101 Ways to MAKE FIRE - #8 Hand Crank Drill (1)

How to make fire without matches or lighter, using friction. We are using a basic hand tool, like you would commonly find in Grandpa's toolbox (before the ubiquitous availability of battery-powered cordless drills). This is the first in a series of three videos that will cover the basics of making fire using friction. Basically, rubbing two pieces of wood together. I thought I'd do this first, before I got onto the primitive methods like bowdrills and hand drills and their numerous variations, as those all require a certain amount of practice to get the technique right. With the crank drill, we can get a very efficient conversion of energy and confine it to a small area, without much in the way of muscle memory or physical stamina. Anyone can do this if they follow the instructions. You could also use a power drill, but that actually makes it MORE difficult, for reasons which will be discussed in parts 2 and 3. The hand crank drill is not necessarily a common household item, depending on how old you are, but they are still available in hardware stores and many tradespeople still carry one for situations where an electrically powered drill is not convenient or reliable enough. Muscle power FTW.
Generally, the right wood to use will be light but strong. A good place to start your investigation is with fast-growing trees and shrubs. The wood should be dry and free from resin (which acts as a lubricant) or too much oil. The piece you use for the baseboard would normally be from the sapwood (outer layers of the branch/trunk) and fairly consistent in density, with a thickness approximately equal to the width of your thumb. If it is too thin you will bore through too quickly and also lose heat to the ground. If it is too thick, the charred material has too far to fall and cools down in the process. You will then need to continue drilling until the bottom of your spindle reaches the top of your char pile. Basically, it will take longer with a thick piece of wood.
Please note that these tips and instructions are based on my own experiments and research. This isn't an exact science. For such a basic skill, there seems to be remarkably little factual information out there. If you have different opinioins or additional knowledge, I would be interested to hear your views.
The mechanical drill was a Christmas present to myself. Something I've been meaning to do for ages. It provides a useful test-bed for various types and combinations of wood, as one is able to recreate similar conditions consistently. Oddly, the damn thing cost more than good mid-range battery-powered drill. Huh?
BEWARE - HIGH GSI INDEX
(Gratuitous Sexual innuendo)
Hot chicks in bikinis might be a recipe for getting lots of views, but not if they have have beards and chest hair, I suspect.

Category:

Comedy

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[bushcraftourway]

please, dont be insulted if your not..... are you south african?

[ROBwithaB]

@bushcraftourway

Yup. South African.

Maybe I should be insulted by the fact that you'd think I'd be insulted....?

[wintersoldier100]

Boring....

[ROBwithaB]

@wintersoldier100

Different strokes....

[uzair960]

lol, "ur the best at giving me wood" *awkward face*

[ROBwithaB]

@uzair960

GSI

FTW

[zws1922]

I see things are getting serious between you and Robertha. You're a lucky man, my friend

[adelle0001]

hehehe! kakatuwa ang videong ito.

[Kiddolioable]

The comment below me is looking at me

[Kiddolioable]

Im looking at the comment above me

[randomrighthere561]

Man, you must hate matches sooo much :P

[StephanX360]

OMG ITS ICE-T WITH HAIR

[elxxxterrible]

=)

[SpikeitropianP]

@ROBwithaB your description just took the guiness book's old record and added 5 more pages

[SpikeitropianP]

at least you and roberta aren't using your wood to make friction

[AstralPossibilities]

That voice is very creepy... never do that again! LOL JK ^.^

[mttcraft27]

@ROBwithaB

for different folks... I for one enjoy these vids