BUSHCRAFT FRICTION FIRELIGHTING Making fire with a firebow

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FRICTION FIRELIGHTING Making fire with a firebow By Herman Roos The Woodsman skillfully works his firebow in a smooth and practiced motion pushing his bow forward and effortlessly drawing it back

The drill create a small cloud of smoke on the willow hearthboard that he firmly hold in place with the ball of his left foot.

In the heat of the passionate friction between the drill and heartboard a glowing ember is born to give life to a life saving campfire.

The Woodsman smiles as he put small sticks on the burning grass and create a fire from nature There are few bushcraft skills that can compare with the ability to create a fire by rubbing sticks

Friction fire-lighting is beyond doubt one of the most difficult skills to master and even experts sometimes struggle when things just don t seem to work out.

Making a bow and bearing block that are comfortable and functional creates the personal touch to your friction set.

1 FRICTION FIRELIGHTING Making fire with a firebow By Herman Roos The Woodsman skillfully works his firebow in a smooth and practiced motion pushing his bow forward and effortlessly drawing it back again. The poplar drill firmly twisted in the sisal natural cordage spin silently while he push down with just the right force with his hardwood bearing block. The drill create a small cloud of smoke on the willow hearthboard that he firmly hold in place with the ball of his left foot. Fine black wood dust slowly falls into a notch in the heartboard and the smoke from the friction set becomes denser. In the heat of the passionate friction between the drill and heartboard a glowing ember is born to give life to a life saving campfire. The Woodsman gently put the ember into a prepared tinder bundle of grass and blow the tinder into a ball of fire. The Woodsman smiles as he put small sticks on the burning grass and create a fire from nature There are few bushcraft skills that can compare with the ability to create a fire by rubbing sticks together. The sense of achievement when you create an ember and then blow it into flame, is indeed a very satisfying feeling. Friction fire-lighting is beyond doubt one of the most difficult skills to master and even experts sometimes struggle when things just don t seem to work out. There are many aspects of friction fire-lighting that must be mastered in order to create a fire by friction successfully. The wood selection for your hearth board and drill is the most important. Making a bow and bearing block that are comfortable and functional creates the personal touch to your friction set. Friction Fire-Lighting Set A friction fire-lighting set consists of a few items that have to be carefully selected and carved. You will need: a bow, cordage, a bearing block, a hearth board and a drill. To complete the process of friction fire-lighting you will need an ember pan to transfer the ember to the tinder bundle. You will also need a prepared tinder bundle. All these items are bushcraft carving projects in their own right and the Woodsman should take his time creating pieces as great as possible. The Fire Bow Selecting an carving a bow for your friction fire set is a very personal task. The bow should feel comfortable in your hand and should be the right length and thickness. A good guideline is to make a bow that is roughly the length from your fingertips to your armpit. The thickness of your bow should be about the thickness of your thumb. The shape of the bow is not a critical factor in the performance of the bow although a traditional curved shape is the preferred shape. A simple v- shaped bow will work just as well as the only function of the bow is to drive the drill and the curve helps to keep the drill from touching the inside of your bow. Leaving the bark on for added decoration or removing all the bark is again personal choice. Leaving the bark on will protect the wood from splitting when drying naturally. When removing the bark you will have to cure the bow by drying it slowly in the heat of your fire to harden the wood and keep it from cracking. The last step to complete the bow is to cut notches in the ends to tie the cordage to the bow.

Cordage The cordage on the fire bow need to be carefully selected. This is the most neglected component and little time is spent on discussing the importance of the right cordage.

When starting off as a novice on friction fire-lighting it is best to use strong synthetic cordage like paracord.

Bearing Block It is best to avoid natural fibre cordage like rope that is made from plants at this stage as it will complicate matters further.

2 Cordage The cordage on the fire bow need to be carefully selected. This is the most neglected component and little time is spent on discussing the importance of the right cordage. The abuse and wear that the cordage is exposed to during the friction process is tremendous and the cordage need to be able to function properly. When starting off as a novice on friction fire-lighting it is best to use strong synthetic cordage like paracord. A thick paracord of 5-7mm will be able to withstand the abuse of the process and give you the best chance at success. Bearing Block It is best to avoid natural fibre cordage like rope that is made from plants at this stage as it will complicate matters further. We will discuss how to make a natural plant material friction bow cord in future articles on natural cordage. You will need 1.5m of paracord to complete your bow. Making a natural cordage rope for your fire set is a skill that need to be learned and practiced. It is indeed a very satisfying experience to create a fire by friction with only natural materials including the cordage. During the friction fire-lighting process you will need to exert force downwards on your drill to be able to create enough friction heat to produce an ember. For this purpose you need a bearing block. A bearing block is typically a piece of hardwood with a hollow carved into one side to fit the top of the drill into. The wood need to be hard enough to withstand the drill burning into the block. Again this is a part of your kit that is not discussed in books or on courses with the necessary attention to detail. The bearing block needs to fit your hand comfortably to enable you to bear down on the drill as efficiently as possible. Hearth Board The next two pieces of kit in your friction fire-lighting set is by far the most important. The hearth board and the drill. We will focus on the making of the hearth board and look at the suitable types of wood later in the article. Cut a piece of wood for your hearth board about 20-25cm long and 4-5cm wide. Flatten 2 sides to have a flat back that will sit stable on the ground and the top flat side where you will drill into the wood. Make a small hole with your knife in the middle of the wood to one side and slowly drill a neat hole. See picture The next step is to cut a notch in the side of the hearth board to allow the ember dust to collect. This notch should be pizza slice shaped and about 1/8 of the circle size. Drill The next part of your kit that is vital is the drill. You will need a drill that is between 20-30cm long and as thick as your thumb. The drill need to be as straight as possible with no knots or rough edges. Sharpen both ends of the drill as in the picture.

Making a suitable tinder bundle that is properly prepared will give you the best chance possible to produce flame from your ember.

3 Ember Pan An ember pan is a piece of thin wood or your knife blade that is positioned under the notch of the hearth board to collect the ember. The ember pan is used to transfer the glowing ember safely to the tinder bundle. Tinder Bundle Creating an ember with friction fire-lighting is a skill that takes practice and dedication to master. Making a suitable tinder bundle that is properly prepared will give you the best chance possible to produce flame from your ember. A tinder bundle should be made from completely dry materials like grass or bark fibers. A dry and abandoned birds nest makes an excellent tinder bundle. In the center of your tinder bundle you will need to place a very fine prepared tinder ball made from fine grass that is rolled into a small ball between the palms of your hands. This creates very fine fibers that will use the heat from the ember to create the first flames. Friction Fire-Lighting Woods Wood selection is the key and the types of wood available for friction fire-lighting is the topic of endless discussions and debates.this is the most important discussion we will have on the art of friction fire-lighting. Selecting the right woods make all the difference to ultimate success. You will read in some books that your drill needs to be a harder wood than the heart board. This is not entirely accurate as the density of the wood is a more accurate description. You will need a denser wood for the drill and a slightly less dense wood for the hearth board. Generally a good test is to try and press a dent in the wood with your fingernail. If your nail makes a clear dent in the wood it is likely suitable for friction fire-lighting. This is not a fool proof method of determining the suitability of the wood. Only with experience you will be able to feel the wood and know if it will produce fire. Most books and television programs mention certain woods that is suitable for friction fire-lighting. We have to remember though that these wood species are normally native to northern hemisphere countries and that the climate have an effect on the characteristics of the wood described. If a certain type of wood can produce an ember in Europe or America, it does not mean that the same wood will produce an ember in Africa. I have spent years researching the types of wood suitable for friction fire-lighting that can be found in Southern-Africa. This research have surprised me as it is generally assumed that wood in a high rainfall climate are more likely to produce an ember. I have experimented with all the wood types I could get my hands on and the end result is a shortlist of wood types that will produce an ember in Southern-Africa. I call it my Bushveld Firewoods. I would also like to mention that I believe some of the wood types on this list, like Seringa, has never been documented as friction wood before and I am proud to be able to publish and share my findings with you. I have only included the wood types that is widely distributed in Southern-Africa and that I believe is the most suitable woods. Suitable wood for Hearth Boards - Seringa - Willow - Wild Fig - Wild Apple - Poplar - Yellow Jakaranda - Yucca Suitable wood for Drills - Poplar - Seringa - Wild Olive - Yellow Jakaranda - Wild Apple - Willow - Wild Fig

Pictured is from left to right (drills) Seringa and Polar. (Hearthboards) Seringa and Willow.

There are some combinations that might produce an ember regularly like wild fig for both the hearth board and drill, but I concentrate on the woods that is widely available throughout Southern-Africa.

I regularly guide students to successfully make fire by friction even on their first course!

4 Pictured is from left to right (drills) Seringa and Polar. (Hearthboards) Seringa and Willow. The best combinations is Seringa for both drill and hearth board, and Poplar for the drill on a Willow hearth board. There are some combinations that might produce an ember regularly like wild fig for both the hearth board and drill, but I concentrate on the woods that is widely available throughout Southern-Africa. Making Fire by Friction On my survival training courses I demonstrate friction fire-lighting and it never fails to remind me what an incredible bushcraft skill it is to be able to perform. I regularly guide students to successfully make fire by friction even on their first course! When you put your mind to something and do the basics right, with a little bit of determination you will certainly succeed. There are two aspects of creating fire by friction and that is good wood selection and the right technique. Technique have to be learned on a practical survival training course as this will save you hundreds of hours trying to figure the intricacies of friction fire-lighting out by yourself. The only other ingredients you need is patience and determination, but nothing beats the feeling of making your first friction fire. Body and Kit Position Step 1: Place the hearth board with the notch already cut on level ground. Step 2: Position the ember pan under the notch of the hearth board. Step 3: If you are right handed, place the ball of your left foot on the hearth board pinning it firmly to the ground. Your foot should be about 3-5cm from the hole and notch in the hearth board. Step 4: Position your upper body on the knee of your left foot and rest your right knee on the ground behind your left foot. Your bent legs should be at 90 degree angles. Step 5: Wrap the drill into the cordage of your bow. See picture. Step 6: Place the end of the drill in the hole of the hearth board and position the hole of the bearing block on the top end of the drill. Step 7: Holding the bearing block firmly in your left hand lock your left elbow over your left knee and lock your left wrist firmly into your left chin. This will create a stable platform to keep the drill from wabling about. Step 8: Grab the end of your bow with your right hand and hold the bow parallel to the ground. Lift your left heel off the ground and lie with your upper body weight on your left knee. The Technique Step 9: Pushing down on the top of the drill with the bearing block start moving the bow slowly forward and backwards, spinning the drill. The movement should resemble a person playing pool with a cue. Step 10: Slowly build up speed making sure that the drill is spinning stable and straight down and not moving from side to side. Once you see smoke start to appear the hard work is just starting.

Step 11: Keep constant pressure on the top of the drill with your bearing block and keep drilling until the color of the smoke darkens slightly. Remember to breathe!

Step 13: Keep going until it feels that your arms are falling off and then stop slowly. Without moving your left foot from the hearth board remove the drill carefully from the hearth board.

Step 15: It is here where most people are too eager and loose the ember. Be patient and let the ember settle and bind for a few moments.

Creating Flame Get your tinder bundle ready and carefully pick up the ember pan with the ember and transfer the ember to your tinder bundle by slowly rolling it into the fine small tinder ball in the

Start by blowing gently on the ember to encourage the tinder ball to ignite. When you need to take a breath, simply drop your hands downwards to get the smoke out of your face and take a breath.

5 Step 11: Keep constant pressure on the top of the drill with your bearing block and keep drilling until the color of the smoke darkens slightly. Remember to breathe! Step 12: Now increase the downward pressure on the top of the drill slightly and increase the speed of the bow. You should see a lot of smoke now. Step 13: Keep going until it feels that your arms are falling off and then stop slowly. Without moving your left foot from the hearth board remove the drill carefully from the hearth board. Step 14: Put the bow and drill aside and holding the hearth board to keep it from moving slowly remove your left foot from the hearth board. Relax and take a few deep breaths. You ve earned it! Step 15: It is here where most people are too eager and loose the ember. Be patient and let the ember settle and bind for a few moments. When you have regained your breath carefully pin the ember to the ember pan with a small twig and roll the hearth board away. Your ember should be smoking away now. Creating Flame Get your tinder bundle ready and carefully pick up the ember pan with the ember and transfer the ember to your tinder bundle by slowly rolling it into the fine small tinder ball in the center of your tinder bundle. Pick up the tinder bundle with both hands and carefully pinch the tinder bundle close around the ember. Start by blowing gently on the ember to encourage the tinder ball to ignite. When you need to take a breath, simply drop your hands downwards to get the smoke out of your face and take a breath. Bring the tinder bundle up in a long swooping motion to encourage air flow and blow on the ember again. When the smoke thickens blow harder. Continue this method until the tinder bundle burst into flames. We have just made a bushcraft fire the Woodsman s way! Making fire by friction requires the right technique and hours of practice. Keep the fires burning and I hope to help you master the incredible skill of friction fire lighting on a survival course soon! Herman The Bushcraft skills explained in this article has been tried and tested in simulated situations and can be used in life threatening survival situations. Nothing beats learning these skills on a practical survival course and I would strongly encourage you to book a survival course with me where you will learn amazing skills that will enable you to explore the world of Bushcraft and Survival safely on your own personal journey of discovery. I look forward welcoming you around the campfire soon Herman Roos

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