Hand drill friction fire in the UK

[Ashley Cawley]

Compliments of andyroid99 on YouTube...

[LandRoverMatt]

great little video

[BelfastBushcraft]

Thanks guys.

Anyone can do it. Just stick at it and seek out people who can do it and ask loads of questions.

If anyone has any questions on the technique I will help if i can. I dont claim to be an expert but I might be able to help someone in some small way.

cheers

[Ashley Cawley]

I'm intrigued to try the method of using a short piece of elder but then joining a length of longer wood to it like hazel etc. I've not tried that and it'd make it easier to find appropriate bits of elder.

[Ashley Cawley]

Oh and have you ever tried using Ivy wood at all for the hearth board with the hand-drill? I've had good results with it using the bow-drill but I've not tried using it as a board for hand-drill yet.

[BelfastBushcraft]

Hi Ashley,

I ahve tried that myself. It is not hard to do.

I used a straight dowl of hazel and lashed on a peice of burdock. I akso added some pine resin to keep it from slipping. worked a treat.

[BelfastBushcraft]

Oh and have you ever tried using Ivy wood at all for the hearth board with the hand-drill? I've had good results with it using the bow-drill but I've not tried using it as a board for hand-drill yet.

Hi,

Excellent question. I have used it alot. I made the mistake of using dead stuff and it was a real effort to get an ember before you bore through. I would class it as better than most willow but not as good as clematis which seems to be the best. I started on goat willow which I feel gave me a good grounding.

Make sure you collect any material green and dry it out in boards or if you have to collect it dead make sure it has not rotted at all.

The same goes for drills. Dead elder stalks are most certainly decayed even if they appear fine. Get them green and with heat they can be ready in a few days.

I have got an ember from a dead elder stalk but is it easier if you use a green to dry one.

Hopefully that will save you going into alot of deadends i went down.

this skill is so worth it and there is nothing cooler in my humble opinion that making fire this way.

Cheers