# Yucca fire bow



## 7 point (Mar 24, 2014)

What part of the Yucca do you use for the hearth board and spindle?


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## RBM (Mar 24, 2014)

7 point said:


> What part of the Yucca do you use for the hearth board and spindle?



The base of the Yucca stalk (Adam's Needle common name or Yucca filamentosa botanical name) is wider so I go for that as my fireboard, then try to find as straight a section of an upper stalk that I can find for the spindle. If you can't find a straight enough section for the spindle then try to use another straight stalk and splice in a short straight section of Yucca for the tip.


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## 7 point (Apr 19, 2014)

I got A piece of yucca today I cut out A hearth board and A spindle but its really wet inside should I have let it dry out before cutting it?


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## RBM (Apr 19, 2014)

7 point said:


> I got A piece of yucca today I cut out A hearth board and A spindle but its really wet inside should I have let it dry out before cutting it?



No. I don't think it will matter if its just water in the dead woody stalk. I would just make sure its dry before I start spinning. Make sure the stalk wood is solid and you should be good to go.


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## 7 point (Apr 20, 2014)

It was green when I got it someone on my street cut a yucca out and it was out by the street so I got the stalk should I have let it dry out?


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## RBM (Apr 20, 2014)

7 point said:


> It was green when I got it someone on my street cut a yucca out and it was out by the street so I got the stalk should I have let it dry out?



Oh, a green stalk. I only harvest them when they have gone woody so I don't know about green stalks. I just know it needs to go woody or be woody. You might have to wait a while for it to dry out and turn woody before using it. It needs to be solid.


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## Trefer (Apr 20, 2014)

Best if you can harvest your flower stalks later in the season after the flowers are gone and the seed heads are there.....I like to wait until at least the top half of the stalk has already turned brown.  That means it has died and mostly dried and pretty well 'wood-i-fied' (hardened up enough to maintain its integrity during the firemaking process).   Sometimes if you wait too late into the fall/winter to harvest the stalks they'll pretty much be full of little holes where beetles have bored in and laid eggs....The little larvae are pretty greasy and can put a stop to any good friction once you drill into one! Good luck


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## Nugefan (Apr 24, 2014)

Trefer said:


> The little larvae are pretty greasy and can put a stop to any good friction once you drill into one! Good luck



    and can make you look like a real dummy at a demo ....


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