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Fire Plow
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Pictures & Movies
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A fireplow is a fire-making method used on Pacific islands.
There, hibiscus wood is used with great effect to work up a coal that is
then used to ignite the tinder bundle.
A fireplow is operated by quickly rubbing the handle
back and forth along a groove in the fireboard. This builds up a pile of
hot fine sawdust at the end of the groove, which becomes a coal.
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Fireplow made in Arizona
Fireplow demonstration and movies by
Rob
Bicevskis
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Here are 3 videos of a fireplow being used in Arizona.
The handle and board are made of sotol (see below).
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Stroking the fireplow...
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Click on the small photo to watch
the
movie |
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Windows Media
format (WMV)
320x240, 1.2MB |
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tipping the coal onto tinder...
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Click on the small photo to watch
the
movie |
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Windows Media
format (WMV)
320x240, 550KB |
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blowing the tinder into flame!
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Click on the small photo to watch
the
movie |
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Windows Media
format (WMV)
320x240, 831KB |
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Photo by Rob Bicevskis
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Here is a photo of Sotol (Dasylirion
wheeleri). One of the common names is "desert
spoon." |
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Fireplow made of Ontario materials
Pictures and movies by Walter Muma
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Below are pictures of a fireplow being used at the
Wildwood
Trackers June 2002 meeting.
This fireplow set uses locally found (S. Ontario)
materials: a balsam fir base and a poplar handle
(scraper). They didn't get fire, but did get a lot of smoke. The hardest
part of using a fireplow is getting all of the hot wood dust piled up in
one spot so it can coalesce into a coal.
Note that the traditional posture for the fireplow is unlike that for
the handdrill and bowdrill; that is the board isn't held by the foot.
Rather the board is much longer (5'-6') and is sat upon.
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The Ontario fire plow set. The
fireboard is balsam fir, the handle is poplar.
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These photos show the proper technique for
gripping the handle...
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Here is a movie of this
fireplow being used. Notice that a lot of smoke is generated.
We
need more practice before a coal is obtained.
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Click on the small photo to watch
the
movie |
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Windows Media format (WMV)
320x240, 722 KB
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