/10 02:01 AM)
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#209642 - 10/14/10 03:27 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
Sounds like you are real close! I would not start making big changes just yet.

Often "going animal" right at the end with carefully increasing pressure and speed despite your fatigue can achieve the temperature you need to get a glowing ember. And once you get a sense of the speed and pressure needed you can go to both earlier in the process, making for a shorter though maybe more intense effort.

Try also varying the thickness of your hearth board and the size and position of your notch. Listen carefully to the sounds. Be sure to keep your spindle as vertical and steady as you can.

As others have said, different wood can make a difference, as can difference in moisture content, etcetera. But don't chase a lot of materials until you are pretty sure your technique is solid.

And this may sound silly, but consider taking a moment before you begin to think about and maybe give thanks for the sun, trees, soil, and all that you are using. I sometimes even ask for help from whoever might give it in releasing fire from the fiction and wood.

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#209655 - 10/14/10 10:58 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
Boghog1 Offline
Newbie

Registered: 12/07/05
Posts: 26
Loc: New Hampshire
this site helped me, I was able to get cedar going, the first time took hours, it will probably take me that long next time since it has been a while.
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/pmoc/basicbowdrill.html

the key is to read the powder look about 2/3rd the way down

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#209656 - 10/14/10 11:25 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
MED71 Offline
Stranger

Registered: 10/13/10
Posts: 11
Loc: Kentucky
Boghog,
Great info page thanks. I'm going to give it another go this afternoon after work. Thanks again.

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#209657 - 10/14/10 11:28 AM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
adam Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 04/07/03
Posts: 256
Loc: Long Island, NY
My guess is that you aren't applying enough pressure. If you are getting dust to form add a little more pressure to really heat things up and a little more speed and go as long as you can.

FWIW – I couldn’t get poplar to work for me but, cedar on the other hand worked the first time I tried it.

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#209670 - 10/14/10 05:00 PM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
MED71 Offline
Stranger

Registered: 10/13/10
Posts: 11
Loc: Kentucky
Adam
Thanks I'll give the cedar another shot or 2 and see if more pressure and speed are the ticket. How wide should the notch actually be?

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#209678 - 10/14/10 07:56 PM Re: Bow Drill Troubles [Re: MED71]
adam Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 04/07/03
Posts: 256
Loc: Long Island, NY
Hum….I’m not sure I’ve ever measured the size of the notch. I’m guessing that it makes a 45 degree angle from the center. Here’s a pic that doesn’t quite show the notch clearly.

This set was made from some very well aged Douglas Fir



Here is a coal from cedar (Note the notch on this one wasn’t a "v" shape but more rectangular.)


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