Flaming Arrow

[PrimitiveTim]

This is a nice shot!

http://youtu.be/TCKYiBL3fPM?t=4m38s

Tonight I was messing around with flaming arrows using pine resin and a very fibrous palm cordage wrapped around the end of the shaft.  It kept going out when shot.  I was wondering if any of y'all have made primitive flaming arrows like the ones we see in the westerns that the indians were shooting.  I was thinking maybe animal fat mixed in there but I don't know.  Any help would be appreciated as I plan to raid some villages here pretty soon 

[JW_Halverson]

Remind me to put an asbestos tarp on my conestoga when I go to Florida.

As for what the special effects people used when filming Native Americans, I can tell you with some degree of assurance it probably was petrochemical in nature!

[PrimitiveTim]

Remind me to put an asbestos tarp on my conestoga when I go to Florida.

As for what the special effects people used when filming Native Americans, I can tell you with some degree of assurance it probably was petrochemical in nature!

well, ya I figured in the movies it was but I'm more curious about what the actual natives did.

[tipi stuff]

I have never tried this, but have intended to for a couple of years now. This was discussed several years ago on a Plains Indian message board that I am a member of.  There are several historic accounts of Indians shooting flaming arrows. One that comes to mind is an account of some Comanche's shooting a couple of flaming arrows at a cabin. I don't have the passage in front of me right now, or I would quote it. The guys that I know who've tried this have been less than successful. They are trying to use only the materials that would have been available to 19th century Plains Indians. There is a guy who claims to have found an obscure description of "signal arrows" that were made by alternately rolling an arrow shaft in glue, and then gun powder. The final wrap is the inner bark of cottonwood. I have not read the description personally, but would love to have a copy to use as a guide. I have all of the materials, as I understand them, but no instructions. Maybe this spring, providing we get a little moisture on the ground, I can experiment a bit. If so, I'll post my results. In the mean time, I too am very curious about this in case any of you others might have done this.
Curtis

[4dog]

Tim ,, will be bringing you a file and some rocks hidden inside your PRISON cake,,do we need to do an intervention on ya ,you pyro.?  lol...thanks for the idea. 

[DGF]

Years ago in scouts there was a flaming arrow shot into a lake as part of my order of the arrow ceremony. Watching the flaming arrows path arc high in the night sky before landing in the lake was nothing shy of cool. Unfortunately I don't know how the arrow was constructed, but wish you the best of luck.

-Dan

[Pat B]

That was the coolest Olympic opening ever. 
  There have been flaming arrow discussions here on PA before. Have you done a search?

[PrimitiveTim]

I appreciate the gesture 4dog

Tipi stuff, you got to bring it back!

That was the coolest Olympic opening ever. 
  There have been flaming arrow discussions here on PA before. Have you done a search?

Yeah, not a lot of info on how natives did it though.  My mind is coming up with more and more ideas though.  I think I'll have it soon enough   Those villages won't have a chance!

This the best thing I've seen so far.  My concept might be good but I should let my resin burn longer and let it get real hot.  A round two is in order.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqIoQ7hKpNs

[WillS]

Hey Tim,

I appreciate this is not native/primitive in the sense you're after, but there's a chance you might find something helpful in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL4vnolCwLI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I don't know if any of what they use could be found where you are, so apologies if it's useless!

[caveman2533]

If we are talking about the 1800's what makes you think they did not have access Kerosene. Have you tried that? Interesting subject.

[PrimitiveTim]

If we are talking about the 1800's what makes you think they did not have access Kerosene. Have you tried that? Interesting subject.

We're talking about a native running around the woods.    kerosene... that'd be too easy

[wildman]

I have tried it with good old 87% native push water and K1 no luck always went out. I think the trick maybe a long soak. I wish you luck. It would make awesome you tube video.

[PrimitiveTim]

I think the trick maybe a long soak. I wish you luck. It would make awesome you tube video.

thanks!  The idea is to be able to shoot it at something really flammable(non primitive) and watch it blow up.  Maybe a small raft on a the water.  Then I'll do a how-to video on it so all the little kiddies in America can walk into the woods and come out with flaming arrows  jk jk

[bowtarist]

Do we know that NA natives shot flaming arrows pre YT encounters?  I kinda agree w/ caveman. Maybe they didn't start doing this until they were shooting them at the encroachers.  How about soaking your material in some sort of liquified fat? or multi layers of pitch. Next time I see/talk to my indian buddy I'll try to remember to ask him about this.

How 'bout the Vikings?  I bet they shot flaming arrows. That was a pretty long time ago.  Like Tony Kintons's artical asks in the latest PA, "Where Did Primitive Begin?"

I'm interested in your findings, dp

[Pat B]

Coal oil, tar, pitch, animal fat all would be appropriate early on. The fuel doesn't seem to be the problem. Keeping the flame going does. How about an ignite on contact with the flammable material attached to the shaft and some sort of flint/steel ignition when it hits.