Hand drill success !

[Buckshot]

I've been trying for a while now to suss hand drill.
Yesterday I thought I'd have another go.
I re-read rich59's notes and assembled the bits.
I ended up gaffa taping the hearth board to the bathroom scales so they didn't move.
Great idea to use the scales - it really helped, I found the pressure guides about right for me as well. What surprised me a little was once smoking, how little pressure is needed to keep it smoking - 4 pounds is only really enough just to keep spindle engauged in the hole.
then 2 passes down the spindle at 14 pounds pressure got the coal
Keeping the hands moist really helped as well - I had a sponge next to me.

In the past I'd been in too much of a hurry putting all my energy into a couple of passes and not letting the wood heat up properly. I found if I pace myself and apply meduim pressure to start it smoking, then light pressure to keep it going before a big finish I had the stamina to keep going. Lots more practice needed I know but this is a big first step.

I used a budlea spindle and clematus hearth (spelling on both those )

Thanks to Rich for providing the notes and to Jeff for the inspiration to carry on. rep points on the way. :You_Rock_

Cheers

Mark

 

[weekend_warrior]

Top job - you should be rightly proud!

How many fire lighting methods do you know now?

 

[lits]

Congratulations ! well done

 

[Ogri the trog]

Nice one Buckshot,
I suppose we all have to have a go now,

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[rich59]

Excellent Buckshot.

That taping thought is a good hint.

It is great to know that people are getting success.

 

[tomtom]

Nice one Buckshot.. i havent managed it myself yet but you have inspired me to have another crack when that mullian down the road is ready

 

[leon-1]

Well done mate

 

[Stuart]

WELL DONE BUCKSHOT!!!!! :You_Rock_

I am still finding the hand-drill a very hit and miss affair, probably succeeding only 25% of the time, but its improving.

I'll try that bathroom scales idea, it might be that little bit of technique refinement that I am lacking. It’ll have to wait for a few days though as I had an elder hand-drill snap on me yesterday during practice and put a centimetre long splinter into my palm

 

[falcon]

Nice one Mark

 

[Topcat02]

Well done Buckshot. Great effort.

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Excellent. Congratulations on this accomplishment. The hand drill was a longstanding goal for me and after several dismal failures I could not see how an average person could possibly do it. Now with some additional knowledge and experience I honestly believe it is easier to perform than the bow drill IF the materials use are good ones. I can tell by the sound and feel if a spindle and hearthboard combination will create good friction before I attempt to spin it.

Survival fire is theoretically possibly by the numerous and entertaining means we have all read about and though the use of a myriad of aids such as cotton soaked in vaesline etc. However, all of these things - every firesteel, firepiston, burning lens and parabolic mirror must be brought with you to have practical value. In my opinion,the hand drill is worth learning because it is the most expedient, least effort method I know of to go into the bush with nothing more than than moccasins on your feet ( mind that briar there... ) and make fire.

I have played with primitive skills for several decades. I think the hand drill has out ranked flint knapping in terms of personal satisfaction value. I had a go again yesterday with a hand drill on fungus. I have not yet had a change to get the clip into the PC but it should be a good one with suitable file size for posting. This coal formed on the second pass at about 10 - 12 seconds.

 

[bloodline]

Well done mate, thats gonna be my next fire making project :You_Rock_

 

[rich59]

..... I could not see how an average person could possibly do it. Now with some additional knowledge and experience I honestly believe it is easier to perform than the bow drill IF the materials use are good ones.

True words Jeff. When I was working out how to use the bow driil it seemed like only a handful of elite guys could do the hand drill. Tried it a few times and confirmed it seemed difficult. Then I got frustrated with the bow drill. Getting a whole kit to perform together seemed a challenging task. If my bearing block didn't fail it was the bow string,etc.. How often does your bow drill spindle fly off into the distance when you are starting a new drilling hole? And you couldn't just knock one up in the woods unless you brought some decent cordage. Hand drilling is so much simpler, and once you have succeeded with it a few times it can easily become more reliable and quicker than the bow drill.

.....every....... parabolic mirror must be brought with you to have practical value. In my opinion,the hand drill is worth learning because it is the most expedient, least effort method I know of to go into the bush with nothing more than than moccasins on your feet ( mind that briar there... ) and make fire.

Mind you, my scouts will almost certainly be bringing parabolic mirrors with them to camp this year (it is on the kit list) without a thought to fire making - as battery powered torches.

In damp conditions hand drilling is tough though, so don't throw away your fire steels just yet.

...........The hand drill has out ranked flint knapping in terms of personal satisfaction value.

(psssst.... I think Jeff is just a big pyromaniac at heart, and I should know.)

 

[addyb]

Buckshot, I hate you!

I worked on using making fire with a bow for six hours yesterday. No ember, just smoke, and we're trying it again today. It cost me two smashed knuckles, a cut finger, banged up fingernail, two packs of cigarettes, too much coffee and a lot of swearing!

But we had smoke!

For some reason, we did it the hard way. Alex and I went into the forest with just a Swiss Army Knife apiece, and nothing else. Oh, and we used a bootlace from my jungle boots. I figure today, we're going to be better prepared, and once we have it mastered, then we can do it "the hard way."

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to re-bandage my sore knuckles.

Cheers,

Adam

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Hey - congratulation Buckshot - that must be quite some feeling! I'm not even consistent with the bow drill yet, so my hat off to you.

 

[Abbe Osram]

Wonderfull! Congratulation!

Abbe

 

[Buckshot]

Cheers everyone - I'm still telling everyone I see
For some reason they don't look in the slight bit interested

I'm planning on having another go soon and then vary the woods once I'm happy with my technique.

Mark