Still working at the hand drill and starting to get proficient now. Everytime you do it you gain experience which makes it easier next time. I would work at it all day long but unfortunatly my hands get ripped to shreds even now that they are heavily calloused.Very hard on the hands.
Anyway a few things I learned in a recent session.
While learning make sure your stuff is dry as a bone. This saves so much effort.
Downward pressure is the key. point the tips of your hands slighty down will improve the pressure you generate.
A tiny drop of honey or pine resin on your hands will give immense grip but will give you blisters too.
The drill should be long and straight and be 1.5cm thick when using elder. Make aure you have plenty of outer wall on the drill and a pith.
Drills you find on a tree are not so good as ones you pick green-debark-and dry and straighten. They allways seem a little decayed. If you must find on ein the wild get a dead one which is hard and still completely covered in bark and near the bottom of tree.
When drilling down on soft ground you loose so much power and pressure. Make sure your hearth is on a hard surface. A stump whatever, saves so much effort.
Make sure there is no movment at the hearth too. You will loose so much effort is it moves about.
Maximise friction at tip not at sides.
Notch should be bigger than 45 degrees and not go to centre of socket otherwise you loose so much surface area.
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