hand drill??
Hello I have recently started to try and make a fire with a hand drill. For the spindle I am using dried mullen and basswood that I use for chip carving. My problem is I cant even get it to turn brown...
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Are you applying downward pressure? I like to use a long spindle so that I get more spin before having to lift my hands back up to the top. Dan
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I think so, I am not getting the squeak that I heard meant you are not applying downward pressure. I got some seasoned ash out that I had lying around and I got smoke and a good pile of dust but no...
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with mullien stalks u have to be very careful that the stalk is at the right stage of dryness and decomposition....its tricky like that....sometimes ill get 5 stalks from one small field and they all...
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If you are using store-bought basswood lumber, available in craft stores for carving, that may be the source of your trouble. I have found that it does not perform the same as naturally seasoned limb...
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thanks for all of the help I have more mullein stalks and I will try the different ones with the naturally seasoned wood. Jeff I think your right the ash that I seasoned works way better I can at...
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Try seasoned basswood, willow or cedar. I think you will find ash too hard for a mullein stalk.
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is it too hard even if I am getting smoke and a good dust build up? I dont have any other seasoned wood then the ash and a little osage also some walnut I might be able to find some other types of...
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Smoke and dust sounds encouraging, however in my experience softer woods perform better than hard. Is your dust soft and powdery feeling between thumb and forefinger or hard and granular?
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I will second the fact that ash is too hard. You can get smoke with just about any wood combination but that doesn't always mean you will get a coal. Like Jeff said, try some softer woods like...
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the powder is soft and dark brown. as for the different board I will try to get some of the suggested above. what are some good hard wood spindles that will work? and would cottonwood be good hearth...
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you must stalk up on the coal, I suggest using a ceder fireboard, and start floating at the top for about 5 minutes with a light downward pressure. then really drive down the spindle 5 or 6 times, and...
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I cant last 5 minutes, so I use Mullein on Basswood. About 20 seconds of hard and fast spinning should do it. http://www.wildersol.com/HandDrills.html
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Do you live where cottonwood or willow grows? How about box elder or alder or juniper? If you are opposed to buying wood from a lumber yard, cedar fence works better than cedar shingles. Mullein is...
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Thanks for all of the reply's I am out of town right now but when I get back Sunday I will try to get some cotton wood or some of the suggested wood.
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i use a lot of downward pressure, cuz i cant out go fast... check out youtube...'wbhanddrill'
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I used to use basswood when I lived in Vermont. It's very soft and if your drill is too small in diameter , it drills in too quickly to build up the necessary heat but will smoke alot and make a nice...
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try doing it with a friend at first. as soon as one of you get down the mullein stalk the other one starts right away. that will give you a short break and also keep the fireboard from cooling as much...
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