Yeah, sotol.... NO! NO! Not that one! This one... This is a plant that you SW Monkeys should know about. It was the one of the main fire-making plants of the Apache. While rabbit hunting with my little girl today, I decided to pull down a dead stalk and get to work. What I want to do is make a walking stick out of this stuff. I mean it's tough, light, and can make fire... what's not to like? I have a nice piece for a good size walking stick for me and her. I had enough left over to practice with. I am attempting the hand drill as that is what the Apaches used. Well, about 30 minutes of hard work and all I have to show is a blister, a bit of smoke, and a lot of dust. I have a strong background in the bow and drill and could this thing going in no time with a bow, but the challenger in me won't let me put aside the hand drill. Tips??
Good one Bro. Id be tempted to turn the fire board over and use the othere side. I bet that drink is nice.
Anything else? I'll flip it and give it a run. I am giving the wood a bit of time too. It was a standing stalk, but clearly dead. Needless to say, wood dries super fast here.
Still looking to for hand drill tips. Maybe I should change fireboard types. For a bow and drill, generally, the fireboard and spindle can be made of the same material. I am thinking of trying a harder fireboard and keeping the softer spindle. Anyone have any tips for spindle length? The sotol spindle I am using I left long so I could get more friction between repositioning my hands.
