Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
...Ey up firebugs !
.
...Someone once told me that rosebay willow herb (Fireweed) wouldn't work as a hand drill as it wouldn't hold up to the downwards pressure. Of course I tried it & those earlier attempts all ended with the spindle breaking so I resigned myself to the fact that it probably wouldn't work.
.
...Anyway that was a few years ago & on this visit back to England I was harvesting some willowherb for cordage & tea & I noticed that there were odd stems that seemed thicker than the others so I decided to have another bash at trying it for hand drill.
.
...I dried it a little too quick really & didn't tweak it enough as it dried so I ended up snapping it as I tried to bend it straight resulting in a lot shorter spindle than I originally intended. despite this it seemed pretty solid so I gave it a spin & as you see it actually works pretty well.
.
...I'm going to try & find some more that have thicker stems & let them dry slowly & gradually bend them straight & hopefully I get a decent spindle to work with.
.
...Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys, stay safe & I'll catch ya soon.
.
.
#fireweedhanddrill
#trysomethingnew
#alternativefirelighting
#bushcraft
#bowdrills
#campfire
#countrycrafts
#flames
#fire
#fireplough
#fireroll
#firelighting
#firebyfriction
#fishing
#frictionfire
#frictionfireligting
#foraging
#foodforfree
#handdrill
#learningbydoing
#nature
#naturalcordage
#primitiveskills
#primitivetechnology
#primitivefirelighting
#survival
...Ey up firebugs !
.
...Someone once told me that rosebay willow herb (Fireweed) wouldn't work as a hand drill as it wouldn't hold up to the downwards pressure. Of course I tried it & those earlier attempts all ended with the spindle breaking so I resigned myself to the fact that it probably wouldn't work.
.
...Anyway that was a few years ago & on this visit back to England I was harvesting some willowherb for cordage & tea & I noticed that there were odd stems that seemed thicker than the others so I decided to have another bash at trying it for hand drill.
.
...I dried it a little too quick really & didn't tweak it enough as it dried so I ended up snapping it as I tried to bend it straight resulting in a lot shorter spindle than I originally intended. despite this it seemed pretty solid so I gave it a spin & as you see it actually works pretty well.
.
...I'm going to try & find some more that have thicker stems & let them dry slowly & gradually bend them straight & hopefully I get a decent spindle to work with.
.
...Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys, stay safe & I'll catch ya soon.
.
.
#fireweedhanddrill
#trysomethingnew
#alternativefirelighting
#bushcraft
#bowdrills
#campfire
#countrycrafts
#flames
#fire
#fireplough
#fireroll
#firelighting
#firebyfriction
#fishing
#frictionfire
#frictionfireligting
#foraging
#foodforfree
#handdrill
#learningbydoing
#nature
#naturalcordage
#primitiveskills
#primitivetechnology
#primitivefirelighting
#survival
