The bow drill is also known as a fire drill, and it has been used since ancient times to produce fire through friction.
It is composed of four parts: a hearth board, a drill, the bow, and a handhold for the drill, and it is relatively simple to make. It can be used to ignite a small flame onto dried tinder.
Native North Americans, particularly the Alaskan North Canadian aborigines, were well known for their use of the bow drill. They were used for starting fires, and for “drilling” holes into wood and other materials such as bone.
If you’ve tried to make your own bow drill through woodwork, you might have struggled with various aspects of the process. Luckily for you, we have all the tips and tricks to the trade.
Check out the video on the next page to see the best way to make a bow drill!
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Makes it work easier!
It works very well if your tinder is dry and it’s not pouring down rain….Around the mountains of Oregon, the first thing that goes in our get-away bags are sections of 6mil visqueen and a mile of nylon string…..