the risk of accidentally kicking the baseboard when you decide it’s time to
transfer your ember to your tinder pile. But comfort is important here, so
wear what feels right.
Once you have achieved a slow, fluid motion (it’s all about the feel), and
as you get comfortable with the process, gradually build up your speed, push
ing down a little harder on the bearing block. Eventually, you will find that
you’re spinning as fast and pushing as hard as you can, without the spindle
binding or popping out on you.
At this point, three of your senses play a critical role: touch, hearing,
and sight. You want to feel a grinding going on between the spindle and the
baseboard. You should also be listening carefully to the sound you’re produc
ing. You don’t want to hear chirping, squawking, or squeaking, which indi
cate that you’re polishing the wood, not grinding it. If that occurs, stop and
roughen (or chip) the hole and the end of the spindle to increase the friction
between them. If the noise continues, this may mean that you have chosen
the wrong type of wood for one of your components.
After this, your sight comes into play. You’ll see fine wisps of smoke
appearing in the baseboard. This is your cue not to stop but rather to keep
going using maximum speed and pressure. At some point, the smoke you
see will not be from the grinding of the spindle into the baseboard but
from the ember that has formed in the clump of wood dust in the base
board. The curl of smoke you see then will be thicker and whiter than the
wisps you first noticed while spinning the spindle.
What if you’re not alone? It takes time to establish the rhythm, but
doing the fire bow with two people can be more effective that with one
person alone. One person assumes the standard solo position and holds
the bearing block, with the other in a comfortable position facing his
or her partner. Each person holds an end of the bow, pushing or pull
ing as required. If you can master the rhythm, the twoperson method
allows you to spin much faster and longer than if you are by yourself.
stroud’s Tip
Don’t let your forehead sweat drip onto the ember
you’re creating. This can put it out! Fire (^) | 125