Sacred Hearth Friction Fire
  • Home
  • Offerings
    • Events
  • Sacred Fire
    • Sacred Fire Overview
    • Neid Fire >
      • Neid Fire
      • Neid Fire Churn
      • Neid Fire Research
    • Ritual Welcoming of Fire
    • Stories and Myths >
      • Stories
      • SHFF Story
      • Myths - China - Sui
      • Myths - Aztec - New Fire Ceremony
      • Myths - Evenki - Fire
      • Myths - Navajo - Black God
      • Myths - Polynesian - Maui1
      • Myths - Polynesian - Maui2
      • Myths - Slavic - Living Fire
    • Ancestral Fire
    • What is fire?
    • Fire Dieties
    • Symbolism
  • Methods
    • History of Fire
    • Friction Methods
    • Neid-Fire
    • Fire Plough UK
    • Bow Drill >
      • Overview and Principles
      • Method
      • Demonstration
    • Hand Drill
    • Vedic Fire Churn
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Links

Soggy Friction Fire!

13/10/2016

 
There is a perception that friction fire prefers dry conditions. Admittedly it is far easier in dry conditions and not all woods like dampness and I can't use the hand drill with damp wood and I'd prefer the dry any day! However, It can be possible with some wood species which are damp using the bow drill. I'm not saying you can do it with soaking wet, soggy all the way through wood but it can sometimes be possible with damp wood as I've tested recently. Of course, if it's chucking it down with rain you need to get into a sheltered spot and of course you need dry tinder and wood. Personally I prefer to carry everything I need with me but if you have the knowledge, it can be possible but a bit more prep may be needed (e.g. making feather sticks etc, using tinder fungus.) It's best to try and find dead standing wood with bark on as rain runs off it and it doesn't get as wet as wood on the ground or horizontal wood.

As an experiment I soaked a freshly made hazel drill (without bark) and an Ash hearthboard in water for over half an hour then I made a fresh hole and attempted to tempt an ember out. I had wiped off the excess water first and the wood was still damp, however the friction dried out the wood and I was able to tempt out an ember. It took a little bit longer than with dry wood, and the drill did slip a bit at first. The top of the spindle did suffer a bit and bits broke off due to the moisture but the bottom end worked well. Of course, out in the woods, it'll more difficult especially if raining as you'll need to try and be sheltered and keep your hands and your kit dry etc and you'll want to try and place the hearth on something dryish and try not to drip all over it!

The wood also needs to be suitable. e.g right deadness, not green. And some woods ay not work in the damp. A wood like ivy may bot work as that soaks up moisture but woods like dead standing hazel ashould hopefully work in the wilds.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

    Archives

    November 2024
    August 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    May 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    August 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Agni
    Agni Manthan
    Ancestral Fire
    Ancestry Of Fire
    Ancient Greece
    Arani
    Bow Drill
    Bow Drill Experiments
    Bow Drill Tips
    Connecting With Fire
    Cordage
    Earliest Fire Drill
    Fire Brace
    Fire Ceremony
    Fire Churn
    Fire Plough
    Fire Plow
    Fire Ritual
    Fire Steel
    Fire Wood
    Foraging
    Force Fire
    Friction Fire
    Hand Drill
    Heathen
    Inuit
    Legends And Myths
    Mouth Drill
    Natural Cordage
    Need Fire
    Neid Fire
    Oak
    Oak Bow Drill
    Pagan
    Pagan Friction Fire
    Pump Drill
    Roman Empire
    Samhain
    Sparks Of Possibilities
    Stone Tools
    Teine Eigin
    The Sacredness Of Fire
    Tinder
    Tinder Nest
    Vedic Fire Ritual
    Wet Bow Drill

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Offerings
    • Events
  • Sacred Fire
    • Sacred Fire Overview
    • Neid Fire >
      • Neid Fire
      • Neid Fire Churn
      • Neid Fire Research
    • Ritual Welcoming of Fire
    • Stories and Myths >
      • Stories
      • SHFF Story
      • Myths - China - Sui
      • Myths - Aztec - New Fire Ceremony
      • Myths - Evenki - Fire
      • Myths - Navajo - Black God
      • Myths - Polynesian - Maui1
      • Myths - Polynesian - Maui2
      • Myths - Slavic - Living Fire
    • Ancestral Fire
    • What is fire?
    • Fire Dieties
    • Symbolism
  • Methods
    • History of Fire
    • Friction Methods
    • Neid-Fire
    • Fire Plough UK
    • Bow Drill >
      • Overview and Principles
      • Method
      • Demonstration
    • Hand Drill
    • Vedic Fire Churn
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Links