the hand drill

[jon r]

hi guys!

i have mastered the BowDrill method of starting a fire and have been able to make fires this way for a long time now. I thought that soon after i would be able to grasp the skills of making fire with a hand drill. But i was wrong, however i will never give up!

I have a brilliant hand drill made from Elder but i cant seem to figure out what is best for the hearth board. does anyone have a really good suggestion for a wood type that will work well with an Elder drill?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JonnyP]

Just tried to respond and it didn't work, does it now.............Jon

 

[JonnyP]

Try again.......Elder is good as a hand drill and I have had fire using this with a pine hearth. Also if you remove the pith at the bottom and insert a, cut to suit piece of wisteria, drill bit, this works too, but it is hard work and takes some effort, though it is the most satisfying way of lighting a fire I have found so far...............Jon

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

clematis is about the best board you'll get in england!
it's just finding some wide enough to make into a board that's the trouble!

Dave watson of Woodland survival crafts (my boss)uses a piece about 1.5" wide but i have achieved fire and dave can do it in less than a minute quite easily.

 

[jdlenton]

well i use
elder on elder,
elder on alder
and elder on clematis they all work very well
buddleia on elder and alder also works well.
I've seen pine used as a heart before too
alder drills I've not had much luck with
one word of warning in the hot weather, i was having a go with some willow on elder the other day at a little gathering we had and was getting some reasonable results but due to a little over enthusiasm and the temperature being a good 10 degrees higher than normal i now have a very badly blistered left hand lets say a blister 2 by 1 inch take it easy on your hands is all i can say or like me you'll be sat looking at your hand drill instead of playing with it.

James

 

[jon r]

i hate those dam blisters! as soon as i think i might be getting one i give it a rest for a day or two. is it true that if you do a lot of drilling your hands will become amune to blisters? i think the skin on my hands is getting tougher.

the other day i made some birch tar and wiped a little over the drill this gave some real good grip and my hands didnt slip at all! (just a little tip of mine) but only the smallest amount will do!

thanks for the advice so far guys! im gonna go and have another go!

 

[jdlenton]

I use spit to make my hands a little stickie just let it dry so your hands are just that little bit moist works a treat and is reasonably clean

Jon do you get tar on your hands from drilling and if so in the filed how would you get it off?

James

 

[den]

I have had results with elder on elder it was the first ember i ever made even before i had success with the bow drill. My best hand drill set which i can get an ember in a under a minute is mullein stalk on a lime (t.cordata) board.

 

[jon r]

is wood cut fresh and then dried as good as naturaly dead wood which has been weathered?

 

[den]

is wood cut fresh and then dried as good as naturaly dead wood which has been weathered?

I think it depends on the type of wood you are using. For example dried fresh ivy is no way as good as dead ivy. Dead lime is not as good as fresh dried Lime. Same with popular. It’s a case of trying them all and making your own mind up. Generally with the hand drill I would gather my stalks in the fall. The boards depending on wood type will be gathered green or dead.

 

[JonnyP]

Jon do you get tar on your hands from drilling and if so in the filed how would you get it off?

James

Not sure if you mean me or JonR mate, but I have not had any tar or resin on my hands, but I am usually using elder...............Jon

 

[jon r]

he means me (jon r)

you dont get that much tar on your hands. if you put it on the drill only put little dots here and there and then wipe it all over with something. anly the smallest ammount is needed. If you do get any on your hands it comes of after a while, its not like having pine resin on your hands.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

try drilling with a pot of water next to you.
dip your hands in, shake of the excess and rub your hands till they are not dry but tacky.
spit would do the same but you may run out
this may help, i think adding tar or resin to your hands may be a hindrance, rather than a help, as you are adding too much friction to your hands.

when done expertly a coal can be achived in less than a minute so stcky hands shouldn't be necessary.

other tips:

always give your best attemps on dry days moisture can effect the set up.

have you tried thumb loops? this adds alot of downward pressure!

try less force more speed,
or more pressure less speed

best option is to see someone else do it right infront of you, its far better than any pictures or video can convey.

 

[jon r]

cool, thanks for the advice! i went on a course with ray mears last year and he showed me then. he made it look so easy!

 

[Biddlesby]

He always does :/

 

[rich59]

is wood cut fresh and then dried as good as naturaly dead wood which has been weathered?

[arriving a little late to the debate]
I find it quite hard to find the right wood that is already dead. It is much easier to find live wood that is the right dimensions and then cut it and dry it.

Dead wood has often had a long period of dampness over winter and therefore some decay. This can lead to a pile of crumbly sawdust in your notch rather than nice fine brown/ black powder.

 

[den]

[arriving a little late to the debate]
Dead wood has often had a long period of dampness over winter and therefore some decay. This can lead to a pile of crumbly sawdust in your notch rather than nice fine brown/ black powder.

I think it depends on the amount of decay and the type of wood used. For instance green cut Ivy in my opinion is not a touch on dead hanging ivy but with to much rot it will crumble and not produce an ember.

 

[Snufkin]

Just got my first ember with the hand drill . Managed it with thumb loops before but this was the first time au naturel, as it were.

Budlea drill with clemetis hearth. Took a little long (maybe two minutes) but I think my hearth was too thick and it took a while for the dust to accumulate.

 

[leon-b]

i would love to try fire by friction but i am not sure what one
it seems to me that the bow and drill method is the easiest should i try this one first
leon

 

[2blackcat]

Well done, Snufkin
Any sign of the blisters everyone keeps mentioning?

That's next on my list. I was eyeing up an innocent looking buddlia today