Pump Fire Drill
Steps to making your own pump fire drill.
1. Find a straight round piece of hardwood. It should be pretty long. As much as four feet long (1.3 meters) or a little less will work. I start off with a piece this long and later cut it down to the proper size. You can always cut it shorter but you can never add length on to it. This will be the drill stick.
2. Drill a hole through a rock or a piece of wood, metal or plastic. You want a disk about 3/4 of an inch thick (2 cm) and roughly 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter with a hole in the center. Run the stick from step 1 through the hole. If the stick will not go through the hole at all then either make the hole in the disk bigger or shave the stick down a bit. Do this until your disk will slide down the drill stick from one side but will stop before it is able to slip off the other side.
3. Cut the end of the drill stick off so that about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) of stick is left protruding through the disk on the big side and still sticks out the other way a couple of feet or more.
4. Now drill a hole through the drill stick about 24 inches (61 cm) above the disk.
5. Now you need a piece of wood, plastic or metal that is about 12 to 24 inches long (30-60 cm), roughly a 1/2 inch thick (1.27 cm) and about 2.5 - 4 inches wide (6-10 cm). This is the pump piece. 6. Cut or drill a hole in the center of the wood large enough for the drill still to move freely within the hole.
7. No you will need two pieces of small rope or heavy string or cordage of some sort. Each should be about 30 inches long (76 cm). Again you can always cut them down if needed.
8. Cut or drill two holes, one at each end of the pump piece just big enough for the string to fit through.
9. Tie a knot or two at one end of each string. This knot is to prevent the string from pulling through the pump piece.
10. Run the string through the bottom of the hand piece and up and through the hole at the top end of the drill stick. Tie each off there so they will not pull through.
That is the fire pump. You will also need a fire board.
To use the fire pump drill to start a fire you assemble the pieces as shown in the picture above. Wind up the drill. Now push down to allow the pump to unwind and then allow it to wind up in the opposite direction as the first time. Then repeat.
It is pretty easy to do with just a little practice. This method allows you to by yourself build up enough heat on your fire board to create an ember. And the best part is your hands do not get worn out.
I mentioned other uses; you can also attach hard objects such as glass, stone, metal, drill bits etc to the end of what would be a drill stick and use that to drill holes through woods and stuff. Obviously it isn't going to drill through as fast as a 20 volt Dewalt but when no power tools are available it will get the job done.
1. Find a straight round piece of hardwood. It should be pretty long. As much as four feet long (1.3 meters) or a little less will work. I start off with a piece this long and later cut it down to the proper size. You can always cut it shorter but you can never add length on to it. This will be the drill stick.
2. Drill a hole through a rock or a piece of wood, metal or plastic. You want a disk about 3/4 of an inch thick (2 cm) and roughly 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter with a hole in the center. Run the stick from step 1 through the hole. If the stick will not go through the hole at all then either make the hole in the disk bigger or shave the stick down a bit. Do this until your disk will slide down the drill stick from one side but will stop before it is able to slip off the other side.
3. Cut the end of the drill stick off so that about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) of stick is left protruding through the disk on the big side and still sticks out the other way a couple of feet or more.
4. Now drill a hole through the drill stick about 24 inches (61 cm) above the disk.
5. Now you need a piece of wood, plastic or metal that is about 12 to 24 inches long (30-60 cm), roughly a 1/2 inch thick (1.27 cm) and about 2.5 - 4 inches wide (6-10 cm). This is the pump piece. 6. Cut or drill a hole in the center of the wood large enough for the drill still to move freely within the hole.
7. No you will need two pieces of small rope or heavy string or cordage of some sort. Each should be about 30 inches long (76 cm). Again you can always cut them down if needed.
8. Cut or drill two holes, one at each end of the pump piece just big enough for the string to fit through.
9. Tie a knot or two at one end of each string. This knot is to prevent the string from pulling through the pump piece.
10. Run the string through the bottom of the hand piece and up and through the hole at the top end of the drill stick. Tie each off there so they will not pull through.
That is the fire pump. You will also need a fire board.
To use the fire pump drill to start a fire you assemble the pieces as shown in the picture above. Wind up the drill. Now push down to allow the pump to unwind and then allow it to wind up in the opposite direction as the first time. Then repeat.
It is pretty easy to do with just a little practice. This method allows you to by yourself build up enough heat on your fire board to create an ember. And the best part is your hands do not get worn out.
I mentioned other uses; you can also attach hard objects such as glass, stone, metal, drill bits etc to the end of what would be a drill stick and use that to drill holes through woods and stuff. Obviously it isn't going to drill through as fast as a 20 volt Dewalt but when no power tools are available it will get the job done.
