help with bowdrill set

Some store bought cedar is treated with a fire retardent and will not create the ember you need. If possible switch to wood that you collect from the bush. Willow and cottonwood are good as are basswood and all the cedars. If the hearth board is store bought then that be your problem. Good luck and don't give up.

You need to keep going fast

Hey great work. I am sitting in a workshop with 250 teachers and school leaders in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Bruce Dixon just showed all of us part of your video. Thanks for sharing your skills and techniques, and being willing to ask for help too. Good luck to you.

No advice but was wondering if you finally made it work? :)

Try putting a a more pointed end on the bottom of the spindle to focus the friction and heat in a smaller more concentrated area. Also the bow string itself is probly slipping and not giving you all the proper stroke. Try tightening the bow a bit.

you are so wrog what you have to do is to put hhe string the right way wach other vids and then the spindle is way to long

Processed wood is chemically treated, so it has a higher burning point. Use natural, dead wood.

i think you would have more success with dry wood from the forest! the wood you have there may be treated and wil not work as good or not at all.

- you're set up just fine with left foot on the board, and how the bow is held.
- - wood must be bone dry
- put some earwax on the spindle top, but NONE on the bottom, where you need friction.
- Grab bow and string together, near the end, so that you can squeeze them together to keep it from slipping - - lets you press down harder.
- It takes a few short strokes to get spindle and  hole mated, then use long strokes.
6) I put the notched hole right over the tinder- -never had a problem.

only tip i have for you is to use natrual wood and what i mean by that is, try using dry sticks from the woods, i noticed when i used processed wood, which is wood like your drill and bow, it has been chemically treated and seems alot harder to get a nice coal. So basically using a dowl rod on a 2x4 would be alot harder. hope that helps some.