Hand drill

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atlatlman

Settler
Dec 21, 2006
750
0
ipswich
Because it comes easily to hand and in convenient squared off shapes I mostly use untreated pine, as in pallet wood. However, ivy is a good natural one, or clematis.

Thanks for that Rich. I'll be knocking on my neighbours door tomorrow as I saw a pallet in his front garden.:)
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
That sounds pretty neat. I haven't seen that one. Any photos or video links on that?

09042014007.jpg

should be 3 photos of a bow drill set up.

The standard v
the u hearth? And drill with guide nipple now worn in
and the gearing system now feasable on the drill with the smaller diameter.

Not only does it just utilise the faster wood at the sides and allot more pressure for the same force, the drill cord does not slip now as the cool umburned centre wood is not pressured and the pressure is evenly distributed over a greater hot surface area that wears away for some reason. This means the gearing system is viable without cord slippage/cold centre grind/waisted effort/unused heat in the drill. Cut the centre of the hearth and the drill gear to the size you wish.09042014006.jpg09042014005.jpg

the "u" in the photo could be better illustrated it should go through the centre not just to it. There are a few u notch threads on the internet or youtube, but they ain't done it right. So its the petrochemicals bow drill set up, Got That Paul Kirtley ?
 
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atlatlman

Settler
Dec 21, 2006
750
0
ipswich
have you any pictures of the drill?

Here you go Tom. The small bit is a piece of bamboo, wrapped in sinew to stop it splitting. I then inserted the drill bit and spindle into the piece of bamboo. The next one is a piece of wooden dowel with a single thumb loop and ivy tip inserted into the bottom.

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rich59

Maker
Aug 28, 2005
2,217
25
65
London
I've tried a few friction fire methods with innumerable failures. So, very well done.

I experimented with fire saw ideas with elder, smallish bamboo, and a bit of pine beading this morning. I am impressed with the basic relative ease of getting smoke if you rub something along a thin edge. The tricky bit seems to be getting enough heat into one place with fine black powder in that place to start a coal. Also the bigger the general dimensions of your materials the more robust, allowing you to put more force (body weight) into the effort. Split 1.2cm elder is just too flimsy.


I'm thinking that get the dimensions and positions and setup ideal and lots of practice and this would not be too hard a method. Certainly the videos on YouTube don't appear too much effort, but signs of being well practiced. Just give me a dry bamboo forest and couple of weeks.............

It was hard going mate. The hardest one yet. I won't be in a hurry to do that one again.
 

atlatlman

Settler
Dec 21, 2006
750
0
ipswich
I've tried a few friction fire methods with innumerable failures. So, very well done.

I experimented with fire saw ideas with elder, smallish bamboo, and a bit of pine beading this morning. I am impressed with the basic relative ease of getting smoke if you rub something along a thin edge. The tricky bit seems to be getting enough heat into one place with fine black powder in that place to start a coal. Also the bigger the general dimensions of your materials the more robust, allowing you to put more force (body weight) into the effort. Split 1.2cm elder is just too flims


I'm thinking that get the dimensions and positions and setup ideal and lots of practice and this would not be too hard a method. Certainly the videos on YouTube don't appear too much effort, but signs of being well practiced. Just give me a dry bamboo forest and couple of weeks.............

Sorry for the late reply. No need for a bamboo forest bud, I purchased the bamboo from B and Q. Only eight quid for a large piece it's enough to make three sets. Also thanks Grouse:)
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
I've tried a few friction fire methods with innumerable failures. So, very well done.

I experimented with fire saw ideas with elder, smallish bamboo, and a bit of pine beading this morning. I am impressed with the basic relative ease of getting smoke if you rub something along a thin edge. The tricky bit seems to be getting enough heat into one place with fine black powder in that place to start a coal. Also the bigger the general dimensions of your materials the more robust, allowing you to put more force (body weight) into the effort. Split 1.2cm elder is just too flimsy.


I'm thinking that get the dimensions and positions and setup ideal and lots of practice and this would not be too hard a method. Certainly the videos on YouTube don't appear too much effort, but signs of being well practiced. Just give me a dry bamboo forest and couple of weeks.............

I found out that pine glazes so aftet the first time you use it, once it goes black and cools all you get is smoke and black dust. When I got fire with pine I got a large quantity of brown dust very easy going the first time, after it cooled all i got was hot sweaty and frustrated.

There seems to be lots to the technicalities of it, to be honest I think any wood will make fire if its in the right condition and will not make fire if in the wrong condition.

Also wouls like to withdraw this suggestion of gearing. Although it does work, its a cord killer and you are more likely to snap/melt/set fire to your string as your kindling, and if your using pine a new hole and shaving the drill gets a bit repettitive, maybe another wood if you're using steel cable !

i like the hand drill notches altman, I think for one it would allow more air intake and help the ember not be charcoal ie too black dust!26042014.jpg
 
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atlatlman

Settler
Dec 21, 2006
750
0
ipswich
petrochemicals's. I cut the notches narrow to channel the dust into one spot to stop it cooling down. I then widened the bottom to allow it to breath. I call it a little fire place with chimney.:)
 
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Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
petrochemicals's. I cut the notches narrow to channel the dust into one spot to stop it cooling down. I then widened the bottom to allow it to breath. I call it a little fire place with chimney.:)

its a good tip. Especially with what I expect is the limited dust and ignitian oppourtunity from a hand drill. Looks tooooooo technical for me, but I may have a go at the firesaw or the trench one, have you done that yet ? hearth board and stick backwards and forwards on a channel ?
 
May 1, 2014
4
0
South Africa
Awesome achievement, well done!! I have had a few attempts at the Hand Drill method but haven't quite cracked it yet.

I came across a video on YouTube over the weekend and thought I would share it, this guy seems to have the hand drill method mastered pretty well, he gets an ember in less than 10 seconds which is pretty impressive!

Here's the link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6-7Jch0G94

George
 

atlatlman

Settler
Dec 21, 2006
750
0
ipswich
Thanks bud. Have seen all that guys vids. His stuff is really good. Daft as a brush though.:D Try practising the hand drill with a thumb loop.
 

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