all sounds good but when you're tired of getting blisters consider making a bow for your spindle- IMHO wayyyyy easier (less sweat too) and absolutely no blisters
Leo
I wouldn't worry about 'floating hands', particularly when you are learning. It's just an unnecessary layer of complication. You don't need floating hands to achieve success with hand-drill. More importantly, I've never seen anyone who uses hand-drill on a day-to-day basis use floating hands.
Best
Paul
Hi Folks
I'm new to this forum but a friend of mine made me aware of this discussion. Before you read anymore please check out my floating hands vid here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LearnBushcraft#p/a/u/0/bHPwkuH3tXg In this vid I use burdock on a cold snowy day to make a handrill fire form scratch. I collect all the materials (burdock and willow) there and then. I do this in under 30 mins. Burdock and floating is the key to making fire in most weathers without the need to manufacture or have cord. The following points are key to why I know that floating is an essential skill when coupled with an amazing plant that not only gives us food, but fire too.
-Burdock resists wet, so can be used there and then without the need to dry it like other materials!
-Burdock works on almost any hearth material, even woody hearths easily.
-Burdock is rarely in long straight sections, so you need to master floating to use it, otherwise you're back to using cord and lashing a tip onto a longer drill shaft.. all extra time.
I have been floating for years now and it is the ONLY method I use when handrilling unless I'm running a course where I instruct the normal method. I appeared in last months issue of bushcraft and survival skills magazine where I wrote an article on the subject of floating. Please check out my other vids too and I hope I can inspire you to learn this skills which really opens up the possibility of making fire quickly in any weather with just a sharp edge.
Being able to float means I never have to hunt aroudn for long straight drills now, (unless I have a course looming then I have to collect loads) I can use short sections from any twisty plant.
Merry Christmas
Dale