A hand drill starter kit?

[rich59]

Some feedback would be appreciated.

Always the optimist, I have a theory that hand drilling is not really difficult if you have the right gear, it is dry, you are of average fitness, and you have the right instructions including a set of progressive stages, with illustrations, laid out clearly that will help you get there after a few sessions.

With this in mind I am interested in exploring what could be in a simple hand drilling starter pack. My initial thoughts are:-

1) a set of clear instructions
2) a hearth board (or two) of suitable material, with some pre started sockets and notches, one or two properly burnt in. Commercial pine softwood would be the most reliable source, although I am finding that harder wood and a thinner hearthboard work better for me in winter as it is easier for the drilling to dry it out.
3) a drill (or two) of suitable material, pre dried, de barked, straightened if necessary, and burnt in. Elder would be most readily to hand for me, secondly buddliea.

Any such kit would have been proven to work before sending out.

 

[bushman (Instructor)]

It does require a lot of practise, but is very easy once you know the technique. Finding suitable materials is also difficult until yoo know what you are looking for. I now can start a fire i apprix 1min 40 seconds and prefer it to the bow drill. Feel free to e-mail me for a chat and i can set you in the right dirrection

 

[Ogri the trog]

Way to go Rich59,
If I knew that a certain combination of bits had already succeeded in producing a useable ember, I would find it heartening in my attempts to do it myself.
Living in Mid Wales (where we have as many words for "Rain" as the Inuit have for "Snow") getting dry wood, especially this time of year, is as elusive as the magic of friction fire itself. I know that I can dry anything on my home range, but somehow it feel as much like cheating as using a power drill.
Instructions I've picked up from posts here seem reasonably straightforward, though the important nugget is missing, otherwise I'd be able to create an ember and be saying how easy it is to other folks reading this thread
I have made some attempts in my shed with woods from around the area as well as odds & ends from previous projects but have only ever made smoke - and not always done that before resorting to flint, fire-piston or more modern devices.
As Bushman says, practice must be the key, but a little in the way of progress and results, would help in maintaining my enthusiasm.
Is this kit a thing you are thinking of marketing?

Ogri the trog

 

[rich59]

Way to go Rich59,
If I knew that a certain combination of bits had already succeeded in producing a useable ember, I would find it heartening in my attempts to do it myself.
...

Is this kit a thing you are thinking of marketing? Ogri the trog

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes it is a consideration. It might even encourage me to prune my elderberry grove (usually for wine making, and rather over grown).

I think a fourth contribution to the pack could be some thumb loops as an option.

A fifth is something that is only in my head at the moment - a lathe cut hand grip to attach to the top of the drill that would be designed to aid downwards pressure. However, that requires some experimenting.

Anyone got any tips on drying elderberry rapidly - as in an airing cupboard? Does it warp? If so then can I prevent it warping? How long might it take?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Anyone got any tips on drying elderberry rapidly - as in an airing cupboard? Does it warp? If so then can I prevent it warping? How long might it take?

I know what I'd do - put it on the back of the range for a few hours, but I guess an airing cupboard would do. For keeping it straight, how about putting it inside a piece of copper plumbing pipe?

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[rich59]

This thread took a short break while it was clarified if it broke any site rules. On points the verdict was that it was OK - I'm not out for profit. If anyone else wants the challenge of making up a hand drill starter kit then they are welcome.

Bushman - what would you recommend for as the best woods to start out on?

Ogri - a few hours!!? That is fast drying by my standards. I guess it is semi cooking it really? The tube idea could help. I guess another option could be to tie a load in a bundle so that on average they keep each other straight.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Rich59,
I had thought that the quiet spell was due to technicalities of ethics and such. I hope that my continued posting on this thread does not constituts sialing too close to the wind.
I think that this a good topic concerning a skill that I consider to be one of the "milestones" of our chosen hobby.
As I have mentioned, I have tried to get fire by friction, but the constant failure has negative effect on my wish to continue. If you do progress towards marketing a kit of "known good, and proven" items, I for one would be very interested. Merely listing the woods that you use can be of help, but there are surely some very detailed aspects of preparation
One of the items in the full members wish list for me was to be able to master "fire by friction" during the coming year, and any help in this field would be more than welcome.

Thanx

Ogri the trog

 

[rich59]

Absolutely no worries about what you are posting. This is not the issue at all. Feel free to say exactly what you want.

It was the very existence of a thread that could be interpretted as me touting for business. Anyway that has been clarified and it can be all systems go. I kit would have a charge to partly cover time and materials but not to make a living out of.

Another thing I might include is a piece of sandpaper to deal with an occasional problem of the drill and socket glazing over and becoming almost impossible to get adequate friction out of.

 

[Tony]

I think that this a good topic concerning a skill that I consider to be one of the "milestones" of our chosen hobby.

Spot on Ogri, I just wanted to clarify something and there's no issue. Rich is doing a sterling job of helping to get people in a position of being able to hand drill. As you say, it's one of the things that it's all about and has a huge knock on skill base.

Getting info into this thread of what people think will be useful for everyone

 

[Phil562]

Richard,

Sounds like a good idea to me, not everyone on BCUK has ready access to woodlands which has suitable types of wood.

The idea of charging for this, I also see as not a problem as long, as you have already stated, you do not make a profit.

Regards

 

[rich59]

Any tips on straightening wood?

I remember a couple of months ago hacking through a buddliea bush (one of my favourites for hand drilling) to cut it down for the year. I looked out for straight wood of a good diameter and found only a couple of bits. About 90% I rejected as being gently curved. In the past I have managed to straighten some wood (with the risk of snapping it) by forcibly bending it the other way and it then may come to rest a bit straighter. However, are there better ways, so that I don't have to reject so much wood?

 

[PatrickM]

Cut them to the same length, bundle them up (alternating thick and thin stems) and allow to dry out. You can use an arrow-wrench (a section of antler with a hole drilled through) to staighten any kinks out. You can also apply heat or steam to the spindle, holding it in the wrench until it cools and sets. Alternatively, you could try gripping both ends of the spindle and twist or bend the fibres of the wood - this needs to be done daily until they are fully dried out. All of these methods will give you straight results

 

[Buckshot]

I use heat to strighten my drills and walking sticks

 

[rich59]

Thanks Patrick and Buckshot. I will try some of those ideas.