Bow Drill
The bow drill is a little easier than the hand drill but still takes some practice to master
1. A hearth board � a flat piece of wood about 8 inches long 1 � inch wide and about a � - � inch thick (Must be a dry piece of wood)
2. A Spindle- A straight branch about 6-9 inches long and a bout � inch thick
(as straight and as dry as possible)
3. A Socket � Any hard object that can be used to place on top of the spindle and keep it in place when spinning the spindle
(A stone, A thicker piece of wood , Bone, Shell, Living in a large city I have found that a steel pipe cap will work fine)
4.A Bow- A curved peice of green wood and a cord
( I have found that A fresh cut branch works well )
5. Tinder- You will need to make a small pile of tinder about the size of a birds nest. I find that a pile of shredded paper and a leaf work well
6. Time- This method will take some time to master and practice is very important but be patient.
What you need to do is make a small dent in the hearth board. Place your spindle onto the board near an edge and move in towards the center of the board about a � of an inch.
Press the spindle into the hearth board to make a dent. Next you will want to place the spindle into the dent wrap the cord of the bow around the spindle once and place the socket on top of the spindle. Place pressure on the socket and start to spin the spindle by using a smooth sawing motion with the bow It may take some time for the spindle to burn into the hearth board but it will happen. You will start to hear some squeaking and then you will start to smell the wood burning. Now you will want to remove the spindle and cut a triangle shaped notch into the hearth board on the edge where you have just burnt the spindle in.
(See Diagram 2) Now place a leaf under the notch and with your tinder pile near by place the spindle back into the dent and start to spin the spindle in the same manor as before dust will start to pile up on the leaf soon it will begin to smoke. Once you have large amounts of smoke coming from the pile of dust you will have a coal but don�t stop spinning just yet spin for a few more good strokes no gently move your coal into the pile of tinder and allow it to burn for a second or two then gently blow into the tinder pile.
Smoke will start to pour out of the pile keep blowing and soon you will see fire now you can stop blowing.
Congrats you have made fire!!!!
Hearth Board with Spindle & Bow
Magnesium Bar
This is by far one of the easiest method that I have found.
You Can fire a magnesium bar at your local sporting good and out door stores and many places online.
The magnesium bar is a Silver bar about 2 � inches long and � thickthat has a piece of flint inbedded on one size.
What you will need is the magnesium bar, a knife, tinder , kindling and wood for the fire.
Scrape off about a quarter size pile of magnesium. Place the tinder pile near the pile of nagnesium then with the dull edge of your knife srape the flint side and direct the sparks towards the magnesium pile. You will soon have fire. Magnesium burns at about 5700 degrees which will light even damp tinder.( See Diagram 3)
Magnesium bar