shadowtracker
Registered: 02/10/07
Posts: 40
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Reply with quote | #1 |
HEY GUYS AND GALS!!
IN CASE SOME OF YOU ARE STRUGGLIN WITH DIFFICULT MATERIAls for your hand drill,,,here are some that i have been successful with numerous times,,..
1. cottonwood root on yucca hearth board---coals in just 2 passes!!{no kidding,,and unfortunately it dont always go that quick!!--but still quicker than alot of other materials..
2.cattail shafts{cut&dried properly}on either yucca or downed cottonwood,,or its root..
3. gayfeather{in late season } on downed cottonwood.dead--not rooten soft!
4. mullein on cottonwood
5.wild rose shafts on cottonwood or willow{willows can be substituted for cottonwood at times-completely----note the rose shaft need be cut/dried when where more pithy,,and IS NOT-actually a very good choice for beginners!!
note; materials cand and DO vary by locality! example--the common milkweed,of the 3 varietys common to reno county kansas, gets only on average 3to4ft. high and not very stait,,,BUT! a few hours east and north up around kansas city,,,i collected stalks{fully mature---in mid-season,,--
that were a couple to a few feet taller than me..--i am 6ft2in tall..
needless to say almost all the other common variety edible,medicinal,and utilitarian plants there on the south west outskirts of KC...were much larger,staiter&thicker,,than here in reno county..
so in conclusion what might be perfect in one area,,might not work as well in another!
SO DO WHAT I DID...=GET OUT THERE WITH A PETERSONS FIELD GUIDE AND START LEARNING TREES,PLANTS ETC..---AND START PUTTING TOGETHER THE BEST COMBINATIONS OF MATERIALS FOR YOU,,IN YOUR AREA!!
YOUR KNOWELEDGE OVERALL WILL INCREASE NICELY
CAUTION:IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LEARN WHAT POISONOUS SPECIES ARE IN YOU AREA,,EVEN THE "LOOK-A-LIKE"POISONOUS PLANT---AND WHEN YOU --1000% SURE YOU HAVE FOUND THEM---NEXT--STAY AWAY FROM THEM...PEOPLE DO DIE EVERY YEAR FROM MIS IDENTIFICATION OF POISONOUS PLANTS!!---ITS NOT WORTH IT FOLKS!!
IF ANYONE HAS ANY MATERIALS THAT YOU ARE FOND OF FROM YOUR AREA,,,PLEASE POST AND LET US KNOW ABOUT YOU SUCCESS,,EVEN THOSE ALL IMPORTANT FAILURES!!!
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME...,,FEEL FREE TO POST AND I WILL ANSWER THE BEST I CAN...AND IF I CANT --THAT WISE OL' WOLF CAN!!!
GOD BLESS!!
ROB!
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I will try a cattail shaft on my Yucca (baseboard) for the hand drill but I have not had much success with Yucca yet other than the great cordage I get from it. Tried to work a Yucca spindle on Willow baseboard with firebow. No luck. Tried different combinations with hand drill also (Elderberry, Willow, Yucca) on Yucca and Willow baseboards. I even used various tips from other woods on a hand drill. I have not done well on the hand drill yet but I'm still working on it. I am using a cord thong on the hand drill to aid in adding pressure to the board from the hand drill and trying to make it less tiring.
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Robert M. |
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Montanaguy
Registered: 06/07/09
Posts: 10
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Every time I try cattail,the drill breaks before I get a coal,how do you prepare your cattail drills so they do not fall apart |
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prariewolf
Moderator
Registered: 11/28/06
Posts: 105
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Reply with quote | #4 |
Forces for consistency with the hand drill;
1- Spinning the drill (speed) between the palms of your hands while applying
2- downward pressure.
Downward pressure can be broken into two forces;
A- pressure applied by your hands pushing the palms together while spinning and -
B - pressure applied downward.
The #A pressure above (squeezing the drill between the palms) is necessary to help slow the hands from sliding down the drill as you apply the #B (& 2) (downward) pressure.
The less of #A pressure, the faster that the hands slide down the drill and less downward pressure (#B) that can be applied.
As you become more adept with the HD you will discover that the application of these forces becomes natural and that you will (at least I do) apply a great amount of this pressure.
Cattails stalks(and some other drill materials) do not take this pressure well and they can and do “explode”.
So - back off the pressures accordingly and use speed as much as you can. Black dust and smoke is what you are looking for.
john
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Montanaguy
Registered: 06/07/09
Posts: 10
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Reply with quote | #5 |
I do bear down hard on the drill,I have got a coal with mule fat and mares tail drills on sotol and southern CA alder,I keep trying with cattail because it is so kind to the hands and it grows every where,I will just keep at.I have been getting some what lazy about the hand drill because I can get a coal so eazy with the bowdrill.And thanks for the info,I am a big fan of yours,and it's great that you have this forum going.
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #6 |
I just got back from collecting some cattail shafts (about five of them) for the hand drill. I collected the dead and dried ones, not the green ones. Or should I have collected some green ones to let cure? Also sorted out some Yucca wood for baseboards. So I will be trying them out soon.
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Robert M. |
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prariewolf
Moderator
Registered: 11/28/06
Posts: 105
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Reply with quote | #7 |
Dead and dry fine.
It's good to have some favorite, “magic” sets set aside for demo but the real world test is to gather and make fire “out there” as you are.
I don't always have any favorite sets laying around - of I have some pieces here and there but nothing “magic” - and when people/visitors come by it can be touch & go. I don't always make a HD fire this way but always can and have done bow drill as a back up.
j
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #8 |
Thanks, John. Glad I got it right collecting the right ones.
Quote: Originally Posted by "prariewolf"
It's good to have some favorite, “magic” sets set aside for demo but the real world test is to gather and make fire “out there” as you are.
I agree on doing it all "out there" in the woods. I know I can do it all "out there" in the woods with a firebow set and have done it before but since I have not had success getting a coal yet on the hand drill , I figure its best to practice first. I use your book as my guide.
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Robert M. |
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Coon4492
Registered: 06/15/09
Posts: 37
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Reply with quote | #9 |
Hey dixie I joined the Prairie wolf forum. Its nice to break away from wildwoods forum once in awhile.
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"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out."
- Benjamin Franklin |
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #10 |
Quote: Originally Posted by "Coon4492"
Hey dixie I joined the Prairie wolf forum. Its nice to break away from wildwoods forum once in awhile.
That's great, Joe. Yes, as good as wildwood is with a good many knowledgeable members, this board can give you a different perspective especially coming from John. He for sure can straighten out any skills problems that you might have. He is what I would call an expert like Tom Brown Jr., something I am not. If you post your question, John will answer.
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Robert M. |
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #11 |
I had one of my cattail hand drill shafts snap (explode) on me. LOL I wasn't getting enough pressure on the yucca baseboard (just light colored dust) and speeding up only gave me more light colored dust so I changed position to get more upper body weight from the drill down on the baseboard. Snap. Oh well, I will keep working on it from time to time. The firebow is much easier than the hand drill "to say the least". LOL Maybe a few more materials to collect and use but way easier. When it comes to expending more or less energy, I will take the firebow anytime over the hand drill so I don't expend more energy.
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Robert M. |
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #12 |
John,
I have been using a Yucca board and a Cattail drill for the hand drill but to no avail. I get smoke and lots of dust that is more like saw dust but not black dust that I know I should be seeing to get a coal. Is it possible that the Yucca I am using is a different variety from the one you are using? The Yucca Filamentosa has very soft wood and I just seem to be drilling down through it without any results. I even tried adding a few grains of sand to the hole to help aid in friction but I don't think friction is the problem since I am getting smoke. I think it is either not enough pressure or something is wrong with the wood type. I broke a Cattail stem already because I was putting too much pressure on the board. I have tried to eliminate possible causes and the one I keep coming back to is the wrong wood type. Thanks.
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Robert M. |
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prariewolf
Moderator
Registered: 11/28/06
Posts: 105
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Reply with quote | #13 |
As hot as yucca/cattail is, it needs finesse. More speed than downward pressure. If you are breaking cattail drills I would suggest that you move on to mullein drill on cottonwood/basswood/tulip poplar/willow, etc for the hearth. Off hand I like to use up to 1 1/2 inch or so diameter limbs with no bark that snaps when you break it. Good'n'dead, & dry. It should also, cottonwood & willow at least, easily split down the center making for less work preparing for notch. Use all this pressure that you're breaking drills with with cattail and you should soon see results.
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dixieangler
Registered: 06/11/09
Posts: 72
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Reply with quote | #14 |
I could use a Willow board (none of the other woods you listed) but I have not found any Mullein yet. I think we are limited on Mullein (Verbascum L.) in Florida. I don't ever recall seeing any and I have lived here my whole life. The listed counties that have it are just north of me according to the USDA.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Florida&statefips=12&symbol=VERBA
I have tried using an old Elderberry stem on a Willow board with mixed results. The pithy center of the Elderberry just seems to always leave an ant mound in the middle of the board's burn hole but I get good dark dust and smoke. I shaved the hard outer tip of the Elderberry down so it was more of a thin wall near the tip but same results of an ant mound effect in the burn hole. Also have tried other combinations with Willow stems. I even tried using different tips on an Elderberry stem. Only boards I have available to me right now are Willow, Maple, and Yucca. So I guess its a matter of finding the right drill for one of those types of wood.
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Robert M. |
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