Hand Drill

[Kepis]

Not to be outdone by eldest and his first bow drill ember, http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92690, i figured today it was about time i practiced the hand drill again as ive not done it for a few weeks.

So i grabbed a couple of elder spindles and a clematis hearth and spun away, i also made up a hearth from a piece of Ivy and got an ember with it, one thing i did notice was having not played with the hand drill for a few weeks is how out of sorts my hands were, still, it gives me a good excuse to go and practice some more so i can get those callouses back in place again.

 

[jackcbr]

Not another challenge. Don't think my silky soft hands would stand for that. Not that I'm saying yours are hard and leathery. So did you just carefully remove the bark from the elder, or did you sand it too? Looks very smooth. Do you make the hearth the same as the bow drill? So many questions...

 

[Kepis]

Not another challenge. Don't think my silky soft hands would stand for that. Not that I'm saying yours are hard and leathery. So did you just carefully remove the bark from the elder, or did you sand it too? Looks very smooth. Do you make the hearth the same as the bow drill? So many questions...

A challenge it is, i dont mind you saying my hands are hard and leathery, because they are, the elder i cut green and remove the bark there and then, most times the spindle is fine just with the bark removed as the underlaying wood is normally very smooth, but that one i sanded a bit just for that added extra smoothness, the hearth is a little different, not as thick and the notch is a different shape, if you look at the Clematis hearth you can see what io mean, the Ivy hearth i cut too far into.

I'll bring a set down to the next Sussex meet and we can see how long your hands hold out for

 

[jackcbr]

Cool, it's good to learn. Don't think SWMBO would be too happy if I toughen up my hands too much. She enjoys a good shoulder rub of an evening.

 

[hog]

Mark, what would you reconmend then for the best combo.
Not sure about where to obtain elder, clematis or ivy, as a Southern African these woods are alien to me.(need to learn them )

 

[Seoras]

Two of my favourite combo's Mark.

Works quite well on a Lime hearthboard as well.

Like you I never practice this skill enough. Will practice at the Moot.

Cheers

George

 

[Stanleythecat]

I struggle to understand how the materials perform with a hand drill. Do you season the drill and the clematis hearth too?

I keep meaning to give this a go but just don't know enough to be confident enough to start!

Leo

 

[hog]

Stanleythecat, this evening I mannaged for the first time in my life to get a glowing ember from a hand drill, my tinder was crap so all I had was a handfull of glowing, sparking coals but no flame but as far as I am concerned I got a fire.
I used Sycamore on Sycamore nothing mixed or complicated.
The secret seems to be.
Make sure your drill has a flat bottom (not rounded)
Dont faf about starting slowly and building up, just get stuck in to it (once you have the notch cut etc)
Keep going and dont stop, you WILL get an ember.
Keep on trying and dont give up.

 

[Chinkapin]

Stanley, the author of "The Ultimate Guide to Wilderness Living" (this is a highly recommended book by many authorities) states that a softwood drill is necessary, also dead and dry. He likes Cottonwood, aspen and yucca. (These may not grow in your area, so concentrate on a softwood.) Many people like willow. He also recommends box elder and hackberry. He also says that the smaller limbs and sapwood of cedar, locust, and ash would be fine, though not the heartwoods as they are too hard.

If you can press your thumbnail into the wood it is ok, and not too hard. If the wood will break with a "snap" and break cleanly, it is dry. The drill should be about somewhere in size between your little finger and your thumb. A drill of about 6 to 8 inches is ideal.

The fireboard should also be a softwood. 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches is wide enough.

Hint: a glass whiskey shot glass makes an ideal bearing block. The idea is to cut down the friction. If you use a piece of hardwood it would be best to lubricate it with some grease / fat. I have seen people use a small stone with a naturally occurring concave side as a very effective bearing block.

As for tinder, the dry inner bark of cedar, and of course birch bark both make excellent tinder. Add some dry grass and you're good to go.

 

[Firelite]

Hi Chinka pin,
I'm not sure you picked up the distinction between hand drill and bow drill there. That said, if there were two of you and no string, then a hand drill with shot glass bearing block would work ok as a combo and really save the skin on your hands if they weren't toughened up.
ATB

 

[Stanleythecat]

Stanleythecat, this evening I mannaged for the first time in my life to get a glowing ember from a hand drill, my tinder was crap so all I had was a handfull of glowing, sparking coals but no flame but as far as I am concerned I got a fire.
I used Sycamore on Sycamore nothing mixed or complicated.
The secret seems to be.
Make sure your drill has a flat bottom (not rounded)
Dont faf about starting slowly and building up, just get stuck in to it (once you have the notch cut etc)
Keep going and dont stop, you WILL get an ember.
Keep on trying and dont give up.

Hi Hog

Thanks for the reply. I have had a fantasic success rate with sycamore on sycamore with bow drill, are you suggesting it is a good wood for hand drill too? That could be good. If you don't mind me asking, what were the dimensions of your drill and hearth ie thickness, length etc and what condition was the material in ie seasoned, green and how hard.

Thanks again

Leo

 

[hog]

Stanley, the hearth is 10 mm thick, the bow is about 10 mm thick at the buisness end and is 60 cm long.
The wood I cut direct from the tree and sun dried it over a couple of weeks (yes the sun did actually come out albiet briefely) on the dashboard of my works van, work mates think I am a nut job.
I think that Sycamore on Sycamore is great, now I have seen it work, I am not a great identifier of British trees so I will stick to the ones I know, will be buggered when winter comes and all the leaves drop, thats how I do my ID !!
Sycamore is a soft wood and from what I have been told is a good wood for the hand drill.
Hope this bit of info helps you, would like to go outside and have another go but its p!$$ing down....again and practice lighting in the rain is not on todays activity list.
Happy drilling !!
Mark.

 

[rich59]

Great to hear al these successes with hand drill.

Just a comment on tough hands - I have been not doing practice for a year or two. Then got back to it for the Bushmoot. I must have made 10 to 15 coals. Throughout my hands have remained soft with no calluses or blisters.

I think there may be three reasons for this. I mostly used hand drills with a thicker end at the top - much more comfortable! Another thing is that someone in a workshop noticed that I use not so much the whole palm of the hand, but the smooth muscular part of the palm on the pinky/ little finger side of the palm. Also, keeping hands moist reduces damage.