The Complete SAS Survival Manual by Barry Davies

Author:Barry Davies
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (Perseus)
Published: 2011-05-17T16:00:00+00:00

USING THE BOW DRILL

Place the block on the ground with a piece of dry bark or thin, flat wood under the notch. Rub a small amount of tinder into a loose ball and place it on the bark near the notch.

Loop the bowstring once around the drill, and fit the blunt end of the drill into the hollow in the block. Hold the block steady with the left foot. Fit the socket over the top end of the drill with your left hand (if you are left-handed, throughout the operation use your right hand where the left is indicated, and vice versa) and steady this hand (or wrist) against the left shin. Hold the bow in the right hand, with the bowstring towards the leg and the bow stick curving away. Draw the bow back and forth with the right hand, using the full length of the bow. As the drill spins in the hollow, fragments of wood are ground to powder. Heated by the friction, this powder falls through the notch and gathers on the bark below.

When a good amount of smoke is rising from the notch, check the pile of powder. As that begins to smoke too, carefully lift the block clear of the bark. Gently fan or blow the pile of powder until it glows. Then add the small ball of tinder and continue fanning and/or blowing until this ignites.

Some further tips on the use of the bow drill may prove useful. The drill must be held steady in a vertical position, and this cannot be done unless the upper hand is braced firmly against the shin. Saw as quickly as possible when smoke begins to rise. If any sand is available, a pinch sprinkled into the hollow will increase friction.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.