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 …
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