Components: The fire bow is made up of four components: the baseboard,
the spindle, the bearing block, and the bow.
The baseboard is the part of your fire bow that eventually produces
the smoldering mound of wood dust that will (hopefully) start your fire.
You can use various types of wood depending on your geographic location,
but in my home location in northcentral Canada, I prefer semisoft woods
such as cedar, poplar, aspen, or basswood.
Choosing the proper wood for the baseboard is critical because
the spindle, a long stick that rubs against the baseboard, will grind
the baseboard away as you spin. Some instructors prefer a hardwood
spindle because they feel it’s more effective at grinding the baseboard.
Personally, I prefer semisoft wood for both pieces, because then you’re
grinding not only the baseboard but also the spindle, possibly produc
ing double the wood dust for your effort. Choosing a wood for a fric
tion fire mostly comes down to what works for you. To test if a wood
is semisoft, jam your thumbnail into the wood. If it makes an impres
sion, it’s semisoft or soft.
After practice, the most important aspect of making a proper friction
fire is finding the right kind of wood. This is where a little local knowl
edge goes a long way. How else would you know that the dry saguaro cac
tus makes a great frictionfire fuel, or that if you’re in the boreal forest of
northern Ontario you’re better off using poplar, cedar, aspen, or birch than
pine, which is so full of resin that it polishes instead of burns?
Your spindle should be as straight as possible. The spindle will turn rap
idly as you move your bow, creating friction on the baseboard. The size of the
spindle is up to you, but I typically shoot for one 8 inches (20 cm) in length and
as thick as my thumb. Make sure the wood you use is dead and dry.
Most people use branches because these are naturally the right size
and shape. In fact, the molecules inside a tree branch are tighter together
than those throughout the rest of the tree, making the wood a bit harder.
By comparison, the heartwood of the tree—the wood right in the middle
of the trunk—is softer. Therefore, you’re better off finding a downed tree,
breaking off a piece, and carving it into a spindle. Basswood branches
(dead and dry ones) are superb spindles.
The bearing block is the part of your fire bow that you use to apply
weight and pressure to the top of your spindle. Many things can be used
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