Hand drill quick query

[bushcraftbob]

I have been give a poplar spindle for having a go at the hand drill.

The spindle is tapered - and i was wondering, should the thin or the thick end be used for the drilling surface????


cheers y'all

 

[Seoras]

Rich59 uses a tapered tip on his hand drills. Experiment and let us know how it goes.

 

[Buckshot]

maybe it depends on the thickness and the type of harth wood
I tend to use Budliegha (sp) and the spindle can be 4 or 5 mm diameter, whereas teasle needs to be twice that

Cheers

mark

 

[spamel]

Use the thick end on the hearth board. The taper then means a number of things: As your hand travels down the spindle it is gradually getting thicker so you can maintain your grip, the drill is gradually going to reduce in diameter as you wear the tip away so it won't jam in the socket and you will generate more heat quicker with the thicker end then the thinner end.

 

[TwoSticks]

I generally put the thick end on the hearth board for the reasons outlined above. For me, it's easier to maintain friction (grip) with my hands when the thick end is down.

How are you getting on with it?

 

[bushcraftbob]

Blimey its hard work, just when i start to get a slight scorching on the base board, i run out of puff!
I've had to put off for a do or two while the blister on my left hand heals. For some reason my right hand is ok. I will resume in a few days and let you know how i get on!

 

[spamel]

Hard isn't it? I've got an ember once by myself, and a couple of times with the help of others. Listen to your hands, if they hurt then stop. You can seriously develop blisters quickly and ruin your practise for days if you do just a few minutes too much. It's difficult because you get to that stage where you think "I've almost got it...!" and you just want to push on!

 

[VtBlackdog]

Try using a bow!

I've had consistant results with poplar....
Bottom should be rounded/blunt and top pointy. Also (with a bow) it helps to make the spindle somewhat octagon in shape to give the string traction...

Use a bow!

 

[spamel]

Try using a bow!

I've had consistant results with poplar....
Bottom should be rounded/blunt and top pointy. Also (with a bow) it helps to make the spindle somewhat octagon in shape to give the string traction...

Use a bow!

That would be bow drill then! Hand drill is a different way of doing it.

 

[rich59]

I have had a go at poplar as hand drill a while ago. Mine was tapered too. I used the thin/ pointy end as the drilling end. It was actually not too difficult to get an ember. This surprised me as usually a solid wood with no pith down the middle is very difficult.

Mind you that was when I was working through loads of different woods to try out and so I was used to working with difficult woods, so I was probably more drill hardened than I am now, cosseted as I am with excellent drills like elder and mullein.

I could rarely find suitable poplar dills otherwise I would have tried it out more.