what you been up to lately?

just wondering if you have been up to anything interesting - I have just had my first trip of the year metal detecting abroad, I have also been very busy this year at work - here are a few of the pens I have made over the last few months. -

I've been very boring, doing little, selling a bit of stuff and being too lazy to replace the stuff I have sold. 

I never knew you were  pen maker, for pets, animal homes?

How is the knapping of the flint you got going?

Yep I am a plastic and stainless fabricator - I mainly do veterinary work.

 The flint hasn't been going to well - it seems to fracture at odd angles rather than knap, I was wondering if it might be river washed or frost damaged? only a couple of the lumps have a ring to them - I can see most of the pile I gathered going into making a wall in the garden, I think I need a trip out to get some better quality lumps,

Hey Barnacle, I got the wood to char last night, just cut the slot and I'm altering the bow now I know it works! I'll get some photos uploaded soon...
I feel manly 

mr.hertzian cone wrote:Hey Barnacle, I got the wood to char last night, just cut the slot and I'm altering the bow now I know it works! I'll get some photos uploaded soon...
I feel manly 

great news - once it chars re sharpen the spindle cut the slot and get a coal glowing - once you take the spindle away waft some air by the coal - no rush if it keeps smoking you will have fire in no time.

look forward to seeing your pics, if you anything like me you will be obsessed untill you see flames.

hows the fire bow coming on/ have you made your first flames?

Hopefully this week I will be getting some flint so can start knapping again. All I seem to be doing at the moment is tools making.

I could do with a good set of tools must get around to making some - but at the moment I seem to be working away a lot.  I see some great looking ones for sale on ebay  

Aha, I've sorted out some photos today" />This is work in progress, the bow drill is unfinished here, and I have the hazel spindle and fire board out, I also have the pine (fire board) and a skinny willow spindle out. This was the combination that smoked and worked for me.

" />
The first string was 6mm jute and it wore out almost straight away. So a change of string was in order, so I got some 6mm hemp rope from my local DIY store and the guides for the string needed some opening out. Get out the file...

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Non-adjustable base all tied in and bound with some thin jute string (and PVA thinned out glue) to keep it in the rut.

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Ok, this is a sod to do one-handed with the camera in the other, but you get the idea, the flint tipped piece in the background is a drill bit for making holes with this rig.

" />And a close up shot, knocked off the block with a hardhammer stone and steeply retouched with a pressure flaker. The binding is nettle and pitch pine glue.

thay look great - well engineered - i like the flint drill - when i do fire without trying to recreate old methods i use nylon rope with th rope tight so the bow gives the friction on the spindle.  - looks like you are getting a good char on the hearth.

Cheers, the char was from the first good go with the willow and pine combo, these pics where taken the night before the kit had to be delivered so no fire as yet...
I was able to get a nice tension with the string after some adjustment so it would squeek when the wraps where pulled staight on the spindle. The knot at the far end from the handle is actually a hitch knot with the loose ends just fed through each other to stop them from flopping about, this makes the knot look much bigger than it actually is and the ends of the string where tied with artificial sinue. I can still get back to this kit and get an ember going, soooooon I hope. You're right about the fire bug!

willow is a good wood to use but i never had much luck with pine, another favorite is sycamore but i still prefer Hazel wood,

I've read that willow and lime are really good woods to use in any combo. And when dry you can use the central stem of the common mullien (Verbascum thapsus) as a fire spindle." />
  Sycamore and hazel are good, I think the hazel I had was on steroids!!!

Hi,

Have been in the middle of nowhere for the last 3 weeks working, will be back home in another couple of weeks. Till then most likely I won't be around much.

cheers

Grendel wrote:Hi,

Have been in the middle of nowhere for the last 3 weeks working, will be back home in another couple of weeks. Till then most likely I won't be around much.

cheers

i had wondered where you had got to.

i think my next step in fire making is to drop the bow and try by hand alone.