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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Fire

Fire Plough & Fire Saw: Friction Fire Methods Beyond the Drill

One board, one stick, one groove. Push until the dust starts to smoke.

Quick facts

Time
Kit: 30–60 min · ember: several minutes of hard ploughing
Difficulty
High: stamina, steady technique and very dry wood
Best for
Dry summer days, practice, understanding friction fire
You need
Knife, dry soft board, plough stick, tinder bundle

What you need

  • Fixed-blade bushcraft knife
  • Dry hearth boards and a spare plough stick
  • Bark chip or ember pan
  • Dry tinder in a waterproof bag
  • Char cloth to extend a small ember
  • Athletic tape for hot spots
  • Lighter and ferro rod as backup
  • Water to put out the fire

Step by step

  1. Find dry, soft, dead wood

    1 Find dry, soft, dead wood

    Pick bone-dry, dead, non-resinous wood such as lime, willow or poplar for the board, and a dry stick of hazel or the same wood.

  2. Carve board and plough stick

    2 Carve board and plough stick

    Split a board 40–60 cm long and 2–4 cm thick with a flat top. Carve a 25–40 cm stick about 2 cm thick with a blunt wedge tip.

  3. Wear in the groove

    3 Wear in the groove

    Score a straight line and run the stick along it with light, slow strokes until a dark track 15–25 cm long forms.

  4. Plough: long strokes, then faster

    4 Plough: long strokes, then faster

    Kneel behind the board, hold the stick at 30–45° with both hands and push along the whole groove. Speed up and press harder as smoke builds.

  5. Let the dust pile become an ember

    5 Let the dust pile become an ember

    When thick smoke rises from the dust pile at the end, stop and leave it for 10–30 seconds. Smoke from the pile itself means a coal.

  6. Move it to tinder and blow

    6 Move it to tinder and blow

    Tip the coal onto bark, slide it into a dry tinder bundle, fold it loosely and blow long, gentle breaths until it flames.

Common mistakes

  • Trying the fire plough before learning the bow drill.
  • Using damp, resinous or hard wood, or wood picked up from the wet ground.
  • Pressing hard before the groove is worn in, so it polishes.
  • Lifting the tip on the return stroke and scattering the dust.
  • Stopping the final burst just before the pile smokes on its own.
  • Starting without a tinder bundle and kindling ready.
  • Relying on friction fire instead of carrying a lighter and ferro rod.