Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
My first attempt at hand drilling my never miss Yucca spindle on a Crepe Myrtle fire board failed miserably. I happened to choose the weak side of my fire board for the divot and notch. As the ember was forming, the spindle wore towards the notch opening and popped out. Happily, a pin head sized ember was alive and well. I fortified it with dust and stuck it into some highly processed Pine needles. I thought I had made a big save. Nope. I let the flames get away.
I determined not to waste what I learned from this fail:
1) I cut the divot and notch into a more sturdy part of the board.
2) I upped the size or mass of the ember from 6 passes down the spindle to 10.
3) I didn’t rely on just the pinch of highly processed pine needles left over from the first try. I also made some Pine needles dust as coal extender.
Please, come check it out, follow the Link below, and SUBSCRIBE. Thank you!
Hand Drill Playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoXX8XsMW3nvAanTlr7IhGt1Kjk3SNzp
My first attempt at hand drilling my never miss Yucca spindle on a Crepe Myrtle fire board failed miserably. I happened to choose the weak side of my fire board for the divot and notch. As the ember was forming, the spindle wore towards the notch opening and popped out. Happily, a pin head sized ember was alive and well. I fortified it with dust and stuck it into some highly processed Pine needles. I thought I had made a big save. Nope. I let the flames get away.
I determined not to waste what I learned from this fail:
1) I cut the divot and notch into a more sturdy part of the board.
2) I upped the size or mass of the ember from 6 passes down the spindle to 10.
3) I didn’t rely on just the pinch of highly processed pine needles left over from the first try. I also made some Pine needles dust as coal extender.
Please, come check it out, follow the Link below, and SUBSCRIBE. Thank you!
Hand Drill Playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoXX8XsMW3nvAanTlr7IhGt1Kjk3SNzp
