[flyboyjake]

can someone help me with making a fire drill? I live in Colorado, and it would seem to me that the natural woods abundant in the Colorado rockies are not conducive to making a fire drill. I was able to make good embers in Utah, but no matter what I use in CO, im a big fat fail boat. Id love some advice!

 

[BlasphemousBill]

I need to experiment more with different woods, but I think it has more to do with proper setup and technique than specific woods. Yucca can be used for the drill.

 

[cleatis]

I know you asked about wood but start all over with whatever you got handy. I followed these instruction and have had good luck. Hope you do to.
http://www.natureskills.com/survival/creating-a-bow-drill/

 

[Cragar]

I've also run in to the problem of my spindle being to soft for the the fireboard. You have to get just the right mix in my experience. This is naturally harder to do if you are just grabbing what's on the forest floor.

Edit: Sorry I got that backwards. It's the fireboard that I run into being too soft and I don't get enough friction before I drill completely through the fireboard. If this is what is happening to you, try and find a fireboard of a harder wood so you don't drill all the way through it before you get a good ember.

 

[cleatis]

http://artofmanliness.com/2011/01/0...part-i-how-to-make-fire-with-flint-and-steel/

http://artofmanliness.com/2011/01/18/traditional-firestarting-part-ii-fire-from-friction/


http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/29/9-ways-to-start-a-fire-without-matches/

just wanted to share these.

And this one too
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/09/2...res-snack-fire-cooking-fire-and-comfort-fire/

 

[flyboyjake]

cragar, that is what I suspected my problem is, as all the Colorado rockies offer is aspen and soft pines... I even put a spindle in my electric drill and went to town, and all I got was smoke...no embers

All else, ill look at those links and practice, thanks!

 

[saul]

The sap in softwood apparently sort of acts as a lubricant, defeating the purpose of friction fire starting methods.

 

[cleatis]

You gotta have good dry stuff for any friction fire tools to work.