Yes, with the French press the coarser grains are better.
I had a heavy duty electrical grinder in the Philippines, which I used for years till it died.
I didn't want to buy another grinder because I knew I would be leaving, so I borrowed a manual one, that I needed to turn like yours.
Trying to finish grinding a big bag of grains was a great workout on my arms💪
This is a great story too, and I look forward to seeing more content from you, always :)