Making Fire with a Hand Drill is Easy;

Making Fire with a Hand Drill is Easy;

but not quite as easy as using the butane lighter from your everyday-carry on your person-survival kit. I know you like the Scouts; are always prepared.

When I worked at Camp Gardner, Calgary/Bragg Creek, Alberta-Boy Scout Camp; all the cubs, and scouts, were shown, if not taught; the processes as a part of their camping experience.

Image 1: There are five parts to the bow-drill set: the bow, the string, the spindle/drill, the board, and the handhold top bearing.

The Bow: Find a section of a green (live) branch that is about the thickness of your index finger; almost straight, or just slightly curved, and about the length of your arm from elbow to fingertip. The bow should be reasonably flexible but not flimsy (Willow works very well). It should not want to bend more than two inches from a straight line when flexed using a little strength. If it bends too easily or is prone to snapping, find a slightly thicker branch or use a denser wood. If it hardly bends at all then you can carefully whittle off a little wood on the inside of the curve; but, if you do so, make sure it bends evenly avoiding weak spots. The flexibility of the bow is important in the overall feel of the set. If the bow doesn't bend, the string will slip frequently and soon break. If the bow is too flexible the string will also slip and you won’t be able to apply the torque that is required.

Next, split the first two inches of each end of the bow with a knife. This is why you need a green branch. A dry branch will not split properly. Make sure the split is even, and doesn't run off to the side. The orientation of the split is very important; if the bow has any curve. When the bow is set on a flat surface, the splits should be parallel to that surface. Take two short lengths of cordage and snugly tie them around halfway up the splits. Use whipping style, or some other knot that will not work loose. The clove hitch is also very good for this. Tie one end of the bowstring into a knot. Set this end into the split in the bow so the knot is on the side of the bow that is curving away from itself (convex). Make sure that the string is held tightly by the split by moving the short section of cordage up the split toward the bowstring. This will effectively tighten the split. Take the other end of the bowstring and repeat on the other side. The amount of slack in the string is something that must be adjusted through trial and error when you fit the spindle. For now the string should be somewhat loose or you won’t be able to load the spindle.

The String: There are a wide variety of materials strings can be made of. These include: nylon, cotton, jute, leather, rawhide, buckskin, and a wide variety of wild plants. In general, use a string that is at least one and a half times the length of your bow. The string should be relatively thick. A thickness of a quarter-inch will last a long time. Shoelaces are usually not thick enough for repeated use. Cotton hockey skate laces will do. It is best to avoid synthetics such as nylon as they sometimes melt from the friction unless thick enough. Thick cotton cord is just about ideal for repeated use.

The Spindle/Drill: Take a foot-long straight-grained section of wood (if possible, from one of your previous splits) and whittle it into a slightly less than one-inch diameter straight dowel. In other words, the dowel should have the same diameter as the first knuckle of your thumb. Whittle the last inch of each end into sharp points. The fatter the spindle, the less wear it places on the string, but a longer bow is required to result in the same amount of rotations taken per bow stroke. Essentially, this works the same way as the gearing on a bicycle.

The Board: Take the once-split branch, and cut it with a saw(if you have such), or whittle and snap it into a foot long length. Using an axe or a knife and baton (a short, sturdy branch for hitting the back of knife blades) combination, split the branch evenly down the middle. Keep splitting until you get a flat board that is about one inch thick, or the thickness of your thumb. Whittle it down to remove any protrusions so you end up with a flat, straight-sided rectangular shape (this isn't very important). The board should be about three inches wide, but anything greater than two inches is fine.

The Handhold: Take the other half-split branch and saw off a section approximately four to five inches long. Whittle down the edges to remove any rough spots and to provide a comfortable surface for gripping. On the flat side of this, exactly in the centre from all four sides, gouge a hole with the point of your knife. Make the hole about half an inch deep. Make the sides of the hole slope out at a 45 degree angle so as to form a cone shaped depression.

Image 2: The drill spins against the board on one end and is held vertically by the handhold at the other end. The drill is spun by the bow and string. Spindle rotation and downward pressure are two of the most important requirements for starting a hand drill fire. Practice and patience will eventually improve your rate of success. Image 3: There are a variety of ways in preparing your notches. The notch in the photo was cut tangent to the circle of the spindle hole on the hearth board. Two V-shaped notches were cut on the top and bottom of the hearth board for catching the char dust. When you begin to see smoke coming from the spindle and hearth board, don't think that you have a fire and stop spinning the hand drill. Be sure that the char dust has ignited before you stop rotating the spindle. Images 4&5: The glowing ember was dropped into the cat-tail down in the tinder bundle. The bundle was constructed of the best fibres of cottonwood and a pile of cat-tail down placed in the middle. Blow into the cat-tail down to help extend the ignited char. Once the coal starts to spread, it helps to hold the tinder bundle out and above your head to keep the smoke from getting into your eyes. Continue blowing into the tinder bundle until it ignites into a flame. Hints:  Keep the downward pressure to a minimum; otherwise the drill stick will act as an auger and cut too quickly through the soft base wood. At first the drill-stick should be rotated slowly until it "beds in" Then the drill should be rotated very quickly. Friction under the top bearing should be kept to a minimum. If this is not the case, you must try some sort of lubrication; what ever you can find available. If the cord starts to slip on the drill stick, try to apply pressure (to the cord), with the fingers to tighten it up. Shorten the cord by re-tying the knot. ©Al (Alex-Alexander)D. Girvan 2013. All rights reserved.