Te uubai

Te uubai. Pumpdrill. This is a pump drill. It is made of three material components: ngea (pemphis acidula) wood, te noko (coconut sennit cord) and porpoise bone and tooth. The long and cylindrical shaped vertical rod and horizontal handle are both made of the light brown ngea wood. Tracks have been carved into the top of the rod and the ends of the handle where a golden yellow 2-ply te noko has been bound around. A heavy and thick off white disc has been carved out of the vertebra of a porpoise. A hole has been drilled into the centre of the disc where the rod has been firmly wedged. A carved and tapered off white porpoise tooth has been lashed with te noko at the end of the rod. The ngea components are smooth in texture, the disc is matte with some porous areas and the tooth has a slightly polished surface area. Together these make up Te uubai; ubai or Te baba. When in use, it will be balanced on an area where the hole would be desired. The noko will be twisted around the rod with the handle being pulled up and down creating a spinning top motion. The weight of the disc contributes in the penetration of the sharp tooth end which then begins creating a hole.