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Flint and Steel:
Steel, a luxury item, is rarely found in nature and then only if someone
has left or lost it. When present in the form of a pocketknife, nail
file, and so forth, it can be used in combination with a hard stone to
produce sparks hot enough to catch tinder.
Flint stones come in a wide range of types, all of which contain some
silica. Agate, jasper, and quartzite are perhaps the best, though any
silica stone will do. It should be broken into angular chunks to produce
sharp edges.
Striking the initial spark takes patience. The easiest method is for a
person to hold a stone in one hand and in the other hold a closed bladed
pocketknife or something similar, and with a loose jointed wrist strike
the sharp edge of the stone, until the sparks fly onto the tender.
Bow Drill:
Making fire with a bow drill is a simple task if the tools are
constructed correctly. Basically the Bow Drill has four parts, the
fireboard, drill, socket, and a bow.
The fireboard, which should be about 1/2 thick, can be made from a dead
branch. A slight depression must be drilled along one edge and can be
smoothed and deepened by a few turns of the bow and drill. A notch,
which reaches to the center of the pit, is cut in the side of the board
and catches the fine powder ground off by the drill. It is in this fine
powder that the spark is formed.
The drill may be constructed with same wood as the fireboard and should
be from 8 to 12 long and about Ύ in diameter. The top end is sharpened
to a point while the bottom is blunt.
The socket is made by drilling a depression in any piece of hardwood or
stone that fits your hand. The drill runs smoother if the socket is
lubricated with grease. The use of water for lubricating a socket only
makes it swell and bind.
The bow should be 18 to 25 long and about ½ in diameter. A branch with
a fork on one end makes an excellent bow. The best string is a strip of
Ό wide buckskin or other leather, but substitutes can be made from
plant fibers, shoelaces, or some kind of cord. The cord is attached to
one end of the bow and twisted until it is tight and round before being
tied to the other end. It is good to fix one end in such a way that it
may be loosened or tightened as needed.
In using the bow drill, one places the fireboard on a flat piece of bark
or wood. The spark will fall onto this piece and can then be carried to
the tinder. The tinder is placed in the hole under the board in a
position which allows the spark to fall directly onto it. You then place
the drill, with the bow cord twisted once around it, in the fireboard
socket. Using the hand socket to apply pressure, you then move the bow
back and forth in a sawing motion with steady, even strokes until the
drill tip is smoking. You will gradually spin the drill faster and apply
additional pressure with the hand socket. After a lot of black dust from
the drill starts collecting beside the notch and there is plenty of
smoke, there should be enough heat for a spark.
Hand Drill:
The basic principle for making a fire with a hand drill is the same as
that for making one with the bow drill. However, instead of using a bow
and socket, the drill is simply twirled between the palms of the hands.
The hands should be arched out stiffly for the best results, and the
drill should be least 16 inches long and tapered slightly from the
bottom toward the top. Since this method is so difficult, it is not
recommended as a sure way to get fire.
Maintaining a Fire:
Once a fire is obtained, a person may need to take certain care to keep
it going. If you camp in one spot for a period of time, you can keep a
fire alive through the night by building up a deep bed of hot coals and
banking them with ashes and thin layer of dirt. The important thing is
to keep the wind from the coals.
Tinder can be prepared for traveling purposes from shredded bark which
is baked until it is power dry. You can then carry the tender in a dry
container or wrapped in several strips of bark.
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