To Build A Fire!

  The spindle or drill is taken from a branch about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, fairly straight and 5 to 10 inches long. A hand piece used to hold the spindle straight, should be taken from a hardwood tree, if possible. I use ash frequently for this. It should be about the size of a hardball, cut in half and fit comfortably in your hand (especially while learning).

  In the center of the flat side, gouge a notch about a half inch deep and a little wider than your spindle. A little fat or pine tar, pine needles or earwax should be placed in the notch. Friction on this end will only produce smouldering fingertips.

  Now round off the end of the spindle that goes in the hand piece. Sharpen the opposite end of the spindle to a point. Lay the spindle on the fireboard so the edges are even. Now roll it away from the edge about 1/8 inch and mark on the fireboard where the pointed end of the spindle tip is. With a knife or pointed stone, notch a small hole to hold just the tip of the drill in place. Starting at the edge of the board, cut a wedge (about 1/8 slice of pie) to just short of the center of your notch.

  The cordage on my bow is made of laces of leather from a deer skin I tanned last year. When it breaks, I make another. Basswood and yucca plants also make very fine cord if you find yourself in the backwoods. Place a heavy leaf or piece of birch bark under your notch. Take a spindle and wrap your bowstring around it once. Place the point of it in the depression you made in the fireboard. Put the greased handpiece on the spindle.

  As the smoke begins to rise from the board, press a little harder and make longer and faster strokes with the bow. At this point you must hold your hand piece tight and flat to keep the spindle straight and in the socket. About 15 good strokes after the smoke is really rolling and you'll see a pile of glowing dust. A coal is born!

  Gently remove the spindle and tap it lightly on the fireboard to loosen the ash from the notch, then lift the fireboard away. A good coal will easily last 30 to 60 seconds. The tinder bundle needed at this point can be made from dried grasses mixed with cattail, the cottony plumes from reeds growing in the ditches, or dryer lint (if you're practicing in your basement).

  Place the coal from the bark into a double handful of the fluffy tinder. Cuddle the fluff gently around it and lightly and evenly blow. Hold it out in front of you and the more smoke that rises, the harder you blow. Smoke, sparks, swoosh, FIRE!!

  I have since made many fires with the hand spindle. The fireboard construction is identical to the bow/drill method, but the hands are used to spin the 2 foot drill. The fire comes only with much downward pressure and practice. A Mullein stalk and cedar board make a good combination for this method. The spindle being about the thickness of your pinky finger, gather cattail and Mullein stalks in January-February and allow them to dry for a day or two before using.

  So practice and experiment with different types of wood, cordage and tinder bundles. If you do, the fields you walk in will come alive with useful plants once thought of as weeds. Trees will take on their own personalities when you discover the cordage hidden in their bark and the fire hidden in their limbs. Enjoy these gifts of creation and remember to say "thank you tree".