The Hand Drill-Primitive Fire Making

[demover7]

Hey, what was your tinder bundle made out of? it looks like untwisted twine.

Great video btw!

[olmarnow]

@demover7 Hey thanks for watching and for the comment. Yes the tinder bundle was made from untwisted JUTE twine. It works great. The inner bark of a ceder tree is the best in my opinion.

[demover7]

@olmarnow Thanks for the reply!

[MikeMPSSstudent]

This is the first vid I've seen on the handrill that rivals the primitiveskills channel put out by Maine Primitive Skills School. Way to represent! Do you folks work together? Maybe a North-South East Coast primitive skills community?

[olmarnow]

@MikeMPSSstudent Wow, thanks my friend. I don't work with North-South Coast Primitive Skills Community. I'm all on my own. Again thank you for watching and for you comment.

[getatme139]

hey im doing a school project on primitive fire making and i was woundering if you can send me a hand drill kit?

[olmarnow]

@getatme139 Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I'm sorry I can't send you a hand drill kit. If I sent you one and everyone else that wanted one it would get very expensive. I can sell you one, but I can't give any away. So sorry my friend.

[getatme139]

@olmarnow no problem i just found the best hand drill ever, i have mullien on red western cedar, i got a coal in 20 seconds

[olmarnow]

@getatme139 Good job. I'm happy for you. Keep on practicing.

[mountaingoat47]

what do you suggest for eastern massachusetts? iv'e tried mullion but the core's to soft and goldrods too small.

[olmarnow]

@mountaingoat47 what types of wood or weed stalks do you have there? Willow, mulefat, elderberry? These work pretty well. I'm just not familiar with the materials in your neck of the woods.

[mountaingoat47]

@olmarnow

we don't have mulefat, we have willow but have failed at it in the past. ill try elderberry. another question though, does cattail work well? i herd people have used it but i was skeptical because it seems too soft to properly drill in any type of wood.

[olmarnow]

@mountaingoat47 Seep willow is what works well. The Indians in my neck of the woods use to use cattail. I've never gotten it to work, but I only tried it once. Horseweed works well. There are others but at this moment they have left my mind. I'll do some thinking and get back to you. Oh, yea Teasel and sotol (like yucca) works too.

[erichoward15]

is that the stainless or carbonMora, and how do you like it?

[olmarnow]

@erichoward15 It's the carbon steel. It's a Mora clipper and I love them. I have several of them. I don't own a stainless steel mora. Thanks for watching

[FoogieX10]

hey this is really good. do you have a video on the bow drill?

[olmarnow]

@FoogieX10 I sure do. It'll be under the same name "olmarnow" titled the bow drill. Also check out my other username "thesouthernsurvivor". Thanks for watching and comment.

[benolt123]

i love it :D

[yzrider102]

its weird cause in t.v shows they make it look like it takes a long time to get a coal but no it accually doesnt, also if u take a pinch of sand and put it on the fireboard it creates more friction and makes it quicker

[olmarnow]

@yzrider102 It usually only takes me about 15-30secs. But material combo is the secret. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[jabames]

wish we had yucca in Alaska...

[olmarnow]

@jabames What soft woods do you have? do you have elderberry or mulefat?

[jabames]

@olmarnow I dont know exactly, maybe willow or cottonwood, i dont think we have woods like what you say, but I gather birch or pine would go good with a soft wood

[olmarnow]

@jabames If you have seep willow that works great for a hand drill. do you have weed stalks like mullein, teasel, or horseweed? These weed stalks work good. Cottonwood is a PERFECT wood to use for the bow drill set. Cottonwood works great for a fireboard, but usually you can find a drill straight enough and long enough for a hand drill set. Search your area for these weed stalks and see which one you have. Mullein and horse weed works great and is usually common everywhere. Keep me posted.

[Ralgondo]

I live in southern neveda i think i should be able to find some Yucca around

[olmarnow]

@Ralgondo I'll bet there's plenty yucca out there. It may be called sotol there.

[soccercat1]

What was the name of that flute music song you had playing in the beginning?

[olmarnow]

@soccercat1 the name of the cd is spiritual flutes and the song was rattlesnake initiation. Thanks for watching.

[Ralgondo]

i feel like the only thing missing in my life is making a fire from scratch, i need to get on this shit

[olmarnow]

@Ralgondo There is no way to describe the feeling when you make your first friction fire. If you have any questions just ask away. Thanks for watching.

[TheHornyGorrilaz]

thanks not a lot of videos show how to make the fireboard SO EASY

[aomimezura11]

that was f-ing fast...

[megadudecool]

Ok this might be a dumb ? To you but where can I get yucca I've always wanted to make a fire out of scratch my whole life

[olmarnow]

@megadudecool Yucca grows all over, but I've learned that yucca don't grow in a few areas. Do you know what a yucca plant looks like? Just in case you don't know it's a flower stem from a plant. Some people think its a type of wood. I sell a firemaking kit on ebay with a dvd that has helped alot of people make their first friction fire. In case your interested my ebay seller name is thesouthernsurvivor. Hope this helps. keep me posted on your success.

[rocketman368]

lets try something else!!!!!!! Hahaha

[sigma3survivalschool]

Yucca is damn near the worlds easiest wood to get a coal with. I got an instructor friend that can get a coal in 4-5 seconds with it. I can do it with bow drill in easily less than 10 seconds. If you can't make fire with yucca, there is something wrong!

[olmarnow]

@sigma3survivalschool Yucca is the absolute best friction firemaking material. Thanks for commenting and for watching.

[jacksoncapper]

and we got fire!

[olmarnow]

@jacksoncapper Thanks for watching.

[Unrealll6666]

That was sick.

[olmarnow]

@Unrealll6666 Thank  you.

[27lkey]

A lot of the other sites are Bull Shh. Looked pretty easy from the video. Thanks for the one on one sesh.

[olmarnow]

@27lkey Thank you.

[uzerf]

@TheSouthernsurvivor thanks alot! Theres intact quite alot of sycamore in these area, very helpful. Also I think I might find tinder as well! Thanks for the help

[TheSouthernsurvivor]

@uzerf Your welcome. make sure that the sycamore is dry and dead. Use the same wood to make your set (drill and fireboard.) Cut a piece as big as your wrist of dry dead sycamore. Split it into by battening it with a knife. Use one side as your fireboard. Split the other again by battening again. Carve one of those pieces into a round shape for your drill and then point the ends. If do this you have the same density of wood bettering your odds of success. Any more questions just ask my friend.

[uzerf]

@TheSouthernsurvivor

[uzerf]

@olmarnow

Hey, I live in England and I'm a beginner in fires. I'm not sure how common yucca wood is here, but I can't find any. Do you have any suggestions for wood on England ? Also, the white/green thing you blew into what was that? Thanks

[TheSouthernsurvivor]

@uzerf Hey, this is olmarnow. I have 2 youtube accounts and this is the other one. For some reason I can't log into my olmarnow account that's the reason I'm replying through this account. Do you have sycamore in the area that you live? If so sycamore is a great wood for friction. Willow, cedars, cottonwood, basswood. Most soft woods work great. The stuff that I was blowing in is called jute. It is natural fibers. I bought it in a bundle twisted together as cordage. I'll continue this message.

[TheSouthernsurvivor]

@uzerf Cedar bark, willow bark, cottonwood bark, cattail fluff, soft grasses, or any fluffy materials with multiple fibers are great for tinder. I hope this helps. If you have any more questions please ask away. Good luck and have a great day. Keep me posted on your success.

[livetoclimbVE]

Hey, So I've started camp fires with magnifying glasses and other such matchless methods but here in Minnesota, I can't seem to find a good type of wood to get the hand dril working. : / Any suggestions?

[olmarnow]

@livetoclimbVE Hey thanks for watching. You need soft wood. Most willows will work (especially seep willow, cotton wood, mulefat, elderberry. you can use those for both spindle and fireboards. If you have yucca plants in your neck of the woods then you can use the dead flower stem of the yucca plant. Certain weed stalks work great like teasel, mullein, & horseweed. Most woods are too hard for a spindle so these are a few great choices for your spindle. Hope this helps.

[livetoclimbVE]

@olmarnow got the willow to work. thank you greatly -salute-

[bullseye887]

holy crap!! it looked like you putt gas on it when the moss eglited from how it reacted!

[olmarnow]

@bullseye887 Jute is highly combustible. 

[airlover1]

Hi,

Nice Video, but the wood, Yucca?? what kind of yucca, or can you use other wood.

Like willow ( Salix) or cottomwood, with the firebow I use ash, here in Europe.

Thx.

[olmarnow]

@airlover1 Hello, yucca is a flower stem that grows in a plant. I'm not sure the exact type of yucca, sorry it's just what grows here in the area in which i live. I live in Myrtle, Mississippi USA. Do you have mullein weed stalks that grow in your neck of the woods? Seep willow works great, Mule fat, Sotol stems, Sunflower stems, any type of pithy wood or flower, weed stem. For the firebow I use, willow, cedar, poplar, yucca, cottonwood, paw paw, and sycamore. Hope this helps.

[ardvarkkkkk]

Now lets see you do that in a 20 MPH wind.

[olmarnow]

@ardvarkkkkk It would be difficult. I'd have to find a way to block the wind a little. Thanks for watching and for your comment.

[jabames]

is it better if the stick is thick? does it create more friction if there is more surface area?

[olmarnow]

@jabames hello, when using the hand drill you really need the spindle thinner about the thickness of a pencil or a little thicker. You will not have as much strength with the hand drill as you would the bow drill. Speed is what you looking for with the hand drill with the right amount of downward pressure. The thinner the drill the quicker it spins between your hands. The bigger the less spins you get. With the bow drill it doesn't matter really. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[fairyheli2]

how did people first think of this?

[olmarnow]

@fairyheli2 I have no Idea. I'm sure many people have thought the same thing. From my understanding nobody knows who did it first. Great question, but I have no answer.

[RoyalDragonusa]

I have to say, you have the BEST friction fire vids on the net!!

THANKS!!!!

[olmarnow]

@RoyalDragonusa Wow, thanks. And thank you for the sub. I'll return the favor. Take care my friend.

[5tonyvvvv]

@olmarnow best vids ever!!!

[6767dennis]

I dont know much about this, one question: Could you explain the purpose of the notch?

[olmarnow]

@6767dennis Yes. Let me just give you a quick run through. The spindle or drill actually drills into the fireboard. While spinning the drill in the fireboard 2 things happen. 1. it causes friction or the heat needed. 2. wood dust is produced. The combination of the heat and dust form a red hot coal or ember. In order for this coal to form it must collect or gather in one spot that's where the notch comes in. The notch allows the dust to gather into one spot thus forming the coal. Hope this helps

[gaiagale]

Brilliant ...the waving part was new for me

thank-you for sharing

[olmarnow]

@gaiagale Thank you for watching and for your nice compliment.

[oiasdjasdaskjf]

What brand of knife are you using? I've used them before but I can't for the life of me remember what they're called.

[olmarnow]

@oiasdjasdaskjf It's a frost mora from Sweden.

[daboodeef179]

how long does it take.

[olmarnow]

@daboodeef179 Hello, Usually it takes about 20-30 seconds to get a coal. Sometimes I can get a coal in 15sec. It's really not about strength it's all about technique. Thanks for watching. I hope this answered your question.

[swissfa18]

Thats very helpful :)

[MrLightningz]

Wow, a video that actually tells me how to. thanks man!

[J0Gu7]

Great vid, but what type of yucca is that? I'm familiar with the sotol, and soap weed yuccas.

[olmarnow]

@J0Gu7 not sure the type of yucca, I just know that it is yucca. It's sotol because that type doesn't grow in the area where I live. Thanks for the compliment.

[TheSurvivorjunkie]

ur a beast bro!

[Masowai]

3:18  Awesome recovery!

[olmarnow]

@Masowai Thank you. This works great when your out of breath too. lol

[MrVoiceofreason123]

I've just started becoming proficient at this method, and some advice I have for beginners is to focus and concentrate on technique and focusing power into a single point. It sounds cheesy, but what I mean is that you need to control your breathing, move at a constant pace, and exert decent pressure. I like a lot of beginners, could not get the coal because I would get so tired because I was so tensed up. You need to relax and remember to use CONSTANT pressure.

[MrVoiceofreason123]

@MrVoiceofreason123 In other words, don't go so fast and so hard that you can't kee the pressure consistent for a while. A good pass with good technique is worth a lot more than one quick pass where you don't get many rotations.

[AwakenedBuddhist]

Thats my problem not too sure whats the best wood in my area for hand drill. I was using a horse weed spindle(i think it was horse weed) and a piece of cedar for a board.Do you have any suggestions?I live in upstate NY

[olmarnow]

@AwakenedBuddhist Horse weed is an excellent choice for a H.D. spindle (if it's really horse weed). Try cottonwood for the fireboard. In my opinion cottonwood is the best choice for a fireboard. Cedar is great too. Here are some good choices for both spindle and fireboard. Spindle-dead flower stem from a yucca stem, horseweed, seep willow, mullein, mule fat, and teasel. FireBoard-Cottonwood, sycamore, cedar, types of willow, paw paw, basswood and poplar. Yucca & basswood are great combos.

[AwakenedBuddhist]

You make it look too easy! was out trying this today no fire but a couple of blisters

[olmarnow]

@AwakenedBuddhist When I first learned I got plenty of blisters too. What wood are you using?

[olmarnow]

@Ikefis Yea, sometimes I'm not as patient as I need to be. I get in a hurry to much. Thanks for the thought though. Have a great Weekend.

[Dailybabble]

I remember doing this when I was a boy in camp all the other guys can make fire

[jeffyoung60]

Outstanding demonstration of the hand drill firestarting method. You make it look deceptively simple and as you depicted, it takes, the right wood materials, firestarting materials, spindle rubbing technique, and lots of patience and practice. But clearly, when all the right materials are used and the hand technique is right, then it doesn't take as long and is simple for the experienced person. My compliments to you. Why don't you post your own website?

[SaviourSole]

Is that a Frost knife?

[TheSouthernsurvivor]

@SaviourSole Yes it is a Frost mora clipper with a carbon steel blade. VERY sharp.

[TheSouthernsurvivor]

what is "get let 10 littile"? What type of wood do you use? The secret to the hand drill is the right combination of woods. Also downward pressure plays a key factor also. Watch my video "the hand drill made easy" and maybe this will help you out.

[TheM40A3beast]

when i try a hand drill i get let 10 littile powders thins where my coal is supposed to b

[MrDaryboy]

Thanks, I'll give them a try and let you know how it works for me

[MrDaryboy]

What would be best used for tinder bundle from stuff you would find in the woods? It seems like most of these videos about fire drilling are all natural but the tinder bundles look like prefabricated material.What did you use for your tinder bundle? Not being a smart ass, I really want to know. Great job BTW

[olmarnow]

The best tinder material found in nature ( in my opinion) is cedar bark. Just scrape it off the tree and rub it between your hands to separate the inner bark from the outer bark. You want the soft fluffy inner bark. Cedar bark burns a long time. Other tinders are cotton wood inner bark, dead dry grass, but usually some grass is to coarse to blow a coal into flame so you'll need a softer fluffy material in the center of the coarse grass like poplar fluff, cat tail fluff, even dandilion fluff.

[5tonyvvvv]

@olmarnow man nice job..old school..i like seeing it burst into flames..i bet my neighbor i could make fire in under 5 mins .i did it in 4..and won 10 bucks..LOL..cool vid man.

[olmarnow]

@5tonyvvvv Hey, Thanks alot. I'm glad that you enjoyed my video. Take care.

[5tonyvvvv]

@olmarnow dry hardwoods work alot better i think..i cant get a fire goin with a pine board..too much greasy gums,and resins..hazal dogwood,willow.catail make exelent drills..what do u think?

[tattoome5150]

Nice work. I like your technique.  You got that coal pretty quickly. I can do bow drill easily but havent had much luck with hand drill. I have waved my tinder bundle like that and had success. That was a good recovery.

[chunkyone1234567]

why would you teach to swing your tinder bundle like that ... seemed kinda reckless to me, a lost coal can mean alot more in a wilderness situation... and simply blowing and rotating while pushing the tinder in the coal has never not worked for me.... and there is hugely less of a chance to not lose your coal...just curious

[olmarnow]

Actually I saw Bear Grylls do this in an episode of man vs wild. This was the second time that I tried it and it worked both times. Since then I've done this hundreds of times and have not lost a coal yet. Some times I the tinder bursts into a flame faster than when I blow it. Simply put, It just works for me. Thanks for your comment, and for watching.

[chunkyone1234567]

ummm im not so sure that bear grylls is a good role model for any wilderness survivor knowing that he does the worst things possible hoping to screw up for good tv... im sure he knows what hes doing and you also, i just dont see it as necessary and seems like as in man vs wild it was done for t.v. reasons... i.e. trying to seem more interesting than regular... did want you to know i enjoyed the video though. :)

[olmarnow]

Ok thanks. Your right though I never thought about slinging out the coal, and showing others to do the same. In a survival situation it would be terrible. And yes bear grylls is not the best role model for wilderness survival, but i like his show.

[MrVoiceofreason123]

@olmarnow Are you seriously telling me you made this tutorial video while filiming your second attempt?

[olmarnow]

@MrVoiceofreason123 Oh no. I learned years ago. Only my second attempt at this tutorial because it started raining before.

[Verradonairun]

The initial "burn" in the wood, that you did for preparation, how long did that take?

[olmarnow]

it may have took 15 to 20 sec. Everything done is done in actual time, no editing. Thanks for watching.

[Verradonairun]

but at 1:03 it skips in time, that's why I asked. no prob. you've got some good vids.

[olmarnow]

Yea you are right I watched it again and I did edit it. Sorry I forgot. It don't take much to burn in the fireboard if I spin fast and bear down hard. Usually about 15-20 seconds. Just as long as the burn in will hold the drill in place and not allow it to slip and slide. Thanks

[Verradonairun]

ah, ok. I thought it took much longer than that, but cool enough.

[swordofdixie]

Wow, you make that look easy but I know better!  When you were waving that tender bundle back and forth and it burst into flames I had to cheer for you! Great job!

[olmarnow]

Thank you so much. It ma look easy but you are right it's not. Thanks or watching.

[thelondonbroiler]

I've watched quite a few videos about using hand drilling to start fires; this video is easily one of the best. Thank you!

[antidartan]

hard woods don't work well, that explains my lack of succes with maple. Do you think pine on pine would be OK

[olmarnow]

I've never used factory made wood for the hand drill, but i have for the bow drill. I use yucca for both drill and fireboard. Mullen (the weed stalk) and cedar works ok, but yucca works better. If you live in an area that has elderberry, you can use it as your hand drill, and cotton wood for fire board. Seep willow works great too. Thanks for watching.

[JoeRaff1000]

will factory made wood work??

is the spindle of the same wood as the fire board?

[megasimon999]

if i go to my local home depot what wood should i buy to make this fireboard and drill, as i know nothing about trees.

good job on the fire!

[olmarnow]

I'm not familiar with most of the woods that you mentioned, Sorry. What about cedar, is there any cedar in your area? Cedar works well, cottonwood, basswood? Hard woods dont work well, What type of soft woods is in your area?

[xXsharppshooterXx]

Oh I guess I'm out of luck. All the wood around here is hard wood. Thank you anyway, maybe I'll just buy one of your kits.

[Airsoft9eleven]

will pine work?

also does your kit ship to japan?

[olmarnow]

Is there any willow in your area? If there is Seep Willow this will make an ok hand drill. Elderberry, mulefat, or weed stalks like mullin or horseweed will work too.

[xXsharppshooterXx]

The willow in our area are curly willow; they have branches like corkscrews and the leaves are twisted too.  Obviously not good spindle material, but I was wondering if the trunk split would make a good baseboard? I forgot, we also have coastal redwood here. No seep willow. Thank you!

[xXsharppshooterXx]

I did some quick research, it's the chinese willow where I live. We planted dozens of these on our property so there's no shortage of wood. Thank you for all of your help and very prompt answers.

[xXsharppshooterXx]

Darnit another plant I forgot. We also have LOTS of mansenita here. It is a hard wood that burns very hot so I'm not sure, but might as well throw it out there.

[xXsharppshooterXx]

The only wood where I live is oak, pine, willow, and buckeye. Can you make a hand drill out of any wood, or does it have to be yucca? I plan on buying one of your kits, but would also like to be able to make my one.

[olmarnow]

You can cut them now, but it will take 4-6 months for them to season. I always cut them green and season them for about 6 months. Thanks for the comment about the faith. That encourages me Greatly.

[olmarnow]

Yucca is makes a great spindle. Also cedar, sycamore, cottonwood, certain willows, and paw paw. The best spindle fireboard combination that I have found is a yucca drill with a cottonwood fireboard.

[wempem]

hay whats a good spindel wood

[olmarnow]

I'm not sure about eating the fruit or the soap. I know that you can make strong cordage from the leaves. I have made cordage from yucca leaves that I could not break. If the yucca is almost in bloom (flowers) or in bloom you can cut it and store it in a dry place. It will be months before you can use it for firemaking. If you wait until it dies there will be some kind of bug or worm that will hatch its larva into the yucca stem. The bug will eat away at the yucca and ruin it.

[Kay2423]

There are alot of yucca plants here that are still green but turning brown. Can I cut them now? And when can I use them for fire making? Oh, I bought the bow drill kit. My family and I love how you included your faith in the DVD

[resistnine]

Thanks for showing me I can use Yucca. I have some in the front yard. It is still green yet. I hear you can eat the fruit, make cordage from the leaves and the roots also make soap.

[olmarnow]

Yes, I will ship to Europe. The shipping rate is very expensive. I'm not sure exactly where malta is but here is the rate. France- $28.50, Germany-$28.50, and U.K. $26.75. Just let me know what you want to do. I know with the shipping that is expensive. Thanks for watching my videos.

[ihrainovs18]

Do you ship to Europe? (I live in Malta)

[olmarnow]

I have gotten blisters in the past, but after I've learned how, I hardly get them anymore. I did not get blisters while filming this video. Thanks for you comment. Oh by the way did you mean Ray Mears?

[porpoisefathom]

did you get blisters?..rick mears says we shouldn't get them- if you do then you are not doing it right??..is this true???

[NaughtyNaughtyNick08]

Fantastic!

[olmarnow]

The secret is in the materials, and technique. The materials I used was a yucca drill on a yucca fireboard. Horseweed and cottonwood work well also. The technique-speed plus the downward pressure. Watch my video "the hand drill made easy". This makes learning the hand drill much easier. Good Luck.

[MikeofWyoming]

Damn man! It didn't take you long at all. I struggled with a similar setup for over an hour.

[mjc1377]

badass-thats great

[olmarnow]

Yes, it is a frost mora knife. I bought it at smoky mtn. knife works for $9. It has been a great knife, its easy to sharpen and stays sharp. The blade is carbon steel.

[gtjohnnycake]

is that a frost mora knife?

[likeited]

how u make a tinder nest? i really need help on that

[gtjohnnycake]

it can made of anything very dry and thin like grass. looks like he used the insides of a cat tail

[olmarnow]

I'm not sure. I'm not familiar with where yucca grows. In some states it grows wild & plentiful. Here in Ms. i mostly find it on old house places, or people have found it growing wild and planted it in their yard. Watch my bow drill video on youtube and see what the yucca plant looks like. Thanks.

[icecube646]

is there any where you can find yuccca in ma

[schrimtarius]

I have a question, where does that coal come from?

[olmarnow]

The coal comes from the two woods being spun together. The hand drill actually drills into the fireboard. Just like using a power drill there is dust from the drilling. The dust gathers into the notch. The combination of the friction, (caused by the drilling), and the dust will form a red hot coal. The friction or heat, heats up the dust caused by the drilling. If your interested I sell a complete hand drill kit with hot to DVD on ebay. My seller name is stickfires. thanks for watching.

[mcgrath127]

i made my first fire by using the bow drill yesterday thank you for your imformation

[orionz51]

what other woods in central Texas do you recommend for the bow drill method?

[dukcaboose]

i still can't do this..dont got the right kind of wood

[woodlandsurvival]

nice job