 

Connecting Indigenous 
Knowledges to the classroom 

 

 

Experiment Procedure 
and Planner 

Fire-starting topic 

Fire by friction 

Student activities 

 

Photograph showing hands striking a fire starter against a piece of wood to create sparks for igniting a fire. 



Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands, seas and waters of the area that we 
live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 
peoples and their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to Elders past 
and present. CSIRO is committed to reconciliation and recognises that Aboriginal and Torres 
Strait Islander peoples have made contributions to all aspects of Australian life including 
culture, economy and science. 

Artwork 

‘Meeting on Country, Shifting Sands’ 
by Aunty Sandra Angus 
working with Saltwater People 
© 2026. 

Aunty Sandra Angus is an 
acknowledged Elder and well 
respected Aboriginal leader in her 
community. She proudly identifies as 
an Australian ‘Saltwater Murri’ with 
ancestral roots that extend to the 
Wiradjuri and Wongaibon people in 
NSW, the Ngarrindjeri people in SA 
and the Gunggari and Jaggera people 
in QLD. 

‘Meeting on Country, Shifting Sands’ by Aunty Sandra Angus working with Saltwater People © 2026. 


 


Contents 

Contents ............................................................................................................................. 3 
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 
Experiment procedure 6 
Which method produces smoke the quickest: the hand drill or the fire saw? .............................. 6 
Experiment planner 9 
Fire-starting – Fire by friction ........................................................................................................ 9 
Safety precautions ...................................................................................................................... 11 
Observations and results ............................................................................................................. 12 



 

Introduction 

In this experiment, you will learn how Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples traditionally 
started fires and how this shows energy changing from one form to another. For thousands of 
years, fire has been very important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Fire connects 
people to Country, culture, and community. It is used in ceremonies and traditions and helps to 
care for the land through cultural burning practices. Fire has also been used in everyday life for 
cooking food, keeping warm, hunting, and smoke signalling. 

 

Traditional fire-starting uses knowledge of the environment, and of how to transform movement 
energy into heat energy using friction. People choose the right dry materials, such as wood and 
tinder to help start a fire. When these materials are rubbed together, friction and force change 
movement energy (kinetic energy) into heat energy. This heat can start a fire. Common tinder 
includes dry grass, leaves, bark, coconut fibre, and dried animal dung. 

 

This experiment focuses on two common traditional fire-starting methods: the hand drill and the 
fire saw. You will investigate which method is easier to use. As you work through these 
experiments, consider: 

• Why are there different fire-starting methods? 
• What is common between the two methods? 
• What are the basic materials to start a fire? 
• Where does the heat come from? 
• Why does the wood need to be dry? 


 

Safety note: This investigation involves fire, sawdust and an electric drill. 


 

Hand drill 

An illustration of two hands rubbing and twisting a drill stick into a wooden hearth.
The hand drill is a traditional fire-starting method used across 
Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. It works by spinning a 
straight wooden stick known as the ‘drill stick’ between the 
hands in a small hole in a flat piece of wood called a ‘hearth 
board’. 

When the stick is spun, movement (kinetic) energy from your 
hands is transferred into the wood. The friction between the 
drill stick and the hearth board changes this kinetic energy into 
heat energy. As the heat builds up, fine wood dust becomes 
very hot and forms a small glowing ember. This ember can then 
be placed onto tinder to start a fire. 

Figure 1 Hand drill method 
Different types of wood help this energy transfer work well. A harder wood is used for the drill 
stick, and a softer wood is used for the hearth board, so enough friction is created. The wood must 
be dry and not rotten, otherwise energy will be lost, and not enough heat will be produced. The 
drill stick needs to be straight, usually about 30–70 cm long and around 1 cm in diameter. 

Fire saw 

An illustration of two hands holding a wooden saw stick, dragging it over notches in a wooden hearth.
The fire saw is another traditional fire-starting method 
used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 
especially in central Australia, north-western coastal 
areas, and parts of Victoria. 

This method works by rubbing the sharp edge of a hard 
piece of wood known as a ‘saw stick’ back and forth 
across a softer wooden base known as a ‘hearth stick’ 
that sits over tinder. The movement energy (kinetic 
energy) from the hands is transferred into the wood. 
Friction changes this kinetic energy into heat energy. 
As the wood heats up, fine wood dust begins to smoulder, which can then light the tinder. 

Figure 2 Fire saw method 
The fire saw is efficient and does not need much preparation. It can be used by one or two people. 
One advantage of this method is that it is very practical. Everyday wooden tools, such as spear 
throwers, boomerangs, and wooden dishes, could also be used as fire saws. This shows how 
energy and resources were used efficiently, without needing extra tools, to start a fire. 


 

Experiment procedure 

Which method produces smoke the quickest: the 
hand drill or the fire saw? 

 

PART A – Hand drill 

Equipment 

For each group: 

• Base plate (dressed pine) 
• Drill stick (Eucalyptus grandis – flooded 
gum (dowel)) 
• Hearth board (Tasmanian Oak) 
• 2 x 80 mm metal bolts and wing nuts 
(for attaching hearth board to base 
plate) 
• G-clamp 
• Safety glasses 
• Timer (stopwatch) 


Safety 

• Do not touch the materials, as they 
could be hot. The heat produced can 
cause burns. 
• Wear safety glasses. Sawdust could fly 
into your eyes. 
• Keep your working area clean. 
Flammable materials can catch on fire. 
• Have a fire blanket, fire extinguisher or 
fire bucket on hand. 


Equipment set-up 

 

Illustration showing a hands-on demonstration of a fire-starting technique using a wooden spindle and fireboard secured with a blue clamp. Arrows indicate rotational movement of the spindle, emphasizing friction generation to create fire.
Figure 3 Set-up for hand drill experiment 
Method 

1. Secure the hearth board to the base 
plate using the bolt and wing nuts, 
ensuring it is firmly fastened. 
2. Use the G-clamp to attach the base 
plate to a workbench. Position the base 
plate so that the hearth board is close to 
the edge of the bench. Tighten the 
clamp securely to hold the hearth board 



and base plate steady. It should not 
move. 
3. Position the drill stick vertically in the 
notch of the hearth board. 
4. Have the timer ready to start at the 
beginning of step 5. 
5. Place both hands at the top of the stick 
and use a quick back-and-forth motion, 
moving the hands down the stick while 
exerting downward pressure on stick. 
6. When the hands reach the bottom of 
the stick, reposition them to the top and 
continue spinning (or change operators 
if there are two people). 
7. Continue using the hand drill until you 
observe clear signs of ignition such as 
visible smoke or a distinct burning smell. 
Stop the timer when you notice this. The 
wood may have started to darken or char. 
8. Record observations and timing Part A of 
the Experiment planner. 
9. Repeat steps 3–8 at least two more times, 
making sure to make observations as you 
go. 


PART B – Fire saw 

Equipment 

For each group: 

• Base plate (dressed pine) 
• Hearth stick (Tasmanian Oak) 
• 2 x 80 mm metal bolts and wing nuts 
(for attaching hearth stick to base 
plate) 
• Saw stick (Eucalyptus grandis – flooded 
gum) 
• G-clamp 
• 2 pairs of gloves (gardening type) 
• Safety glasses 
• Timer (stopwatch) 


Safety 

• Do not touch the materials, as they 
could be hot. The heat produced can 
cause burns. 
• Wear safety glasses. Sawdust could fly 
into your eyes. 
• Keep your working area clean. 
Flammable materials can catch on fire. 
• Have fire blanket, fire extinguisher or 
fire bucket on hand. 


Equipment set-up 

 

Illustration showing a woodworking setup with a clamp securing a piece of wood to a workbench. A gloved hand is sliding a wooden guide along the workbench, indicated by a double-headed arrow, demonstrating how to adjust or position the guide for cutting or measuring.
Figure 4 Set-up for fire saw experiment 
Method 

1. Secure the hearth stick to the base 
plate using the bolt and wing nuts, 
ensuring it is firmly fastened. 
2. Use the G-clamp to attach the base 
plate to a workbench. Position it so 
that the hearth stick is close to the 
edge of the bench. Tighten the clamp 
securely to hold the hearth stick and 
base plate steady. It should not move. 
3. Position the saw stick across the top of 
the hearth stick. 



4. Get timer ready to start when 
completing step 5. 
5. Wearing gloves, place one hand on 
each end of the stick (or one person on 
each side if there are two operators) 
and use a back and forward sawing 
motion, exerting some downward 
pressure on stick. Start slowly and 
increase pace and pressure. This 
creates a groove in the hearth where 
the dust will collect and heat up. 
6. Continue using the fire saw until you 
observe clear signs of ignition such as 
visible smoke or a distinct burning 
smell. Stop the timer when you notice 
this. The wood may have started to 
darken or char. 
7. Record observations and timing in Part 
B of the Experiment planner. 
8. Repeat steps 3–7 at least two more 
times. 


 

Analyse the results 

Use your data and observations to determine which fire-starting method was more efficient in 
producing smoke. Record your analysis in the Experiment planner. 

Reflect 

Write a conclusion based on the experimental results, reflecting upon whether your hypothesis 
was validated. Conclusions are recorded in the Experiment planner. 

 

 


 

Safety precautions 

Add any additional safety precautions 

 

What are the risks in doing this 
activity? 

How can I manage the risks to stay 
safe? 

Heat produced could cause burns. 

• Do not touch material 
• Wear gardening gloves 


Other materials could catch on fire. 

• Removal all flammable materials from the 
work area. 
• Have fire bucket, fire blanket or fire 
extinguisher on hand 


Using the drill stick could cause splinters 
and/or blisters. 

• Wear gardening gloves 


Bit of sawdust or ember could fly into the 
eye. 

• Wear safety glasses 


 

• 


 

• 


 

• 




 


 

Observations and results 

Part A – Hand drill 

Draw a labelled diagram of the hand drill experiment set up: 

 


Describe your observations: 

 

Record your results: 

 

 


Part B – Fire saw 

Draw a labelled diagram of the hand drill experiment set up: 

 


Describe your observations: 

 

Record your results: 

 

 


Reflections and conclusions 

1. How did the results compare to what you predicted? Do the results support your hypothesis? 
Why/why not? 


• 


2. Which method did you find to produce smoke the quickest? Why? 


• 


3. Was this a fair test? Why/why not? 


• 



4. What could be changed to improve the experiment? 


• 


5. What forms of energy were used in the fire-making process? 


• 


6. Describe one energy transfer and one energy transformation which occurred in the fire 
making process: 


• 



7. Draw an energy chain for one of the fire-making methods: 


• 


 

 


As Australia’s national science 
agency, CSIRO is solving the 
greatest challenges through 
innovative science and technology. 

CSIRO. Creating a better future 
for everyone. 

Contact us 

1300 363 400 

+61 3 9545 2176 

csiro.au/contact 

csiro.au 

For further information 

CSIRO Education and Outreach 

1300 363 400 

education@csiro.au 

csiro.au/education 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


