Great video love the way you highlight the right and the wrong way to use the bowdrill i have never tried friction fire this tuition has improved my chances for sucess in achieving my first friction fire hopefully this year, thanx Tony
Whatever you believe is good for you Joseph. But I have found that making a fire is a confidence booster.. and people won't give up and say "I can't do it". It's kind of like learning math from book. But you don't use the book now that you're older (I hope). Once someone gets the hang of it.. then they look for local woods and work with them. HOWEVER.. let me say that Cedar on Cedar (even from the store) makes you really have good technique.. and technique is what I was trying to teach here
Yes.. you can use the same hole until it wears through... Sounds like you need more down pressure. If you are using correct form.. then your body will keep the pressure better. Lock your elbow to your shin and lean forwards to get more pressure.. Hope that helps
I found what I would call glazing on the spindle and hearth, when learning to start fire this way. When first learning, rough up the end of the spindle with a stone every few tries.
Tommy Hilfiger Anyone see that? just speculating another great vid wheres Tam? with the cooking tips lately man i love it keep your feet on the ground awesome, by the way i use pine wood since its abundant in my area. dude you are dead on track. kudos to you. friction fire is hard but its always there in nature fundamental skill.
+BushcraftOnFire you my bro ? if so leave a like and sub to my channel . it sucks rite now but soon I will have great content like your videos mine will be outdoors and just goofing around thanks.
Dave what about a spent shotgun shell would that work for a hand hold.I'm also wondering about lubricant to use in the hand hold notch to keep it for grinding away the tip of the drill.
"Technically" they say you can do it with ANY wood if you have good technique.. but I have NEVER been able to fire Cherry (although I have gotten great dust from it). You want a medium soft hardwood (Willow, Cedar, Basswood, etc) to get a fire going
I just started my first fire with a firebow 20 minutes ago! I tried it 2 years ago and got no fire. Studied your two videos again this evening. The wood was probably too hard for my spindle and board. Struggled with them and was about to give up when I raised a cloud of smoke. Morale restored, I pressed on. Got a good ember, but my tinder bundle had the wrong materials. Then I took dry grass, broke it up finely and used that. Tried it again and this time it worked. Alternating speed/pressure, more attention to the location and shape of the hole, and a better socket for the handhold helped. Thanks
Oak and other hard woods are VERY difficult (although possible) to make fire with. You might try a medium hardwood like Cottonwood, Poplar, Willow, etc
+BushcraftOnFire The bearing block (handhold) can be any wood that is much harder than the drill (spindle) or out of a highly resinous wood. A good place to find a good bearing block is to use a knot in a piece of hardwood such as oak, black walnut, ironwood, osage orange, or hickory.
Thanks so much for the great video. I watch a lot of videos (as I am a visual person) and so many lose me because they ramble on about non-related things. You were to the point and moved along at the right speed to educate and hold my attention. This was a tremendous help! I will go out this weekend and give it a shot. At 53 it is not to late to learn!
Great job explaining the process. I like that you stated "don't be in a hurry" or something to that effect. I might add if I may... After they've made the hot coal, don't blow on the coal in the tinder too hard at first. People tend to BLOW OUT the coal at first. A good rule of thumb is "Little smoke, little air.... more smoke, more air". Thanks again for a GREAT VIDEO : )
You could also use a skate board wheel for a hand hold, that way the spindle does not get hot, just a thought, I use the wheel as it has bearings in it and makes it spin real easy.
Well you will basically start at the beginning like we all must. Get a good ID book (Peterson's Guide), or find someone who knows trees and plants (Forest Ranger, Botanist, herbalist, etc) and learn the trees. In the meantime.. try picking up any piece of wood and trying. If it doesn't smoke within 30 secs or so it's probably not good wood (assuming that you have decent technique)
@SwampDonkey530 Hey Jeff!! I have used a fire piston.. and have received a few very nice ones as gifts. But truth be told.. I don't like them.. nor do I think they are reliable. I understand there are advocates for them out there.. and that is good. But since I need tinder to catch the spark.. I would MUCH rather carry flint & Steel to me it's much simpler. And the old adage of KISS out in the bush is critical in a life/death situation.
@bubbaducks Fine question! First, let me say that Willow is VERY abundant just about everywhere. Pine won't work (too much resin) EXCEPT White Pine which has less resin and works very well. (It's what I learned on). Yucca is one of the best! As is Basswood. I would try Birch.. and I have heard (but never used) Hemlock (the tree, NOT the poisonous plant). Try different woods and see what works in your area!
@snaponjohn100 John.... Sounds right off like your spindle is too hard. I have played with hardwoods like Cherry and Oak.. just to see if I can get them to ignite.. I can't.. but I get TONS of smoke and BLACK dust. (Remember.. black striated isn't good.. and that's what these tend to produce). Try a cedar, Willow, or Cottonwood spindle.. and I don't think the grease on top is a help personally.. especially if it drips onto your fireboard. HTH
Good video! Another reason people chew up the string excessively is because they are wrapping it on the wrong side, and it crosses itself. String should always cross toward the bow, not the outside.
I'm not saying no.. but it's highly unlikely. I think the pump drill for fire making is far too complicated. It's VERY difficult to get the counterbalance right..and just takes way too much time to construct. In my opinion, it's not any easier than the bow drill or hand drill with tethers. Hope that helps
@TheCaryeHoy Carey.. While I'm not familiar with the Fla Fauna.. I would think you have Willow, Cottonwood, WHITE PINE (The only Pine that will work), Basswood, and Yucca. These are what I would try. If you go to Lowes and get Red Cedar 1X4's they will give you a fine set that is difficult enough to perfect your technique. HTH
That is the way that many teach.. but I don't prefer it. It tends to crush the tinder bundle and compress it... The tinder bundle really needs to be light and fluffy and airy. So I don't do it that way. Also if it's moist at all.. the tinder bundle WILL pick up the moisture!
@swampassoutfitters You can do it that way... and some do.. I, personally, don't like it. It tends to make the fireboard unstable.. and crushes the tinder bundle. It's not too hard to move the coal.. and without the tinder bundle under it there seems to be more O2 getting to the coal.
Sounds like you're doing everything right... I woudl try a new spindle and fireboard combo at this point.. You might try backing off a bit and going as fast as you can for the last 5-10 strokes.. This might ignite the ember
All good tips. Wish I would have seen this back when I was starting out. Another good tip, is to be careful a gust of wind doesn't suddenly blow your coal off the collecting piece of bark or leaf. That's heartbreaking.
Well.. there's no way to fix the video that's up.. but we plan on doing another bow drill teaching video in the next couple of weeks.. Stay tuned.. For the record.. we HAVE a filter on the mic.. just the wind here is nutz!
@corey1961 Hey Corey.. Thanks for your support and comments.. We appreciate you. I began working skills in about 1991.. so 22 years or so now. I did minor stuff before that.. but that's when I really got into it
@batmaing What kind of wood are you using? That does make a difference! Other than that.. it sounds like your pressure isn't hard enough.. or your speed is a bit slow. Try increasing both and let me know how it works.
I don't honestly know the answer to that. In my opinion the humidity is more important than the temperature. With higher humidity it becomes very much harder to get the bow drill to catch the ember.
@TheDylanMetz I think it might "burn though" plastic.. but try it and let us know. If it was all I had.. I would use it! Having said that.. Teflon would probably be primo!
Try it more and let us know... I haven't used it.. but being in the Cedar family ( I think) it should work.. now if it's not in the Cedar family disregard that.. LOL
@tekknorat I don't think I have the neck kit on video. Generally I use my carabiner kit now.. but I will try to get a video up with a neck kit in the near future.
If you are getting a coal that lasts 2 minutes you should be able to make the fire. Work on finding very dry.. THIN (hairlike) material that will light quickly
Yes... that is something that many people say will help with the friction.. I have never had to use it.. but would do so if I were "In a Pinch" (pun intended)
@genetrumbo I could try Bro.. but we really don't have a lot of thatching around here.. We shall see.. If i run across a bunch (it takes A LOT) I will get one up
@Aqualiteking In my experience.. light brown means not enough pressure.. Black striated is when there is a LOT of pressure.. and usually not enough speed
Firstly, as a wilderness instructor I thought this an excellent and really valuable piece of knowledge and well presented instruction. Some of the tips you showed I will certainly steal/share, I definitely learned things I did not know and hadn't thought of. I will of course credit the source but I think you meant for this information to be shared and it will be,....if that's OK. If I have one critique it comes from my experience as a self defense trainer and that is this: if you say anything you must demonstrate it EXACTLY because students will do all to exactly do what you show. So if you say "I'll show you this but I'd do it differently for real" the student is lost, (including me). That happened once in this vid. Just a thought.
Great video. Your techniques really helped. I just had my second try and first success with using only cottonwood/poplar for everything. I used a flattened tin can to hold the drill so it would be smoother and less friction. And just piled up the smallest wood shavings in a pile and blew on them through a straw made out of an empty pen. It seems to help keep your face away from the smoke and concentrate the oxygen blown into the embers so it catches fire faster.
Yes.. it's really an illusion... The chicken really did all of the work and started the fire. seriously though.. it's a training technique... We start the fire.. then put a pot of water on.. and the chicken thinks.. Oh no.. I'm about to be dinner! Teaches them to stay out of our hair..
Great videos brother! I've been practicing without success but after watching your videos I made a new set and made my first fire with a bow drill. I used poplar (which may not be the best choice?) because there's plenty of it here. I'll try some cedar next time (not as common here) and see how it works. Many Thanks, Tim
I'm going to try this soon. I have made fire from many different things but this is the most challenging. Soon I'm going to have to clime this hill to get it past me them without a bow by hand. And last make fire with no tools just what your born with... That will be fun . But grate video I like how you take your time. I have a hard time doing that on my channel i don't want people board so i worry and go to fast :) . Thanks again.
I like to set objectives for myself before I hike or trek. For example, I will set a goal to positively identify 4 or 5 different trees, or a few trees and a few edible plants. just mix it up every time. same thing for Identifying animal tracks and sign. Set goals when you go out instead of just stomping through, its a habit Ive gotten into and has greatly increased my learning
Thank you for the kind words, and for helping to introduce me to this fascinating and fulfilling world. Your family, along with Dave Canterbury got me absolutely hooked on bushcraft. In fact you guys have also inspired me to start my own channel on you tube. My first vids will hopefully be up within a few weeks or so, hope you have time to check em out, Im sure Ill need plenty of constructive criticism. lol
Thank you so much, Dave. I have not been able to ignite my coal. I can get lots of smoke and black dust, but no ignition. I am going to try your tips. I am using a cedar fire board and a hard wood spindle. My bearing block is antler. I put high temp grease in the divot. Is that a problem? Please let me know if something that I am doing is obviously wrong. Thanks again, my friend. God bless, John
Congratulations to my lovely wife on her first friction fire on Sunday, she has tried so hard to get a coal and she finally did it with a basswood bow drill set I made. The look on her face was one of such pride. I love seeing my family taking part of these activities. Thanks for the great vids and ideas for projects. Do you guys plan on making more videos?
Just wanted to thank you, I watched a ton of videos on the bow drill and yours were for sure some of the most helpful. I so far have had success with pine on pine (storebought 1x4) and just yesterday was able to get a coal out of a silver maple spindle and hearth. Making fire from an all natural set was awesome.. Thanks again
I have used a shot glass! I have also used a 12 gauge hull also. I really like the idea of the spoon set into the knife handle. great video!
Definitely helpful!
I really like the handhold on the knife handle; always there when you need it, and one less thing to carry.
Most informative video on friction fire I've seen yet. Thanks for the instruction and advice, Dave. Have a good one..
Great video love the way you highlight the right and the wrong way to use the bowdrill i have never tried friction fire this tuition has improved my chances for sucess in achieving my first friction fire hopefully this year, thanx Tony
The best info on a bow drill I've seen.
Whatever you believe is good for you Joseph. But I have found that making a fire is a confidence booster.. and people won't give up and say "I can't do it". It's kind of like learning math from book. But you don't use the book now that you're older (I hope). Once someone gets the hang of it.. then they look for local woods and work with them. HOWEVER.. let me say that Cedar on Cedar (even from the store) makes you really have good technique.. and technique is what I was trying to teach here
Yes.. you can use the same hole until it wears through...
Sounds like you need more down pressure. If you are using correct form.. then your body will keep the pressure better. Lock your elbow to your shin and lean forwards to get more pressure.. Hope that helps
I've seen pretty much all of these in other videos, but this is the only one I can say groups it all.
@wolferic
I personally use #550. But with the technique I show.. you can use most anything.. as long as the string isn't too tight
Thanks for your time and efforts in creating this. Great Video. Very educational !!!
Both videos are great. thank you for the information and lesson.
Fantastic videos thank you
Many Blessings.. I'll be looking forward to seeing your video.. let me know when it's up!
I found what I would call glazing on the spindle and hearth, when learning to start fire this way. When first learning, rough up the end of the spindle with a stone every few tries.
Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Why not just do it directly on the tinder bundle on top of the piece of bark?
Awesome report Bro!!! Terrific!
@bubbawilcox
As I said on the video.. you need to use a SOFT hardwood.. such as WIllow, Cottonwood, etc. Oak will typically not work
Tommy Hilfiger Anyone see that? just speculating another great vid wheres Tam? with the cooking tips lately man i love it keep your feet on the ground awesome, by the way i use pine wood since its abundant in my area. dude you are dead on track. kudos to you. friction fire is hard but its always there in nature fundamental skill.
Great Video. thanks for posting.
very great video! anyway the duck walking on the iced water is SO FUNNY!!
Very good, sir. Thank you.
Try it and let us know.. I think it would work well.. I have used soda bottle tops before (the old metal ones
I cant stop laughing. In Part one, a chicken walked by. In part 2, a duck walks by.
Yeah.. We live on a farm.. What can I say?
I hope I didnt offend. It did not detract from the great content. It just made me laugh while learning hehe
No offense bro... thanks for the comment.
+BushcraftOnFire you my bro ? if so leave a like and sub to my channel . it sucks rite now but soon I will have great content like your videos mine will be outdoors and just goofing around thanks.
Dave what about a spent shotgun shell would that work for a hand hold.I'm also wondering about lubricant to use in the hand hold notch to keep it for grinding away the tip of the drill.
I live in Kansas City Missouri which words do you think would work best for this area?
Dave how would a spent shotgun shell would work for the hand hold
I had an ember by the end of the video. Cheers
great job I'm glad it helped
Typically the spindle is the same wood .. or a bit harder than the fireboard
If that works for you.. that's good Bro.. but sap will bind up very quickly.. and I wouldn't personally use it
"Technically" they say you can do it with ANY wood if you have good technique.. but I have NEVER been able to fire Cherry (although I have gotten great dust from it). You want a medium soft hardwood (Willow, Cedar, Basswood, etc) to get a fire going
This is the best video on starting fires with a bow drill I have ever seen, You make it very easy to understand !
Thank You so much !
Eric
I. use a skateboard wheel with the bearings in it for a block.works great
+Paul Henry Holy crap...this is a great idea.
I just started my first fire with a firebow 20 minutes ago!
I tried it 2 years ago and got no fire. Studied your two videos again this evening. The wood was probably too hard for my spindle and board. Struggled with them and was about to give up when I raised a cloud of smoke. Morale restored, I pressed on. Got a good ember, but my tinder bundle had the wrong materials. Then I took dry grass, broke it up finely and used that. Tried it again and this time it worked. Alternating speed/pressure, more attention to the location and shape of the hole, and a better socket for the handhold helped. Thanks
CONGRATULATIONS Ferdinand!! Way to stick with it. Glad the tips helped.
+Ferdinand the bull That's awesome! Sounds silly, but congrats! I know what that triumph feels like.
Oak and other hard woods are VERY difficult (although possible) to make fire with. You might try a medium hardwood like Cottonwood, Poplar, Willow, etc
Thank you very much for sharing you knowledge with us! Very much appreciated!
+BushcraftOnFire The bearing block (handhold) can be any wood that is much harder than the drill (spindle) or out of a highly resinous wood. A good place to find a good bearing block is to use a knot in a piece of hardwood such as oak, black walnut, ironwood, osage orange, or hickory.
+Paul Andrulis A knot in the wood...this makes tons of sense. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the great video. I watch a lot of videos (as I am a visual person) and so many lose me because they ramble on about non-related things. You were to the point and moved along at the right speed to educate and hold my attention. This was a tremendous help! I will go out this weekend and give it a shot. At 53 it is not to late to learn!
Brilliant tutorial. Thanks from a Scotsman struggling with the coal. Seems I’m going at it to hard. I look forward to trying it a little softer 👍🏻
Great video thanks 👍😃🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great info, just built my bow-drill and trying it out, this helped out very much! Thanks.
Thx for demonstration and explanation...very good video, great info !
Greetings from Canada.
Great job explaining the process. I like that you stated "don't be in a hurry" or something to that effect. I might add if I may... After they've made the hot coal, don't blow on the coal in the tinder too hard at first. People tend to BLOW OUT the coal at first. A good rule of thumb is "Little smoke, little air.... more smoke, more air". Thanks again for a GREAT VIDEO : )
That was really in depth....I'm barely starting out and I really needed these little tidbits... Thank kindly Sir
👏👏👏👏
You are very welcome
You could also use a skate board wheel for a hand hold, that way the spindle does not get hot, just a thought, I use the wheel as it has bearings in it and makes it spin real easy.
Did you learn that from Dave west
Well you will basically start at the beginning like we all must. Get a good ID book (Peterson's Guide), or find someone who knows trees and plants (Forest Ranger, Botanist, herbalist, etc) and learn the trees. In the meantime.. try picking up any piece of wood and trying. If it doesn't smoke within 30 secs or so it's probably not good wood (assuming that you have decent technique)
@SwampDonkey530
Hey Jeff!! I have used a fire piston.. and have received a few very nice ones as gifts. But truth be told.. I don't like them.. nor do I think they are reliable. I understand there are advocates for them out there.. and that is good. But since I need tinder to catch the spark.. I would MUCH rather carry flint & Steel to me it's much simpler. And the old adage of KISS out in the bush is critical in a life/death situation.
@bubbaducks
Fine question! First, let me say that Willow is VERY abundant just about everywhere. Pine won't work (too much resin) EXCEPT White Pine which has less resin and works very well. (It's what I learned on). Yucca is one of the best! As is Basswood. I would try Birch.. and I have heard (but never used) Hemlock (the tree, NOT the poisonous plant). Try different woods and see what works in your area!
@snaponjohn100
John....
Sounds right off like your spindle is too hard. I have played with hardwoods like Cherry and Oak.. just to see if I can get them to ignite.. I can't.. but I get TONS of smoke and BLACK dust. (Remember.. black striated isn't good.. and that's what these tend to produce). Try a cedar, Willow, or Cottonwood spindle.. and I don't think the grease on top is a help personally.. especially if it drips onto your fireboard. HTH
Good video! Another reason people chew up the string excessively is because they are wrapping it on the wrong side, and it crosses itself. String should always cross toward the bow, not the outside.
I'm not saying no.. but it's highly unlikely. I think the pump drill for fire making is far too complicated. It's VERY difficult to get the counterbalance right..and just takes way too much time to construct. In my opinion, it's not any easier than the bow drill or hand drill with tethers. Hope that helps
@TheCaryeHoy Carey.. While I'm not familiar with the Fla Fauna.. I would think you have Willow, Cottonwood, WHITE PINE (The only Pine that will work), Basswood, and Yucca. These are what I would try. If you go to Lowes and get Red Cedar 1X4's they will give you a fine set that is difficult enough to perfect your technique. HTH
That is the way that many teach.. but I don't prefer it. It tends to crush the tinder bundle and compress it... The tinder bundle really needs to be light and fluffy and airy. So I don't do it that way. Also if it's moist at all.. the tinder bundle WILL pick up the moisture!
@swampassoutfitters
You can do it that way... and some do.. I, personally, don't like it. It tends to make the fireboard unstable.. and crushes the tinder bundle. It's not too hard to move the coal.. and without the tinder bundle under it there seems to be more O2 getting to the coal.
Sounds like you're doing everything right... I woudl try a new spindle and fireboard combo at this point.. You might try backing off a bit and going as fast as you can for the last 5-10 strokes.. This might ignite the ember
All good tips. Wish I would have seen this back when I was starting out. Another good tip, is to be careful a gust of wind doesn't suddenly blow your coal off the collecting piece of bark or leaf. That's heartbreaking.
Well.. there's no way to fix the video that's up.. but we plan on doing another bow drill teaching video in the next couple of weeks.. Stay tuned.. For the record.. we HAVE a filter on the mic.. just the wind here is nutz!
@corey1961 Hey Corey.. Thanks for your support and comments.. We appreciate you. I began working skills in about 1991.. so 22 years or so now. I did minor stuff before that.. but that's when I really got into it
@batmaing
What kind of wood are you using? That does make a difference! Other than that.. it sounds like your pressure isn't hard enough.. or your speed is a bit slow. Try increasing both and let me know how it works.
I don't honestly know the answer to that. In my opinion the humidity is more important than the temperature. With higher humidity it becomes very much harder to get the bow drill to catch the ember.
@TheDylanMetz
I think it might "burn though" plastic.. but try it and let us know. If it was all I had.. I would use it! Having said that.. Teflon would probably be primo!
Try it more and let us know... I haven't used it.. but being in the Cedar family ( I think) it should work.. now if it's not in the Cedar family disregard that.. LOL
@tekknorat
I don't think I have the neck kit on video. Generally I use my carabiner kit now.. but I will try to get a video up with a neck kit in the near future.
If you are getting a coal that lasts 2 minutes you should be able to make the fire. Work on finding very dry.. THIN (hairlike) material that will light quickly
Yes... that is something that many people say will help with the friction.. I have never had to use it.. but would do so if I were "In a Pinch" (pun intended)
@genetrumbo I could try Bro.. but we really don't have a lot of thatching around here.. We shall see.. If i run across a bunch (it takes A LOT) I will get one up
@Aqualiteking
In my experience.. light brown means not enough pressure.. Black striated is when there is a LOT of pressure.. and usually not enough speed
Firstly, as a wilderness instructor I thought this an excellent and really valuable piece of knowledge and well presented instruction. Some of the tips you showed I will certainly steal/share, I definitely learned things I did not know and hadn't thought of. I will of course credit the source but I think you meant for this information to be shared and it will be,....if that's OK.
If I have one critique it comes from my experience as a self defense trainer and that is this: if you say anything you must demonstrate it EXACTLY because students will do all to exactly do what you show. So if you say "I'll show you this but I'd do it differently for real" the student is lost, (including me). That happened once in this vid.
Just a thought.
@supermuddymud
I would have to see to tell you what's going on.. can you put a short video up with you doing the drill? I'd like to help
Nahhhhh... We just have one or two trolls that thumb down a lot of our vids.. I don't worry about them.. they aren't why we're out here Bro
I have never seen a way to do it 1 handed.. but I would think if you had a spring attached to one end of the string.. it might do the trick
GREAT VIDEO ..!!
Very Detailed one if not the best I've seen ..!!
Thank you so much
Drying out new boards and spindles BEFORE you need them is Proper PRIOR Planning. THis mentality will take you a long way my Brother.
@flamefinger1989
I understand perfectly. I used this procedure when I made a wilderness button out of rawhide.. good idea!
I suppose a man could clap one hand against his backside and make quite a commotion though.. LOL! Good stuff my friend
@LouisvilleGar In order of pref from your list.. Cedar, Willow,, WHITE Pine (only Pine that will work) Hope that helps
You can certainly try the PVC handhold.. Might just work! I wouldn't use vaseline.. It will get real messy!
@newby1627 I generally use the same wood for both. A medium soft hardwood.. Like Cottonwood or Willow.
Try tying oneend & putting a small pebble as a space. This is an easy way! Or use a "Y" stick
@WoodmanFlorida
Hey way to go Bro! Awesome news hearing that you got it going.. Well done
Great stuff. I failed again today, but I'm going to try again tomorrow or the day after.
I actually finally managed this a few months back. Now I'm able to do it every time.
Please give it a try and let us know how it works! Sounds like it could be a go
Great video. Your techniques really helped. I just had my second try and first success with using only cottonwood/poplar for everything. I used a flattened tin can to hold the drill so it would be smoother and less friction. And just piled up the smallest wood shavings in a pile and blew on them through a straw made out of an empty pen. It seems to help keep your face away from the smoke and concentrate the oxygen blown into the embers so it catches fire faster.
Really helpful bro just subbed
Is it necessary to have the chicken walk behind you to make the drill work?
Yes.. it's really an illusion... The chicken really did all of the work and started the fire. seriously though.. it's a training technique... We start the fire.. then put a pot of water on.. and the chicken thinks.. Oh no.. I'm about to be dinner! Teaches them to stay out of our hair..
Yes.. I have used a shotgun shell casing before.. they work very well!
Great videos brother! I've been practicing without success but after watching your videos I made a new set and made my first fire with a bow drill. I used poplar (which may not be the best choice?) because there's plenty of it here. I'll try some cedar next time (not as common here) and see how it works.
Many Thanks,
Tim
Well done videos. Thanks
See my video on knife handhold mod.. where I do just that!
I assume that you mean on the top end.. that can work :)
@EstouDeToa
You sure can.. I have heard of that done
@TheDylanMetz
Your string may have been too loose
That's a Mora that I have modified with a handhold.
You will NEVER see it taught better folks!!!!
OUTSTANDING
I'm going to try this soon. I have made fire from many different things but this is the most challenging. Soon I'm going to have to clime this hill to get it past me them without a bow by hand. And last make fire with no tools just what your born with... That will be fun . But grate video I like how you take your time. I have a hard time doing that on my channel i don't want people board so i worry and go to fast :) . Thanks again.
I like to set objectives for myself before I hike or trek. For example, I will set a goal to positively identify 4 or 5 different trees, or a few trees and a few edible plants. just mix it up every time. same thing for Identifying animal tracks and sign. Set goals when you go out instead of just stomping through, its a habit Ive gotten into and has greatly increased my learning
Thank you for the kind words, and for helping to introduce me to this fascinating and fulfilling world. Your family, along with Dave Canterbury got me absolutely hooked on bushcraft. In fact you guys have also inspired me to start my own channel on you tube. My first vids will hopefully be up within a few weeks or so, hope you have time to check em out, Im sure Ill need plenty of constructive criticism. lol
Thank you so much, Dave. I have not been able to ignite my coal. I can get lots of smoke and black dust, but no ignition. I am going to try your tips. I am using a cedar fire board and a hard wood spindle. My bearing block is antler. I put high temp grease in the divot. Is that a problem? Please let me know if something that I am doing is obviously wrong. Thanks again, my friend.
God bless,
John
Congratulations to my lovely wife on her first friction fire on Sunday, she has tried so hard to get a coal and she finally did it with a basswood bow drill set I made. The look on her face was one of such pride. I love seeing my family taking part of these activities. Thanks for the great vids and ideas for projects. Do you guys plan on making more videos?
Just wanted to thank you, I watched a ton of videos on the bow drill and yours were for sure some of the most helpful. I so far have had success with pine on pine (storebought 1x4) and just yesterday was able to get a coal out of a silver maple spindle and hearth. Making fire from an all natural set was awesome.. Thanks again
Love this video! Excellent job with your demonstration. Very detailed explaination for the beginer. May try this with my son and daughter.