Yessssssssssssssssssss! A happy Tom

[Galemys]

Hi all,

Last week I managed to create my first coal with a bowdrill in my backgarden (after first reading some of the bowdrill threads on this forum). I was so pleased just by looking at the glowing ember that I totally forgot that my three year old daughter Jools was watching it all. She stepped forward and blew the magic all to smithereens. "Wijfuurmake!" ("wemakefyer!") she proclaimed…

So last evening I prepared myself by first putting both of my daughters in bed before I tried again. And it worked! My first attempt gave me a coal and with the help of some shredded toiletpaper and fluff from the dryer ("urban bushcraft") I blew it into flames. I was so happy I could have cried. Actually I did cry because of all the noxious fumes that blew me in the eyes whilst blowing the coal (how come noone has ever told me that the smoke from your first fire will attack your face?). It felt for a moment as if the world revolved around those orange flames that I held in my hand. It was magic! After that I made another one with a different heartboard (birch).
I still smell like a smoked salmon today, A very content smoked salmon that is,

Tom

O yeah: at the first attempt the spindle & hearth were made from hazel, the bow was a piece of horse chestnut and I used a limpet shell as a bearing block

[Goose]

Well done! It is a real feeling of accomplishment, then you tell people at work and they ask why you didn't just use a lighter!
Some people just don't understand

[Marts]

Congratulations Galemys. The first one is always magical. Keep working your way through different wood combinations

[Ed]

Well done mate

Ed

[Tony]

Excellent Keep at it now you've started. It's always exciting reading about the success you guys have when you try new things, you're an inspiration to many

[P Wren]

Well done Tom.

Your enthusiasm at your success is infectious!

I must try to get to the woods this weekend - I am hopefully getting my new knife from Lord Farquhar so it will need christening so to speak.

I didn't have much luck with my birch attempt. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community...ead.php?t=8011

So I'll follow your example and try and find some Hazel.

Well done again !

Paul

[rich59]

Great description of the experience.

Several years on and probably 1000s of coals later it still gives me a real lift to get a glowing coal. Some coals are "vin ordinaire" while others are champagne stuff. The more the striving the bigger the reward.

Most recent satisfying one was last week - to achieve fire with just what I could find in a small area, applying lessons learned from previous failures. Chose a good bit of dead elderberry wood (with options of a range of diameters for the drill point), found and split thinly a piece of cherry for the hearth (thin means that it dries out better from the heat of drilling I think), and hand drilled to a coal. Still feeling a glow from it.

[Jeff Wagner]

Congatulations Tom. I can only add that success with the hand drill brings an even warmer glow. There is something satisfying at a deep and primal level that comes with the ability to go into the bush with nothing - no firesteel, no Granfors, no favorite blade, no leather thong and still make fire. Do you recall Tom Hanks reaction upon making fire by plough? Its sort of like that...

[Stuart]

Congratulations Tom

Hearing the successes of others brings always a warm feeling of Nostalgia to those who have mastered the technique and inspires those who have yet to try.

[falling rain]

Well done! It is a real feeling of accomplishment, then you tell people at work and they ask why you didn't just use a lighter!
Some people just don't understand

Well done. I remember my first time. I danced around the garden like a lunatic and whooping with happiness. My son was watching from an upstairs window and he'd watched me trying for so long and failing that he knew how I felt. He beamed like a Cheshire cat down at me and clapped and shouted 'well done Dad' - nice one. I then taught him and now he does it regularly.

At Glastonbury this year and last year I demo'd Fire by friction in the Green craft field and If I'd got a quid for each twit that said to me 'D'ya wanna borrer me lighter mate? or similar I'd be quite rich. They do indeed not understand.
Now just practice everyday or as much as you can for the next few weeks and you'll rarely (if ever) fail ever again. Very well done