2 Stick Hearthboards

[Longstrider]

I've just been looking through the "Articles" section and come across the piece on these and it's riased more questions in my head than it has provided answers. Can anyone tell me if this method is any easier to get a coal with than the "normal" method? If you don't cut a notch at all, where does the coal accumulate? Does it form in the previous drill-hole or in the little gap underneath between the sticks? If it forms underneath, how do you know when it goes from "smoking" to "glowing" or do you simply bow all you can and pray that it will be glowing when you stop?

Please bear in mind that these questions are asked by someone who STILL cannot make anything more than lots of smoke with a fire drill (and lots of sweat and bad language usually ) I am hoping that previous failures with what I have now found to be "difficult" woods will be turned into success when the ivy I've gathered for a hearth and my hazel drill have both dried out well enough to try.

I have couple of pieces of hazel which I gathered in already dead but far from rotten. Is it worth me trying the 2 stick method with one of them cut in half to make the 2 sticks with the other as the drill, or is Hazel Drill+ Hazel Hearth not a good combo for a very raw beginner?

 

[Jeff Wagner]

In this method, the burn-in is made toward the end of the two sticks which have been cut so as to form a wedge shaped notch between them. The effect is exactly the same as cutting a notch in a one-piece board. The only difference being the dust is accumulated at the end of the sticks rather than the side.

 

[Longstrider]

Thanks Jeff, but further questions.... What do you do about the 2nd and subsequent burns? The article shows drill holes all along the lengthof the 2 sticks. Does the coal form in the previous hole?

 

[wolf]

There's various ways of getting the ember with a 2 stick fireboard.

1. As Jeff says the notch is at the end of the two sticks. You could also do this by drilling at the crotch of a tightly forked stick - the natural 'V' forming the notch.
2. You can drill through part way from one side of the two sticks, Then dril for your ember from the other side to form a sort of hourglass with the dust falling through into the lower chamber. As you can imagine getting the air to this can be tricky and it's certainly not a method I've had great success with.
3. You could cut the notch as you would a 'normal' hearth i.e. to the side.
4. Finally you can drill the holes next to each other so that the ember forms in the previous hole (you may have to cut a 'gully' between them). The advantage of this is that it keeps the potential ember up off the damp ground.

You could of course use this last method (and the notch at the end method) with a 'normal' hearthboard. There's a further advantage with these two methods under certain circumstances; because you're cutting with the grain it's easier to make the notch which might be an important issue if you've lost your knife and only have a shard of flint or suchlike.

You might find the following interesting:

http://trackertrail.com/survival/fire/fireboards/abbww61/index.html

Hope I've been of some use.

interesting link

 

[Jeff Wagner]

I think this method is very much worth having in your battery of skills, however the set up is a bit tedious to prepare, what with binding the two sticks together etc. I am hard pressed to think of a circumstance where I would turn to this over say using a split limb or fungus as my hearthboard. Even if lacking a knife I can use a sharp stone.

I have recently acquired distribution rights for a wonderful video tape that illustrates all the methods we been discussing in detail. It leads the viewer through the process first using modern tools and methods then doing the same in a truly primitive fashion, using only materials found in nature. It covers flint and steel, bow drill and hand drill and its quite well done.

 

[rich59]

When I was learning bow drill I also came across this two stick method. I came to it after I had made coals a number of times with the more traditional hearth board and notch. When I tried the two stick method then it did not work well for me. I have tried it a few times since - with the same result. It did however teach me some essentials about what is needed to get a coal.

It is interesting to see from the link how it can be done. I like the thought about the wind!

In essence, looking at the link, I can see that it is the same method as getting a coal without a notch - you drill and aim that the punk building up around the friction point will start a coal.

I note what is being said about making a notch at the end between the sticks. My suspician is that this would not be easy. I have learnt that the V needs to be tight to the ground. With the suggested V between two round end of sticks then there would be a deficit of wood at the middle of the V, so punk would probably only slowly pile, losing heat.

I think now that I have seen that link I might try it on a windy day. I can see exactly what he is saying about this. I think also that I might succeed if I were to slope the board. This will allow a rising column of air along the groove between the two sticks. It could also be a suitable method for hand drilling don't you think? Hand drilling on a slope would be likely to be easier to control than with a bow.

I have succeeded a couple of times getting coals while drilling without a notch. But, I sloped the board so that punk preferentially collected at the bottom point of the drill circle. It helped that I was drilling into a base board with a long groove cut into it, so that again the punk collected in just one place, in the groove at the lower edge of the friction circle.

On the occasions I have tried the two stick method I have merely collected a beautiful pile of light brown punk underneath the two sticks. I concluded that is is probably the most certain and easiest way of collecting punk with no fear whatever of it catching light!

Like all other friction methods though it is far easier to do it under bone dry conditions - like summer or storing your wood in a boiler room.

 

[Longstrider]

Thanks for the input guys, and for the link Stickie. I'll maybe give the 2 stick method a try next time I get to go out and play!