hand drill help

[relfy]

Howdy rich59! I have used a device made with a rectangular pc. of leather aprox 1 1/2 inches by 3 inch with two thongs attached to each end.Each thong has loops for your thumbs to fit into.The leather(I use elk)cups over the spindle.Your thumbs through the loops provides down pressure while leaving the palms to spin the spindle.The length of the thongs depends on the length of the spindle stick and whats comfortable to you.Good luck

Hi Vector (and welcome as I see this is your first post ) - Rich is actually a hand drill guru and me who was asking... Your leather thing sounds nifty, but doesn't it burn through quite quickly? I've been trying to practice the kind of 'washing hands' motion that you see people do which keeps your hands in the same place on the drill so you dont have to keep stopping to go back up... I guess your thing achieves that too.

 

[Vector]

Hi Vector (and welcome as I see this is your first post ) - Rich is actually a hand drill guru and me who was asking... Your leather thing sounds nifty, but doesn't it burn through quite quickly? I've been trying to practice the kind of 'washing hands' motion that you see people do which keeps your hands in the same place on the drill so you dont have to keep stopping to go back up... I guess your thing achieves that too.

Hi relfy....sorry about the mixup.The yoke and thumbholder that I currently have has started quite a few fires.The braintanned elk hide is quite thick and the top of the spindle (about 1/2" thick) is very smooth and rounded.This technique actually took me the longest to get the hang of.Also used is a mouthpiece of soapstone and leather.You folks are probably way faster at the spindle and hand methods than myself.Am interested in hearing which woods you prefer.My choices are a little different here.Thanks for your comms.

 

[relfy]

Hi relfy....sorry about the mixup.The yoke and thumbholder that I currently have has started quite a few fires.The braintanned elk hide is quite thick and the top of the spindle (about 1/2" thick) is very smooth and rounded.This technique actually took me the longest to get the hang of.Also used is a mouthpiece of soapstone and leather.You folks are probably way faster at the spindle and hand methods than myself.Am interested in hearing which woods you prefer.My choices are a little different here.Thanks for your comms.

Lol! I don't know about 'us folks being quicker' If it was just me we'd probably be eating sushi. If it was Charlie doing the hard bit for me I'd have fire for you in about 5 mins!
So this mouth piece?? Any chance of some piccies to see exactly what ur up to?

Woods, i think have been talked about earlier in the thread but the gist is elder is very good for both hearth and drill...do you have that there? Also soft pine cut-offs from wood working or ikea furniture make a good hearth. I have a mullein flower spike as a drill and old man's beard (though i suspect any clematis will do) as a hearth, but think i might practice on several different size bits of elder/pine simultaneously to see what really works best for me.

 

[Vector]

We have box elder and other elder species here.Have not used mullein flower spike...have used yucca.My favorite spindles are cedar and yucca.For hearth board,old cotton wood or ash.In the desert,dry cholla cactus.

 

[rich59]

Hi Vector,

Yep, good point, thumb loops can be helpful for many, if you have trouble getting the downward pressure. Some find the loops awkward to use. I like simple solutions and the simplest thumb loops I have come up with is a strip of cloth - tied tightly to the top of the drill and with single or two loops for the thumbs. Another alternative is make a leg loop fixed in the same way at the top and looped round your thigh while in the sitting position.

Howdy rich59! I have used a device made with a rectangular pc. of leather aprox 1 1/2 inches by 3 inch with two thongs attached to each end.Each thong has loops for your thumbs to fit into.The leather(I use elk)cups over the spindle.Your thumbs through the loops provides down pressure while leaving the palms to spin the spindle.The length of the thongs depends on the length of the spindle stick and whats comfortable to you.Good luck

 

[rich59]

Hi Ste ,

Yes and no. Elder wood is a very good friction fire wood for drills. If you take a thick piece and split/ whittle it down to a drill then it will work well like any classic bow-drill drill.

But, elder tends to come in hollow tubes (with pith in the middle). This makes for a difference in the notch in the hearth board and in the bearing block - with a ring rather than a point. This is actually very good for the hearth board end as a ring is more efficient than a point. It's not so good for the bearing block

does elder work as a good drill for the bow drill method?

 

[rich59]

...........Woods, i think have been talked about earlier in the thread but the gist is elder is very good for both hearth and drill...do you have that there? Also soft pine cut-offs from wood working or ikea furniture make a good hearth. I have a mullein flower spike as a drill and old man's beard (though i suspect any clematis will do) as a hearth, but think i might practice on several different size bits of elder/pine simultaneously to see what really works best for me.

I would just add the point that I find elder a rubbish hearth.

 

[relfy]

I would just add the point that I find elder a rubbish hearth.

Duly noted ...I think i might have a go with vector's thumb loop thing. Seems like, if it helps, why not!

 

[Vector]

Hi Vector,

Yep, good point, thumb loops can be helpful for many, if you have trouble getting the downward pressure. Some find the loops awkward to use. I like simple solutions and the simplest thumb loops I have come up with is a strip of cloth - tied tightly to the top of the drill and with single or two loops for the thumbs. Another alternative is make a leg loop fixed in the same way at the top and looped round your thigh while in the sitting position.

Good info with the strip of cloth. I gotta check into the leg loop idea. It sounds interesting and functional. Lots of good input from you folks. Thanks