Yeah, oak is a bugger that I've not mastered yet either whether hand drilling or with a bow. I can get some black powder and some smoke easy enough but she's hard to get into an ember.
i tried oak for so long b4 i knew it wasnt good to use and all i every got was a huge pile of dust but nvr an ember. its nice to see someone did it but i'll look for something else
@Snbkr Yeah, Oak is not the best option. It's a tough wood to work with (fashioning the set) and it holds moisture in damp or humid environments (if made on the spot); A bad thing for friction fire making.
I tried this wood combination independently prior to seeing this video. All attempts were successful, after having dried the oak pieces inside for a week I even got a coal in a weakened and painful state after a hernia operation with moderate effort (more was not possible). Excellent bow drill wood when dry enough, I am glad that someone found out the same.
I need some advise- I've been using eastern white pine for my board and drill. They are both very dry and I get smoke but all I get is a brown powder- not black like its supposed to be. I made sure to use hardwood for the handpiece and lubricated it. Any trick? Does thickness of spindle affect it? Should I be pushing down harder or focusing more on fastness? I feel like I go even faster than what you did
@tkx7 My 1st guess is the wood may have resin/ sap in it. Try a Pine branch that has little or no resin. Make sure you have a sturdy bow with a decent bowstring to minimize slippage. You need good speed & downward pressure to get dark brown/ black dust. Bowstring slipping prevents applying good speed & pressure (to get darker dust).
Start off bowing easy so all moving parts are working smoothly. Don't rush, pace yourself. Gradually increase speed & pressure (balance speed & pressure by feel).
@tkx7 Spindle diameter of 1/2" to 3/4" is generally ideal. No trick really. If spindle feels like it's spinning too easy it means there's little friction. As you bow, press down harder then you'll eventually feel the spindle bite into the fireboard (more friction). This will cause more heat between fireboard & spindle so they'll form-fit better with each other (or possibly overcome any existing gliss or caramelized wood that may have formed on previous attempts).
@MrEhud77 Probably not for a beginner. I'd go with Cedar on Cedar for starters. Once you get the hang of it then try other wood combinations. Oak is one of the harder woods to work with.
WTH cant i get a single coal? I have cut the notch perfectly, tried about 15 combinations of wood and all i get is black dust and smoke.. I gave up on oak after reading a ton on the subject. Never an ember. What am i doing wrong?
@Back2DaBasix My guess is make sure you're using a good bearing-block having minimal friction, like a rock or shot-glass. This way you can apply good downward pressure to get to critical temp. Slippage - make sure you've got a good sturdy bow, and bowstring is tight around spindle. The more down pressure the more likely slippage. Feel for smooth speed & pressure and gradually apply more of each. Try store bought Cedar or other medium-soft wood. Oak is too difficult to learn with.
Yeah, oak is a bugger that I've not mastered yet either whether hand drilling or with a bow. I can get some black powder and some smoke easy enough but she's hard to get into an ember.
stambo2001 2 weeks ago
i tried oak for so long b4 i knew it wasnt good to use and all i every got was a huge pile of dust but nvr an ember. its nice to see someone did it but i'll look for something else
Snbkr 1 month ago
@Snbkr Yeah, Oak is not the best option. It's a tough wood to work with (fashioning the set) and it holds moisture in damp or humid environments (if made on the spot); A bad thing for friction fire making.
gundog5 1 month ago
awesome.
kitsurubami 6 months ago
I tried this wood combination independently prior to seeing this video. All attempts were successful, after having dried the oak pieces inside for a week I even got a coal in a weakened and painful state after a hernia operation with moderate effort (more was not possible). Excellent bow drill wood when dry enough, I am glad that someone found out the same.
sutrar 1 year ago
I need some advise- I've been using eastern white pine for my board and drill. They are both very dry and I get smoke but all I get is a brown powder- not black like its supposed to be. I made sure to use hardwood for the handpiece and lubricated it. Any trick? Does thickness of spindle affect it? Should I be pushing down harder or focusing more on fastness? I feel like I go even faster than what you did
tkx7 1 year ago
@tkx7 My 1st guess is the wood may have resin/ sap in it. Try a Pine branch that has little or no resin. Make sure you have a sturdy bow with a decent bowstring to minimize slippage. You need good speed & downward pressure to get dark brown/ black dust. Bowstring slipping prevents applying good speed & pressure (to get darker dust).
Start off bowing easy so all moving parts are working smoothly. Don't rush, pace yourself. Gradually increase speed & pressure (balance speed & pressure by feel).
gundog5 1 year ago
@tkx7 Spindle diameter of 1/2" to 3/4" is generally ideal. No trick really. If spindle feels like it's spinning too easy it means there's little friction. As you bow, press down harder then you'll eventually feel the spindle bite into the fireboard (more friction). This will cause more heat between fireboard & spindle so they'll form-fit better with each other (or possibly overcome any existing gliss or caramelized wood that may have formed on previous attempts).
gundog5 1 year ago
So would a ceder board with an oak spindle be a good choice for a beginner?
MrEhud77 1 year ago
@MrEhud77 Probably not for a beginner. I'd go with Cedar on Cedar for starters. Once you get the hang of it then try other wood combinations. Oak is one of the harder woods to work with.
gundog5 1 year ago
@gundog5 Thanks, I'll try that.
MrEhud77 1 year ago
Tx for posting. Gonna give this a try with my local oak.
BlueDogBushcraft 1 year ago
WTH cant i get a single coal? I have cut the notch perfectly, tried about 15 combinations of wood and all i get is black dust and smoke.. I gave up on oak after reading a ton on the subject. Never an ember. What am i doing wrong?
Back2DaBasix 1 year ago
@Back2DaBasix My guess is make sure you're using a good bearing-block having minimal friction, like a rock or shot-glass. This way you can apply good downward pressure to get to critical temp. Slippage - make sure you've got a good sturdy bow, and bowstring is tight around spindle. The more down pressure the more likely slippage. Feel for smooth speed & pressure and gradually apply more of each. Try store bought Cedar or other medium-soft wood. Oak is too difficult to learn with.
gundog5 1 year ago
Thanks so much for this vid. Saw it first on BCUSA.
BadgerEagle 1 year ago