Hi, as you can tell from the title, I'm a total newby here, trying to get to 'first base' with friction firelighting, by getting a smoking coal. I've been using a peice of hazel about 12mm diameter on a hearth cut from the same tree, about 20mm thick, (with a straight cut 45 degree slice taken out of it) first as a hand drill set (not fit enough!), then chopped shortand put in an electric drill, just to be able to say' I've at least made a coal, there is hope...'.
I get plenty of smoke, and dust, and occasionally some of the dust seems to coagulate into a 'lump', but this never seems to smoke at all on it's own, and I've never seen even a speck of orange glow. I've tried lots of speed, lots of pressure, both together, getting progressively faster and then piling on the pressure, but all I get is black dust and a rapidly consumed hearth.
The wood is super dry, it's spent 6 months under the woodburner in the kitchen.
I thought it would be easy, cheating like this, but it isnt working.
Is there anything about using an electric drill that's actually stopping this from working?
I get plenty of smoke, and dust, and occasionally some of the dust seems to coagulate into a 'lump', but this never seems to smoke at all on it's own, and I've never seen even a speck of orange glow. I've tried lots of speed, lots of pressure, both together, getting progressively faster and then piling on the pressure, but all I get is black dust and a rapidly consumed hearth.
The wood is super dry, it's spent 6 months under the woodburner in the kitchen.
I thought it would be easy, cheating like this, but it isnt working.
Is there anything about using an electric drill that's actually stopping this from working?