Anybody from the east coast of Canada or somewhere close had success with the hand drill? I tried a few times using a blackberry stem for the for the drill and a piece of dead eastern white cedar for the hearth but could only get smoke. I found that the center of the stem is too soft and ends up forming a pit that just doesn’t provide enough friction. I’m certain there is a better wood to use for the drill; I think I read about it somewhere. Not 100 percent sure of its availability in my region but I am sure there is another wood I could use for it in my area.
Here in SC we call it light wood comes from the heart of mature long leaf pines. years ago turpentine was made from the light wood. Bit of trivia.
@dustintml What is it your trying to do ? I have not a clue, My drills are Makita and old metal Black & Decker pro from the 70s S
Ok this is getting strange , "fire in bedroom " ?? Im glad no Pix posted ! EDIT ADD . I noticed it was posted under " Bushcraft" Went looking : Getting To Grips With Hand Drill Sloth / updated. Fire in BR to me = Hot Love Making and lots of cuddles ,, Sorry Gearhead here. You have a fireplace in BR ?
When I moved here I had to learn what "Fat Lightered" wood was. It is the dark brown heart, usually in the stump, of a pine tree. Turpentine and dynamite can be made from it. It is too soft to use with a bow drill but lights like kerosene when flame is applied. For our bow drills, something I have not done since I was a teenager, we used a Dogwood limb for the bow with stripped bark for the string, and an oak stick for the drill, usually oak for the flint wood as well, with dried leaves piled on top as we drilled. Once you got the hang of the right pressure and speed it wasn't terribly hard to get a flame. The downside was materials; Spring and early summer was the only time a bow was flexible enough to not break. Once the sap started running back down sticks became brittle and the bark used for the string would break easily. These days I just have Bic lighters laying everywhere.
Don't know --Long leaf pines the center of the tree becomes loaded with pine resin. Find it in old stumps or deed trees due to all the resin it does not rot. Great for starting fires. Have old re-sawn heart pine floors in the house wood came from old warehouse.
You're definitely on the right track getting smoke with a hand drill means you're close, and that’s already a solid achievement. You're also correct that blackberry stem is probably too soft for a reliable hand drill spindle. It can work in ideal conditions, but its pithy core tends to compress quickly, which leads to a lack of sustained friction and heat. In eastern Canada, especially around the Maritimes, you do have a few better options. For the spindle, goldenrod, mullein stalk, or even dogbane (if you can find it) are great alternatives. They’re straighter, denser, and still light enough to work well. Staghorn sumac is another good candidate if it's in your area. For the hearthboard, dead eastern white cedar is usually a good choice, so that part of your setup may not be the issue though it's worth checking that it’s dry and hasn’t become too brittle or crumbly. Also, make sure your notch is clean and deep enough, and that your powder is collecting well. Humidity and cold temps can make things more difficult out east, so try to work with the driest materials you can find, ideally dead-standing. If you're getting consistent smoke but no coal, try increasing downward pressure just slightly and keep your speed up you need both heat and a good powder buildup to ignite a coal. You're close. A change in spindle wood might be all it takes to tip you over the edge. Keep at it the hand drill is one of the hardest friction fire methods to master, especially in damp climates.
The drill and the hearth need to be a soft wood. I find being the same wood works best for me. My favorite is Poplar. Secondly, in place of the V notch I put a hole at the point/depth I anticipate the coal to start. in this way the drill has less tendency to pop out under pressure and sometimes the drill actually develops the coal in it. Keep in mind that this wood is not for fire but for coals.
