Friction fire - pull string drill ? flywheel thong drill ? spinning top drill ? - 47% primitive

[2011 12 30]
It worked, at last !! (what is the true name of this technique ?)

I found the natural flywheel (pierced flint nodule) in march 2010 [in Ault, Normandy]. That's almost 2 years ago. Since then, I've tried (not very hard, maybe) from time to time to use it for making a friction fire. Good lesson learned : try seriously, and it will work !
[I did try at least 2 or 3 hours, or maybe 4 hours, since the day before yesterday, before I made it work.]

Ok... for this first success, only a few things are truly of primitive quality (woods, natural unmodified flywheel, overall technology). But, theorically the knife, the cordage and the handhold could be replaced by their primitive equivalents. (Strong long cordage is still out of my reach though).
Main difficulties : string primitive cordage
[after a second experiment with the "pull-string drill V2", this assertion is false, even a relatively fragile cordage can do the job]

Material used :
- fireboard : lime / basswood
- drill : willow
- flywheel : unmodified naturally pierced flint nodule
- string : some kind of paracord
- handhold : glass (... small cosmetic vessel ...)
[yes, that's cheating... :-) ... I'll try again with a limpet]
- handle for the string : bamboo
- coal extender : clematis (was already "old" when collected)
- fuel : dead leaves (somewhat wet)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• fuoco
• attrito
• fuego
• friccion
• feu
• Маховик
• volant
• d'inertie
• volante
• de
• inertia
• フライホイール
• 飛輪
• pedernal
• flint
• silex
• 発火法
• ヒモギリ紐錐
• огонь
• трением
• 独楽

[greenjack1959l]

@freejutube haven,t tried it myself yet, but I will take your word for it, as you seem to have considerable experience in the area of friction firelighting. perhaps a bowdrill with rawhide thong? the stiffness of the rawhide would not be an issue and it would be 100% primitive

[freejutube]

@greenjack1959l

I'll probably try some kind of animal product (hide, ...) if I can't make it work with "vegan" products... :-))

My last experiment with sisal cordage (commercial) let me think that stiffness of the thong may require extra skills or training, in this case. Actually, the sisal string, has some rigidity and did not so easily "rewind" itself. (not as easily as paracord or cotton, for instance).

[greenjack1959l]

a great idea by the way, will be trying it

[freejutube]

@greenjack1959l

Sure !

if you can, try with natural material (raw hide as you said ?).

I've tried yesterday and couldn't succeed with a limpet shell and commercial sisal cord (it broke twice) and with twisted and pitched commercial cotton thread (it broke also).

[steintanz]

The true name of this technique is: "the best technique ever"!! - I think this could even lead me lazy chap to the fire by friction thing again :o)

Thanks for the great demo!

Happy 2012, Tim

[freejutube]

@steintanz

Thanks :-)

Happy 2012 ;

I found the name "pull string" or "pull-string" ;

for instance, there are "pull string salad spinners" ;

[IHatchetJack]

That was really cool!

[greenjack1959l]

try a rawhide thong, I made a bowstring for my 40 lb draw yew flatbow from rawhide made from the skin of a young roe deer (roadkill) I can vouch for its strength, But I would think the skin from an old red stag or fallow buck or maybe cowhide would be even tougher, if these are hard to come by then natural sausage skins(sheep gut) twisted together, stretched and dried will work, it will be a little on the stiff side and hard to knot but it softens with use

[wanderinggibbon]

Great stuff, again.

[ANXIETOR]

very cool. great idea.