Box Elder bow drill spindle

[M2A]

I challenged my son's scout unit to build fire using methods other than matches and lighters. Didn't want to ask them to do something I could not so I have been tinkering with this the last few weeks. after many failed attempts with various woods I split up a piece of box elder I had laying around at work for years and used it on a ERC hearth board. Success in 30 seconds.

Box elder is kind of a junk wood around here but now i have a good use for it. Hope this helps someone that may not be having any luck at friction fires.
Mike
IMG_3923 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr 

[Hawkdancer]

Way to go!  Also, teach them flint and steel - I.e. Their scout knife and the closest rock!  How thick/wide did you make the spindle?  Always willing to learn something!
Hawkdancer

[M2A]

Had a group working with those magnesium strikers as well and another group making char cloth, but was unable to see how successful they were. Have an outing coming up so hope to have more time then to help any of the boys interested.

Only had my axe to split out the spindle and round it up so it was kinda crude. I suppose it is about 1" and about 16" long.
Mike

[Hawkdancer]

Sounds like a good project, maybe each group can teach the others what they learned.  I carry one of the "mag" bars, but haven't had to use it yet!  Got to make some char cloth one of these days!
Hawkdancer

[Fox]

Nice ! Haven’t thought of using box elder... my favorite is yucca or elderberry... or maybe poplar 


-Fox

[Outbackbob48]

M2A, I have never tried box elder but it is on my list, I have used ERC spindles and they always seemed kinda hard as in density, got a coal with it but have other favorites. Some of my easy stuff on a whitepine hearth board is Mullien,Yucca and sometimes I can find a horseweed large enough for the bowdrill I always here about guys using yellow popular and how good it works, my own results with it are it is better than nothing but I don't particularly like it. I have used a lot of charred punkwood for the flint and steel and like it as well as char cloth.  The handrill is my favorite when conditions are right.  Bob

[M2A]

Thanks for the information fellas. I have some dried elderberry and 1 or 2 spindles of horseweed stashed away I'll have to try. Doubt I'll be finding yucca any time soon, but will have an eye out for some. Also just got some cattail to dry for later on. Will try and stock up on some stuff this fall as I see it. Already gave yellow poplar many tries and don't care to do so again any time soon lol. Hope to work more on this over the winter.

You will have to try that mag bar Hawkdancer. They sure do throw the sparks. I was demonstrating at one point with some local chert and a file and was happy to light some charcloth with it 1 time and think that was more luck than anything. Had better spark with Georgetown chert but was trying to do some work with the local stuff I found.

Just going to have some fun with this stuff as time allows, hope to improve at it.       
Mike     

[Hawkdancer]

It is on the list!  Got to work the fire drill as well, but need to make a hearth board.  The "do list" keeps getting in the way!
Hawkdancer

[GlisGlis]

your board catched my attention
your hole are pretty close to the edge of the board and you dont make any notch
dont you have your spindle slip off the open side?

[Pat B]

What about pawpaw for board or spindle?

[Outbackbob48]

Pat, I have used Paw-paw and they worked great for  bowdrill hearth and spindle. Kinda forgot about them being kinda rare in my area. Bob

[Pat B]

I planted 2 20 years ago and they are taking over. I have to mow around them to keep them in check. They just don't bare fruit.

[Outbackbob48]

A friend of mine is growing some in our area and managed to get some fruit this year, pretty tasty and he makes sure that I get any broken limbs or sucker trimmings to  play with, seems to be very soft pithy wood. Bob

[JEB]

 Good job M2A.

I have never done the spindle thing but last winter I brought home a bunch of smaller diameter YUCCA to give out to folks that want to use it for fire making.

[M2A]

I can see how it looks that way GlisGlis. 2 of the 3 burned in friction points are notched in the pic but hard to tell it. The one you see the best was not at the time, but since has been. When I started I was trying with a larger poplar before going to box elder, Maybe I just was lucky but didnt have a problem with them slipping of the board, but may go in a bit deeper next time.

Wanted to try some more over the weekend with a good horseweed spindle I have on a box elder but but too much other stuff going on at this camp out. Looks like some rain in the forecast this week so might have some down time for some other attempts.

Think I have only seen 2 pawpaw trees ever and those were 20+ years ago. But that's good information to know.

The yucca I see between here and work don't have any flower stocks on them this year, not sure if the late frost burned them off or something else happened.

One final question...is mullien lambs ear?
Thanks, Mike