coil a blade of grass and put it between spindle and bearing. the silica in the grass will crystalize and form a glass-like patina, greatly reducing friction.
Stuck in lock down in Ireland missing the Outdoors and the sea. Hiked all the woods within 5km of home. Exploring with the kids making dens. Simple Tom foolery. Really enjoying the videos. Keep them coming. Role on the summer and brighter evenings
Your the first person I've ever seen use a wooden wedge to split a log. I've used the same method for years and learnt it as a kid making coal fires for my mum back in the 70s. All the bush craft channels I've watched just hammer their knife through and I've never liked that idea. In a true survival situation using your knife in that way is crazy. Well done for showing teaching a method not often used. Where did you learn it from ?
I'm so into nature and natural health remedies because I do believe 100% if you want to heal your body from ailments it's out there ready to pick. Would love a few days in the wild with this guy I would learn a lot..great vid.
May just have been me being a bit slow on the uptake but worth mentioning if anyone is having a go at this - the reason I failed to get fire from my first couple of attempts at the bow drill was down to my poor technique, specifically driving the bow from my elbow rather than shoulder and not utilising the full length of the bow. This all meant I quickly burnt myself out at the ‘lots of smoke’ stage before I got any burning ember. This was a long while ago now and had this channel existed back then I could have saved myself a lot of trembling arms and frustration! 👍🏻
You never fail to deliver Nick, I was only just wondering when you’d tackle this subject and here it is! Best to you... Cam P:S Great to see you’ve hit 1k subs 👍🏻
When you're smashing that glut through for the spindle, put a spiral of cordage around to keep it from going awry and coming out of the split, also lets you keep your second hand higher up and away from a potential swear moment 👍
Do you know what I haven’t done this in such a long time, after I watched this back to back with the other on Saturday I realised it’s been 14years since I took part lighting fire this way as a young section commander.
Awesome video. I've just made my first kit and this is really helping me understand what it is that I need to fix. Thank you very much. By the way, is that a Helle knife? It's very nice. Nvm I realize it's not a Helle knife. Still beautiful though, will look into the guy that crafted it.
At a bush camp, Rifa close to the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe, I watched an African man create fire without a bow. It took about 10 minutes before smoke was seen. Principally the same workings. Instead, he used his hands by rubbing & turning the spindle into the board. I remember him saying it was the cross cut of the wood causing the friction which in turn caused the fire. I’m sure it was harder than it looked.
Well, now I can see all the reason my attempts did not work! Wrong size spindle, wrong shape spindle, no catch tray...guess its time to get the little lad and go try again! Thank Nick!
Personally I use my thumb as a rough girth guide for a Spindle, as you mentioned a Spindle that's overly large excerts more energy, one too thin will not work well and may snap. As you know Nick many woods make a good Bow drill set but I've found Ivy, for both drill and hearth are good and easily excessible, plus Ivy is parasitic and kills the host tree's so cutting a length out of it is good for tree's.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Using the same for both Spindle and Hearth gives and even wear and produces a better dust that embers quite quickly, not had to worry about the top wearing too fast. Plus I cheat, I've inserted a push bike wheel bearing into a bearing block. Video is a good idea, I've just got too find my YT mojo again, been out with the injury and recovery since June 2019.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 They, them, those, just well used phrases, a lot of people pay for their knowledge rather than actually learning it by trial and error over many year's, their fore, in my opinion, a lot of people only take on the know how of the person teaching them and that's where they base their 'skills'. I'm not saying that's a bad way, it's learning after all.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 That's what I like about your channel Nick, I think you give people the incentive to get out and try and enjoy our beautiful countryside 👌🏻👍🏻
Just browsing the comments and I would say that technique and materials are important but motivation is the key ingredient. (Seen one or two bowdrills go flying in frustration ...) 😉. Glad I’ve sub’d your channel Nick. Keep ‘em coming 👍
