Having a go at making a fire pump drill but it seems I am making a few mistakes.
The shaft of hazel I have is about 15mm wide and a good 600mm+ long, the pump handle (if that's the correct term) is about 400mm and the flywheel is around 200mm by 30mm thick made of holly so it has some weight to it.
So far I only appear to be able to get about two pumps before it stops, I'm using quite soft paracord but the hazel still has the bark on the shaft.
It's as if the flywheel is not getting enough momentum but on videos I have seen much smaller versions spinning quite freely.
Could it be the hearth is causing too much friction and needs bedding in?
A lot of questions and I appreciate that it's not easy to help without actually seeing everything in action, any pointers would be gratefully received.
The shaft of hazel I have is about 15mm wide and a good 600mm+ long, the pump handle (if that's the correct term) is about 400mm and the flywheel is around 200mm by 30mm thick made of holly so it has some weight to it.
So far I only appear to be able to get about two pumps before it stops, I'm using quite soft paracord but the hazel still has the bark on the shaft.
It's as if the flywheel is not getting enough momentum but on videos I have seen much smaller versions spinning quite freely.
Could it be the hearth is causing too much friction and needs bedding in?
A lot of questions and I appreciate that it's not easy to help without actually seeing everything in action, any pointers would be gratefully received.