Bow Drill Fire

In Grade 4 you learned that friction, rubbing wood on wood, can make fire. The bow drill is the best-known way to do it. A bow spins a stick very fast against a board, and the heat turns fine wood dust into a tiny glowing coal. It is hard work, and even skilled people often need many tries. With your grown-up in charge, you will learn how each part works and how to help.

🌿 The Wild Way (the parts of a bow drill)

• BOW WITH CORD: a slightly curved stick about as long as your arm, with a cord tied to both ends. The cord wraps once around the spindle.
• SPINDLE: a straight, dry stick about as thick as your thumb. It spins on the fireboard to make heat.
• FIREBOARD: a flat piece of dry wood. The spindle spins in a small hole near its edge, with a notch cut beside it.
• HANDHOLD (BEARING BLOCK): a piece of hard wood or a stone with a small dip. It holds the top of the spindle so you can press down without burning your hand.
• EMBER CATCHER: a dry leaf or a piece of bark slid under the notch to catch the hot dust and the coal.
• TINDER BUNDLE: a nest of very dry, fluffy material, like dry grass or bark fibers, ready to turn the coal into a flame.

🌿 The Wild Way (from dust to coal to flame)

• DRY, SOFT WOOD: the adult chooses dry, soft wood that is not rotten. Damp wood almost never works.
• BURN IN A HOLE: spin the spindle on the fireboard to make a shallow, round, blackened hole.
• CUT THE NOTCH: the adult cuts a small wedge-shaped notch from the edge of the board into the hole. This is where the dust collects.
• STEADY, LONG STROKES: use the whole length of the bow, keep the spindle straight up and down, and press down firmly but evenly.
• BLACK DUST AND SMOKE: the notch fills with dark, hot dust. When it keeps smoking after you stop, a glowing coal has formed.
• COAL TO TINDER: tip the coal gently from the leaf into the tinder bundle, fold it around, and blow softly until it starts to smoke and glow. The adult blows it into flame and places it in the fire lay.