Hand Drill: Aching Hands

[wentworth]

Hi All,
I've been working on the hand drill again. I find that I can only get a coal if I have a partner to take over from me when I tire.

I'm not too concerned about that. My concern is that for every attempt at the hand drill, I need quite a few days of recovery time, as the bones near the heel of my palm ache for days!

Am I the only one to have such dainty hand problems or is this common?

 

[Rory McCanuck]

All that pain is from over-using the muscles and tendons.
Sounds obvious, I know, but that is what you need to fix.
Try to relax the deathgrip on the bow. Vigorous arm movement
will make your brain automatically grab on like your life depends
on it. Try to see how loose you can hold the bow without it
jumping from your hand.
Another thing that really hurts hands is a too small grip. If you
devise a way to increase the diameter of the handle, less hand
strength is needed to hold it securely. A cloth wrapped around it,
maybe? Just make sure the cloth is secure (tied on?) or you will
end up using a deathgrip on that, defeating the purpose.

And no, you aren't the only one with hand problems, but it is
much easier to prevent the problem than trying to put up with it.
Best of luck

 

[wentworth]

Hi Rory,
thanks for the quick response, but I'm using the hand drill, not the bow drill.

 

[Ogri the trog]

One piece of advice that I'm trying to impliment is taking an almost casual approach, right up to the point of getting smoke (sometimes thick smoke)from the hand-drill - before going hell-for-leather to achieve the ember!
I had some very good coaching from Rich59, and though he's not very active at the moment, I believe he wrote a very informative article which should be heading back very soon once the site is rehashed over the next few days.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Buckshot]

I take the appraoch of trying to get smoke, then resting - still passing down the spindle but only lightly, just enough to get a whisp of smoke to make sure the end is still hot.
After a min or two when your strength is back go for broke and produce the ember.
It's easier to get an ember from an already hot end than a cold one

I guess basically you split the process into two parts
Process originally shown to me by Rich too

Mark

 

[milius2]

Remember RM on Walkabout series? That was some bad blisters! How do you go about that guys?

 

[poddle]

Wentworth, why did you opt for a hand drill instead of a bow drill?

Bow drill is much easier on the mitts, if not the brain.

 

[Rory McCanuck]

Hi Rory,
thanks for the quick response, but I'm using the hand drill, not the bow drill.

Note to Self: Read and understand all of the question before answering!

Now go stand in the corner :sulkoff:

 

[wentworth]

Wentworth, why did you opt for a hand drill instead of a bow drill?

Bow drill is much easier on the mitts, if not the brain.

I achieved an ember with the bow drill in 10sec yesterday (a PB!). First attempt that day. So I'm after the elusive hand drill coal, solo this time.... once my hands heal up

 

[rich59]

I have one thought on aching hands in hand drill - the diameter of the drill. If you are drilling with a thin stick with the thick end down then your more likely to get sore hands than if you have a thicker stick with the thin end pointing down.

Another thought is getting the moisture of your hands right. With it just right you need minimal inward pressure. Doesn't solve the shear forces causing blisters, but it can stop the deep pain from the bones.