Author Topic: Friction Fire (Read 25716 times)

nclonghunter · « **Reply #45 on:** October 14, 2015, 08:31:06 pm »

Lots of talk about wood types, what type of cordage is being used for the bow. What about making cordage while collecting your spindle and board. I believe that is the next step in bow drill or learn the hand drill and skip the need for cordage.

Outbackbob48 · « **Reply #46 on:** October 14, 2015, 09:30:30 pm »

Nc, Went to a knappin with a friend of mine and he says anybody can build a fire with a manmade string lets try natural cordage. The odds of getting a coal before your string breaks defintly are harder, Had one guy make dogbane string but made it to thin and friction broke it before coal, my friend gathered some fresh hickory bark( smoothbark inner) and some grape vines and soaked in water. He 4 braided a huge in dia. rope(1-1/4") we laughed at his string and he started working bow stopped as string got loose but braids and stretch reduced his string to a 1/2" cable and ya should have seen him turn out the coals one after another with hardly any fraying, yea he had the last laugh. Actually hand drills are alot less labor as far getting materials gathered up. Try some natural cordages and let us know how it worked out. Bob

Ranasp · « **Reply #47 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:45:39 pm »

Quote from: Outbackbob48 on October 14, 2015, 03:36:22 pm

I am sure they learned to carry a coal without it going out also, or spent some cold damp nites. Bob

According to material found on the Iceman (copper aged mummified corpse) he carried a cylinder made of birch bark, packed with maple leaves and other plants was used as a coal carrier. http://www.iceman.it/en/node/285 (don't know if the link will go directly to that or if you have to look at his equipment, it's all neat anyway)

Forest_Farmer · « **Reply #48 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:16:10 am »

On YouTube I saw a great video on a ember extender fungus that grows on birch and other trees. It's called a milipore fungus. I collected a few on the Appalachian trail a few weeks back, and tried them out. Amazing stuf!!! Attached is a pic of a thimble sized piece that I transferred a bow drill ember to. This small piece kept an ember going for 35 min!!!
I will now keep a couple of these in my fire kit at all times. I've also attached a pic of the full fungi.
I also recommend checking out that YouTube video, it's under rewind university and search milipore fungus or chaga.
Ed

riverrat · « **Reply #49 on:** October 17, 2015, 07:11:58 pm »

my next friction fire im gonna try using twisted cambium from elm as my cordage. just to give it a whirl. might try elm roots too. the small diam. ones make for strong cordage.i bet you get about 3 thin ones twist into 3 ply cordage and they would work.Tony

Outbackbob48 · « **Reply #50 on:** October 17, 2015, 09:46:22 pm »

Tony, when using natural cordages, most all are strong enough as far as tension , there weakness is in abrasion or friction where they ride against each other, I have even tried tipping my bow hand upward so as not to rub my cordage togeather as much, helped some. Let us know how the elm works. Bob

PEARL DRUMS · « **Reply #51 on:** October 18, 2015, 07:59:10 am »

I never tried to make my own bow drill cordage, but I know I can and I know it will work when I decide to do it. For now, I just enjoy making fire with no match or lighter or flint or char clothe. Suppose that's similar to the wooden bow with a FF string on it, good enough for me

Pappy · « **Reply #52 on:** October 19, 2015, 07:21:39 am »

I make the cordage out of brain tan deer, works fine. That's pretty natural.

Pappy

Outbackbob48 · « **Reply #53 on:** October 19, 2015, 08:51:03 am »

Pappy, I bet it is pretty abrasion resistant also

I used 2 pc of deer rawhide twisted together and it worked pretty good. Bob

Pappy · « **Reply #54 on:** October 19, 2015, 08:54:09 am »

Yes it does stretch a bit to start but after you get that set it hold up good.

Pappy

Forest_Farmer · « **Reply #55 on:** October 20, 2015, 08:47:33 pm »

Pappy & Bob,
I've used a sinew bow string that I made and it works great. I have some yucca leaves that I will process into cordage and also give that a try.

I've also been practicing with my hand drill, and took Bob's advice and tried horse weed. The piece I had worked good, just could have been a little thicker. This was about 5/16".

I also found that after making an ember , it's best to redress the spindle tip and cut off any burnt material. This seemed to make the process a lot quicker.

nclonghunter · « **Reply #56 on:** October 20, 2015, 09:22:59 pm »

Great info guys...I have heard everything you need to start a fire is in a poplar tree. The inner bark for cordage and wood for the spindle and board. I have stripped small poplar trees to make cordage and it will work however I have not tested it for friction. I am certain that is going to be hard on it. Dogbane does make great cordage if you can find it when needed. Poplar bark seems to be available over a larger range of areas.

I agree with Pappy about using brain tanned hides. I have used it with success. Rawhide will also work well. If you could trap or otherwise get an animals hide you would have some great bow drill material plus a good meal when you got your fire started...

Outbackbob48 · « **Reply #57 on:** October 21, 2015, 09:07:41 am »

Lyman, I have used Tulip Popalar for bow drills , hearth and spindle with mixed results, Some worked pretty well and others were iffy, Needs to be really dry for sure, never messed with the inner bark for cordage but dry dead inner bark made good tinder bundles. Forest, I like to trim up the end also and some get a burnished end and needs a trim for sure. i also make a small divet in the pith , not sure if it is really necessary. I believe the thinking is less friction surface , drill will just be cutting on circle edge, eventually ends up making a hump in drill hole. Bob

swamp monkey · « **Reply #58 on:** October 24, 2015, 08:46:46 am »

I have seen some lengthy lists of plant species for the western states detailing which species are best for hearth boards and which make good spindles. I have never seen a good list for the eastern states. This thread is filling in that gap.

Here are some items I have been successful with here in Missouri
Hearth boards: baldcypress, eastern red cedar, drift wood cottonwood, drift wood silver maple
spindle: yucca flower stalk, horseweed, ragweed stem.
tinder: dogbane fibers left over from string making, cedar bark shredded, fine shaving from my bow making (hickory, ash, osage orange, etc.)

This thread has some good comments about species and combinations. I like it.

Zuma · « **Reply #59 on:** October 24, 2015, 09:16:43 pm »

Quote from: swamp monkey on October 24, 2015, 08:46:46 am

I have seen some lengthy lists of plant species for the western states detailing which species are best for hearth boards and which make good spindles. I have never seen a good list for the eastern states. This thread is filling in that gap.

Here are some items I have been successful with here in Missouri
Hearth boards: baldcypress, eastern red cedar, drift wood cottonwood, drift wood silver maple
spindle: yucca flower stalk, horseweed, ragweed stem.
tinder: dogbane fibers left over from string making, cedar bark shredded, fine shaving from my bow making (hickory, ash, osage orange, etc.)

This thread has some good comments about species and combinations. I like it.

You know, I totally agree and hope this thread can be archived or included in the tutorials before it is someday just forgotten.

Zuma

Primitive Archer