Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills
Friction Fire
Forest_Farmer:
Bob,
I wanted to let you know, that i collected several horse weed spindles and after trying them they are my new favorite!! They grow everywhere in middle TN, and if you get a nice straight piece about 5/16" dia. you can twist out a ember really fast.
Thanks for the tips!!
Ed
Outbackbob48:
Forest, I have found horseweed growing in the Round-up ready soy beans, Farmers here tell me they have built a tolerance to round up doesn,t kill them, Seem to be real abundant, Mugwort is real common here and supposed to be excellent I need to harvest some before we get covered in snow :( :o Forest if you need some Chaga let me know and I'll drag some to the Classic or send ya some. I sat down yesterday with a pc of horseweed and red cedar and made 3 coals in row, Some days just can't quite get one. Drives me crazy with inconsistsy, I seem to be getting better though , less failures. What type material are using for hearth boards?
nclonghunter:
Does the red and white of cedar work equally as well?
I would think the outer white wood is best. Also can you break a dead limb off and use it or is the stuff on the ground and aged better?
Forest_Farmer:
Bob & NC,
I'm mainly using white cedar, it seems softer than red cedar. I agree with NC on using the outer white wood of red cedar, because it does seem softer than the red heart wood.
The main thing that i recently found to help with my consistency is the dressing of the spindle tip after using it (remove the burnt portion), and using a little bit of grit, or sand in the divot of the hearth board (if the hearth board starts to glaze over). That little bit of grit, helps to make dust faster. Also, when warming up the spindle, I really try to stay relaxed and not to go too fast, that helps save my strength.
As soon as I get the notch about 3/4 full of dust, then I start applying more speed and pressure. I usually get a ember within about 20 seconds, after the notch is 3/4 full.
The more I play with this, I keep finding that a calm relaxed technique is just as important as having good materials. I quickly knocked out an ember yesterday and it was wet rainy and very high humidity, but the spindle and hearth board were dry.
Bob,
I would love to try some of your chaga. If you send some here that would be great, or you could bring some to the classic. I will definitely be brewing up a nice ale for the classic and the chaga may help to counter the i'll effect of the ale. ;D
nclonghunter:
Went to a Rendezvous the other day and a guy had Buffalo bones on the trade blanket.(from a buffalo farm in Virginia) I spotted a rib bone and scored it. I have been rubbing mineral oil into it to give it some natural flexing ability. So far it has worked great and I really like it. The cord is a brain tanned deer hide that has been dyed in walnut. The socket is an elk antler base from an antler I found in Colorado.
I carry the rib bone in my otter hide arrow quiver.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version