FIVE REASONS YOUR BOW DRILL NEVER WORKS

Cotton wood works very well when Its sun dried completely or aged . Make all your tools from the same branch. Keep the bow at about the length of your arm. Make sure your spindle is as straight as possible. Antler or bone can make a good bearing block. The dried stalks of the yucca plant work great for a spindle bc you dont have to push quite as hard. If you cant leave a thumb nail imprint in the wood your using then Its probably too dense. Keep all your materials dry & in your pack to prevent moisture saturation. If your injured, stressed or exhausted from a trauma related survival scenario, the fire plow or fire roll method might be a better option. Cotton like material rubbed in wood ash will ignite much quicker with friction between two flat boards. Have your tinder bundle ready in advance & all your fire lay materials on hand at arms reach. With every friction fire you have success with will boost your confidence in the skillset. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy the outdoors!

Reason 1, you dont have one and are watching this inside with air conditioning on

What made the critical difference for me was wrapping the string twice around the drill. That reduced slippage and also tended to prevent 'spin out' where the wrap opens. Also wrapping the right direction is important because the bow is naturally inclined downwards and the wrap will tend to open on the forward stroke when it's wound one way rather than the other. As to materials, (I live in the UK ) I go for hazel every time. It's abundant wet and dry, and works well for all components. A piece of scrap tin or a bottlecap backed up by wood work well for the top bearing if you have it. Otherwise, pine lubricated with a crushed leaf works.

True mate, persistence pays off 💪

That never gets old

Well done, friend. S for technique, I would add that an improperly carved notch and applying too much downward pressure in the beginning are the two biggest reasons for failure.

I imagine using a longer bow can be a big help as well because you spend less energy switching directions to get the same heat generated. Also regarding the log technique, I think a basic thing you forgot about was simply which foot you put on the the fireboard and just make sure its the same side as your pressure hand

It seems like if you had crumbled up some of your tinder it might have started quicker . But persistence pays off . Good job .

Good information , thank you for getting that out there!

Perfect timing!;)

Good info thank you.

Wouldn’t a tinder bundle been a better choice as fuel?

One skill i need to learn.

Reason 6 - you’re using Sweet Chestnut

Recommend dry fluffy plant material - old mans beard, cat tail, cotton wood pods, etc.

Using lint from dryer filter kept in a plastic bag works well for starter material

Two words: Flint, Steel.

good job friend

I used a dead hemlock top for drill and base for burn in board (split out of the center 10- 12 " long my bow was shaped like a lightning bolt with paracord a boot lace will suffice. If your boot laces suck switch em out for paracord I recommend doubled over so you have twice as much . Don't want a long drill.no more than 10" / use talo or pine pitch on the point (upper end) as a lubricant / after burn in and at the start of every use , you should blunt the bottom of drill so it resembles a new pencil eraser this will create most friction and give best results. I learned how to make & use a fire drill from a native micmac resident here in Maine , I have been lucky I guess because I have produced fire with out fail every time several dozen times. It has never not worked. Prep and practice are your friends.

How are maple and birch for this? "It does come if you don't quit" --- if you don't wear out your arms too much. I wonder if pine pitch (powdered) would help it get started better. Just a little bit mixed in with the tender (what a weird word - I can never remember it..., or spell it apparently). I think you need to work out the tinder more. I've seen them catch must faster. btw, I came across something that said that birch bark makes great tinder.