Learning the bowdrill is a bit like learning to play a musical instrument – at first it can be frustrating and brings little enjoyment but, as you get better at it, you find that you can make it play the tune you want.
In the first bowdrill video I looked at the basic principles behind the bowdrill, where to find the right wood and how to use a wet bowdrill set. In this video I look at some more advanced techniques that increase the scope of the bow drill: allowing you to use green wood; weak bow cords; thin/small hearthboards; improve your bearing block and how to make mini/portable bowdrill sets.
There are many othere tips-and-tricks to using the bowdrill properly and, if you look on the interenet, you will find lots of good advice. However, there is no substitute for putting in the practice yourself – it is only when your bow cord slips continuously (always just when that ember was about to form!) that you learn how to tighten the cord ‘mid-drill’ so that it becomes second nature. Also, with practice, you develop a ‘feel’ for when a bowdrill set is going to work and when it is simply going to be a waste of time to even try.
In the jungle the problems faced with friction fire are obvious: high humidity; low sunlight; high rainfall and fast decomposition of dead wood…all of which can make producing an ember a challenge. However, if you can make a functioning bowdrill set it is one of the most dependable and quick ways of friction fire starting and it is very portable as well.
Many people (myself included) gave up learning musical instruments simply because we never got past the stage where our music didn’t set the dogs howling….now, when I listen to people who can play well, I wish I’d persevered.
Similarly with the bowdrill – being able to effortlessly and quickly produce an ember is enjoyable and satisfying, having to sweat like mad and struggle to produce wood dust that refuses to ignite….well, that is aggravating.
Excellent video as usual and very informative. Have you tried the two stick method yet in the jungle? I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work. Do you ever find any wood in the jungle that has natural checks/splits in it from drying out? Anytime I use natural cordage I use at least three wraps around the spindle. I believe two wraps reduces the stress on the cordage by 1/2, 3 by 1/3, etc. Thanks again for the great video.
John
Hi John.
Thanks for the comment – in answer to your question ‘yes’ you can find split wood and use double stick methods here – I did shoot some more video of how to use cracks in the wood as ember collectors but took it out as the video was getting a bit long.
There is, of course, lots more to talk about re; bowdrill and the different types of woods that can be used and I’ve only given a snapshot in the video of some techniques people might not have come across. I’ll try to cover different wood combinations at a later date and include two stick and splits then.
Thanks again.
Cheers!
Paul
Hi,
Great video. Had never thought of splitting green wood like that to dry and use for the bow drill. Great trick! The two stick hearth definitely works in the jungle. It was the traditional method used in the rainforest by the native Taino indians here in Puerto Rico. I have used it many times but is not my favorite method though. Sometimes the hearth itself gets lit, at least when using wood from the cacao(chocolate) tree, which is an extremely easy hand drill wood. This happens because the wood of the previous hole where the new ember forms, is already charred and easily catches fire from contact with the new ember.
Hibiscus tree is another excellent friction fire wood in this part of the world and several species are found in tropical Asia and northern Australia( genus Thespesia and Hibiscus).
Regards.
Gabriel
Hi Gabriel,
Thanks for the post and intrigued to hear about the cacao and hibiscus wood being good for friction fire – I keep trying new woods and am slowly building up a collection of successful ones that can be found in the jungle.
Drying green wood fast is useful here as it is often so difficult to find good condition dead wood and, even if you do, often hard to tell which of the many nearby trees it came from!
I tried a number of times to use green wood without drying it first and hoping that the drilling action would dry it out (i.e. drilling, stopping, waiting, drilling, stopping etc) but never managed to get it to work.
Cheers! Paul
Forgive me if I missed it, but have you tried useing your Spork as a bearing block for your bow drill?
Hi Bill,
thanks for the tip – I had never thought of using a spork as a bearing block but it is an interesting idea indeed and I shall give it a go tomorrow!
Nice idea.
Cheers!
Paul
I’ve built many bow drill fires, yet no luck with ponderosa pine. It has a lot of resin. I’ve gotten smoke and dark brown ash, but it will not build a lasting ember. I use 3/4″ spindle width, would smaller or larger help? I’ve also used sand on the hearth which is very helpful. Any ideas for difficult woods?
Hi Mikeonfire,
Many thanks for the comment and good to hear there are others interested in friction fire! Resinous woods are difficult (as are very hard woods)…resin can reduce friction and create a ‘polish’ and hard woods are often….well too hard! A spindle with the diameter of your thumb should be about right for most woods….theoretically a smaller spindle will give you more downward pressure (but less rotational friction) and may work better with harder woods.
One other thing you can try is to get a friend to help you – get them to apply the downward pressure on the spindle and you provide the bowing….that way you can really try out at maximum pressure and spin. If that doesn’t work….well honestly speaking some woods are just more hassle than they’re worth and it’s probably better to search around for something more suitable.
Hope that helps.
Cheers!
Paul
I live in Thailand. My area is quite jungle/hilly. I have used cattail many times for hand drill friction fire. I have recently identified “horseweed” or “dog fleabane”in my area. I have heard that it is a good plant for hand drill, but in my experience the small diameter stalks cause bad blisters. I prefer cattail for handrill.
Hi Steveolevi,
Many thanks for the comment and great to hear from someone living in Thailand who is fellow hand drill fan. I’ve not found cattail here but will look up horseweed and see if that’s around as I’m always looking for new spindle woods that could work. If the diameter is too small, could you attach a short piece of it to a larger diameter stick as I do with bamboo?
Anyway, thanks again for the info.
Cheers!
Paul