[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[Chad Rapier]

Having worked in the wilderness for a year with a troubled-teen rehab program, I will agree that learning to use a bow drill is tough. But not unlike riding a bicycle, once you have the knack it sticks with you and you can get good at it again pretty quickly. I had my best luck with a cottonwood fireboard, a sagebrush spindle, and a bow made of juniper. I'm not sure how the Native Americans made a reliable string for theirs, but I found that common "parachute cord" worked well. To hold the top of the spindle, I'd simply find a rock that fit my hand well, that had a natural concave spot in it that would seat well to the top of spindle. For lubrication, a dab of chapstick in the hole on the rock would help greatly, but it was important to remember which end of the spindle got the chapstick rubbed into it because that end (if put down on the fireboard) would not build friction well to make the char. Then it's a matter of jsut playing with it until you get the right combination of downward force, string pressure, and spindle balance. Once you get comfortable with it, it only takes a couple minutes to start a fire. The really important thing is to learn how to prepare a "nest" out of dry bark to drop your glowing char into, and getting used to using a steady breath to blow that glowing char ember into a flame.
 
And once you get some good pieces, keep them! I've kept my palm rock/spindle/bow/board for 7 years now.......just in case. Sure, you could go find another if you need to. But it's nice to have one handy just in case.
 
Chad
 
 
 




 
> From: dukealan at q.com
> To: artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org
> Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:49:29 +0000
> Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague
> 
> 
> All,
> 
> Red is pretty close on the fire drill, but are some details that are critical. First and foremost, you want non-resinous woods for the spindle and fireboard. Pine won't work. Cottonwood, Aspen, willow will work pretty well. Also the spindle is secured at the top with a socket, you'll want that to have a slight recess to hold the spindle. A bit of some lubricant helds reduce the friction in the socket.
> 
> For those that are interested, I'd suggest getting on YouTube and search for bow drill fire making videos. NOTHING will be better than trying it out _before_ you really, desperately need fire. As Red said, it's much easier than a hand drill, but not as easy as flint and steel. A bow drill creates it's own char, whereas flint and steel needs a charred material to catch the sparks.
> 
> Source materials for such things can be found in "The Books of Buckskinning" available from Scurlock Press in Texas. Many mountain man and Native skills can be found there. Another book that gives a good feel for the 14th Century seasonal considerations is "The Peel Affinity". It's one of the better books for day to day things a medieval person would be interested in. Mst. Annys gave me the book "Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England" and it too, has many good aspects of day today life in period.
> 
> Alan
> 
> > Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:26:15 -0700
> > From: sca_redhawk at yahoo.com
> > To: artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org
> > Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague
> > 
> > a bow drill looks like a small bow with a spindle thingy. the string wraps around the spindle (looks a lot like a drop spindle for spinning) and the wraps make the spindle turn and you have a drilled hole. in addition the bow drill and dried grasses are a good way to start a fire. sort of like rubbing a stick between your hands except the bow does it for you. much faster.
> > i'm not sure how i protect my horses. or my cows. i would have to move everything closer to the house and hang something on the fence that jiggles as a alarm. 
> > my animals are not going to survive without water. so now i have that windmill on my mind. the old fashion one like on the old farm. i would release the handle and the windmill would draw the water up. in great falls we are not lacking for wind. and now i also have solar panels on the mind. and bentenite. i spelled it wrong but i believe it makes light? 
> > i wonder how tar is made for torches? 
> > HE Morgan's idea about a still is great. We would need to make alcohol to sterile things.
> > Red
> 
> 
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