Various Friction Fire Woods and Their Relative Usefulness
Part 1

by Storm

(Part 1    Part 2)

Good
Erigeron sp. Fleabane Daisy
Umbellularia californica CA Bay Laurel
Verbascum thapsus Common Mullein
Helianthus sp. Garden Sunflower
Lonicera hispidula Hairy Honeysuckle
Salix sp. Willow
Solidago spathulata Coast Goldenrod
Cornus sericera American Dogwood
Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry
Silybum marianum Milk Thistle
Vitus californica Wild Grape
Alnus rhombifolia White Alder
Artemisia californica CA Sagebrush

Difficult
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus CA Lilac
Chlorogalum pomeridianum Soaproot
Dipsacus fullonum Fuller's Teasel
Eriophyllum staechadifolium Seaside Woolly Sunflower
Euonymus occidentalis W. Burning Bush
Holodiscus discolor Ocean Spray
Myrica californica Pac. Wax Myrtle
Rubus discolor Himalayan Blackberry
Thuja plicata Western Red Cedar
Prunus cerasifera Cherry Plum
Rosa gymnocarpa Wood Rose
Escallonia macrantha Escallonia
Mimulus aurantiacus Sticky Monkeyflower
Rhododendron occidentale Western Azalea
Tamarix parviflora Smallflower Tamarisk
Baccharis douglasii Marsh Baccharis
Larix sp. Tamarack
Lithocarpus densiflorus Tan Oak
Madia elegans Tarweed
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry
Acacia sp. Acacia
Calocedrus decurrens Incense Cedar
Corylus cornuta Hazelnut
Cydonia oblonga Quince
Grindelia stricta Marsh Gum Plant
Phyllostachys sp. Bamboo
Rhododendron macrophyllum Pacific Rhododendron
Salix lutea Yellow Willow

Extremely Difficult (*embers attained)
Arbutus menziesii* Madrone
Baccharis pilularis* Coyote Brush
Conium maculatum Poison Hemlock
Cupressus macrocarpa Monterey Cypress
Eucalyptus globulus Blue Gum Eucalyptus
Hedera helix English Ivy
Heteromeles arbutifolia* Toyon
Juniperus communis Common Juniper
Lupinus arborus* Tree Lupine
Malus sp.* Apple
Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Fern
Pyrus sp.* Pear
Rhamnus californica* Coffeeberry
Ribes menziesii Canyon Gooseberry
Rumex crispus Curly Dock
Ulmus minor* Smooth-leaved Elm
Vaccinium ovatum Evergreen Huckleberry

Preferred Hand Drill Materials of the Sierran Foothill Section
of the California Floristic Province

(CA Buckeye, Quaking Aspen, Mtn. Red Elderberry, Mtn. Ash and Incense Cedar hearthboards used with each spindle species)

Great
Clematis lasiantha Chaparral Virgin’s Bower
Cornus stolonifera Red-osier Dogwood
Populus tremuloides Quaking Aspen
Populus trichocarpa Black Cottonwood
Sambucus microbotrys Mountain Red Elderberry

Good
Alnus rhombifolia White Alder
Artimisia tridentata Great Basin Sagebrush
Baccharis pilularis var. consanguineum Coyote Brush
Chrysothamnus nauseosus Rabbit Brush
Pinus sabiniana Grey Pine

Difficult
Arctostaphylos patula Green-Leaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos viscida White-Leaf Manzanita
Ceanothus integerrimus Deer Brush
Cercis occidentalis Redbud
Corylus cornuta var. californica Western Hazelnut
Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine
Quercus douglasii Blue Oak
Rhamnus californica Coffeeberry
Rhamnus purshiana Cascara
Salix scouleriana Scouler’s Willow
Solidago occidentalis Western Goldenrod
Sorbus californica Mountain Ash

Extremely Difficult (no embers attained)
Apocynum androsaemifolium Dogbane
Cornus nuttallii Flowering Dogwood
Ledum glandulosum Labrador Tea
Quercus kelloggii CA Black Oak
Spiraea douglasii Western Spiraea
Urtica dioica Stinging Nettle

[some of the above woods were chucked into spindle shafts for use]

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) hand drill spindle on Douglas Fir bark--note bark beetle tunnels. This is a notchless spindle ember.

Successful Hand Drill Combinations of the Olympic Peninsula, WA

On Western Hemlock Root (Tsuga heterophylla)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

On Western Red Cedar heartwood (Thuja plicata)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

On Western Red Cedar sapwood (Thuja plicata)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Horseweed (Conyza canadensis)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Burdock (Arctium lappa)
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

On Sub-Alpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
Spiraea (Spiraea latifolia)
Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

On Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata)
Clematis (Clematis lingustifolia)

On Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Clematis (Clematis lingustifolia)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

On Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor)
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

On Douglas Fir bark (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

On Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)

On Artist’s Conk fungus (Ganoderma applanatum)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

On Red-Belted Conk fungus (Fomitopsis pinicola)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Miscellaneous Successful Hand Drill Combinations

- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) on itself
- Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii) on CA Buckeye (Aesculus california)
- Bamboo (Phyllostachys sp.)--with the node at the spindle’s working end--on CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
- Seep Willow (Baccharis viminea) on Cottonwood Root (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa)
- Seep Willow (Baccharis viminea) on Douglas Fir bark (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
- Utah Serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis) on itself

On CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Maple-Curry Escallonia (Escallonia sp.)—ornamental shrub

On to Part 2...

(Part 1      Part 2)

Text and Photos by Storm www.stoneageskills.com
Copyright Walter Muma