Hand drill with Cat Tail and Willow Hearth board

[Drewboy64]

Hello, I'm new here so i apologize if I am posting this in the wrong place.

I've been trying to start a fire using the hand drill method, and read that you can use a dry cattail with a willow hearth board.

Whenever I try to do it, though, the wood starts squeaking as though it's smoothing/polishing rather than creating friction and dust. The wood I used was really soft like styrafoam, so the problem that it's rotten? I've tried on wood that is just dry and not as soft, though, and it seems to do the same thing.

I'm also using weeping willow wood, so maybe that's the problem. Does anyone have any idea how to prevent the wood from smoothing, or what might be going wrong?

Also appreciated are other wood combination suggestions. Thanks!

[MountanWolf]

Hey there!

Had same problem when i was starting to make fire using hand drill. Add some salt or fine sand in hole to maximize friction.

U can get more info here:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...038#post268038

Hope i helped
Take care!

[RangerXanatos]

I have noticed with the bowdrill that if I get lots of squeking, it get better results by scraping the end of the drill off to some 'fresh' wood. It seems to do a lots better for me.

[TresMon]

More power and speed will burn through the "glaze" which is what causes the squeaking. But I'd not try cat tail if your just starting out. It's quite easy to break and takes major finesse to be successful with. Get you a tougher drill to learn on....