ALTERNATIVES TO MATCHES
BOW DRILL- The bow drill is one of the time honored and easiest primitive methods of fire production. The skill of mastering the bow drill is in the selection of the wood used for the fireboard and friction shaft. And the all-important notch cut in the fire socket is another detail of great importance. A "feel" for the technique will come with practical application in the field or back yard.
FIREBOARD- The fireboard is constructed from a "medium" wood. Meaning not oak (hard) and not pine (soft). More in the line of ash, poplar, cottonwood, maybe cedar, etc. Then collect a good thick dry limb (2 - 3 inches in diameter) and split it with a knife, down to a flat thickness of ½ - ¾ inch. About 12 inches long if possible.
FRICTION SHAFT- The friction shaft is a dowel made from the same wood as the fireboard. About 6-8 inches long and ½ to ¾ of an inch in diameter. One end is blunt shaped and other end is sharpened with about a 1½ - 2 inch taper, but is still blunt as well. When carving the shaft it should not be smooth and rounded. More of an octagon-ish shape with plenty of ridges.
HAND SOCKET- The hand socket is usually made out of a hard wood or a smooth rock with a depression in it. The hard wood version is a block of wood that fits comfortably in the hand. A small hole is begun in the middle with a knife. The bluntest end of the friction shaft will begin twirling a socket hole in this small starter hole.
BOW- The bow limb is a dry stick that will bend, but not break. About 24 inches long and ¾ of an inch in diameter. Tying a length of cordage from one end of the bow limb and wrapping it around the other end forms a miniature bow. This tying method should be able to hold the bows shape but be easy to adjust the tension on the bow without untying knots. Military 550-LB cord with the inner lines cannibalized out of it works very well. Most any cordage can work, some better than others.
TINDER BALL- The tinder ball is an important part as well. It should be very dry and fluffed very well. Again the tinder ball is very important to the success of the fire making process. The finer and dryer the material used the better. (lint, shredded cedar bark, cloth fibers, fine dead grasses etc.)
WORKING THE MACHINE
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Start by carving a very small hole about a 1/8 inch deep, ¼ inch round, ½ inch from the edge of the end of the fireboard. |
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Place the friction shaft’s long tapered end into the small starter hole. Put one turn around the friction shaft with the bowstring. Fit the hand socket on the top end of the shaft. |
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Slowly work the bow back and forth, exerting very little pressure on the hand socket. The ends of the friction shaft will slowly bore holes into the fire board and hand socket. Once the holes are established stop. |
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Now with a knife start at the edge of the fireboard and carve a "V" notch into the middle of the new fire socket (see illustration). |
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On the under side of the fireboard carve a dished out area 1 ½ inches wide, and 1 inch under the fire socket, but no more then a ¼ inch into the thickness of the board. This is the tinder pocket. |
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The fireboard is placed over the tinder ball right at the tinder pocket. The tinder should only be half covered with the board. Or you can skip the tinder pocket step and lay a piece of flat bark down to catch the ember and move it to the tinder ball. |
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The friction shafts end that fits into the hand socket should be greased. It can be run through the hair or along side of the nose for natural grease. Oil or grease from wreckage can be utilized as well. |
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Set up the apparatus and begin to smoothly manipulate the bow back and forth. At first it will move freely and then the two materials will start to work together. It will start to feel very gritty like sandpaper twisting in the fire socket. Do not let the friction shaft stop moving at this point. |
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As soon as smoke appears speed the motion up. This is the magic moment when the shaft must not stop. If you get tired slow the motion but do not stop. Black dust will start to form in a pile this is where the ember will be found. When the pile starts to smoke it is a good sign that an ember has formed. |
(10) Slowly remove the apparatus and curl the tinder ball around the ember. Gently blow on the ember making sure that it is touching the tinder ball material.
(11) Don’t be afraid to start new fire sockets on the fireboard. As you are working the friction shaft it may be worn smooth. A little work with a knife will bring the ridges out again.
(12) As the process wears on the bowstring it may become loose. To deal with this just hold the bowstring between the index finger and thumb as you move the bow. Push down on the string with your thumb and pull up with your index finger, this tightens the string.
(13) The wrist of the hand that holds the hand socket should be held against the shin of your closest leg.
The bow drill can take much time and effort to master or just a short time. There are many elements that contribute to the end result. Once the survivor masters the art, it gets easier every time after. Remember a large part of the process is the selection of the lumber and getting the feel for the pieces as they are worked. If all of that scares you, maybe you should pack more butane lighters.
