Finally

[micah]

I managed to annoy a few people by getting an ember the first time I tried (thanks to Fenlander)!! However I have to admit that since that time, about 3 months ago, despite hundreds of attempts I haven't managed to repeat that success. That is until today when I managed not once, not even twice but 4 times in a row

I just had to tell someone as the only responce from the mrs was "Are you trying to burn the #!?&ing house down?"!

Micah

 

[leon-b]

wel done mate
leon

 

[Biddlesby]

I remember when I started getting embers, i was making them so people could light their cigarettes! Any excuse.

 

[micah]

Maybe I should take up smoking just so I can impress friends?

 

[rich59]

Fab Gobbler. Next test is can you do it when someone is watching!

 

[micah]

Unfortunately Rich, I haven't managed to get anywhere with the hand drill set I made at the Xmas moot.

btw Does a video count as someone watching?

 

[BobFromHolland]

If you can't bring your ember to-the-people, you can film it.

The same kind of 'demonstration effects' occur when you try to capture your newly learned trick on camera.

Just trying that broke my bow-line the first couple of times.

Well done anyway!

 

[rich59]

Unfortunately Rich, I haven't managed to get anywhere with the hand drill set I made at the Xmas moot.

Yet! You are doing well to be getting bow drill coals. Can you describe your hand drill experiments?

 

[micah]

I'm was initially using an elder drill on a spruce hearth board but now I use a willow hearth board (the same board I use with my bow drill) as all I seemed to do on the spruce board was polish it!

I start by wetting my hands so that I have a good grip then spin the drill on the hearth while exerting downward pressure. I can usually produce a wisp of smoke but by I can't keep it going and I soon get exhausted. I do this all in the sitting position with one foot stabilising the board. I think that one of the problems is that the thickness of the drill at the top is such that my hands rub against each other so I tend not to use the whole length of the drill.

Micah

 

[rich59]

I'm was initially using an elder drill on a spruce hearth board but now I use a willow hearth board (the same board I use with my bow drill) as all I seemed to do on the spruce board was polish it!

I start by wetting my hands so that I have a good grip then spin the drill on the hearth while exerting downward pressure. I can usually produce a wisp of smoke but by I can't keep it going and I soon get exhausted. I do this all in the sitting position with one foot stabilising the board. I think that one of the problems is that the thickness of the drill at the top is such that my hands rub against each other so I tend not to use the whole length of the drill.

Micah

You might try changing from a sitting position and/ or finding a drill that suits our hands better. See what effect these changes make.