For anyone who is beginning to get success with hand drill then - fantastic!! If you want to try extending yourself by trying other woods here is a list of materials that seem possible to get a coal out of.
Mostly I use commercial pine hearth boards. Ivy, plane, hoarse chestnut, willow are a few alternatives, but most woods will work as a hearth. However, the harder the wood of the hearth the smaller the drill diameter needs to be. Hazel seems to kill the ember unless you separate the smoking dust from the board immediately you stop drilling. Sycamore can produce a hard glaze.
For drills (easier ones at the top)
Elder
Mullein
Buddliea
Philadelphus (mock orange)
Teasel
Black current
Climbing rose (not wild rose)
Poplar
Holly Hock
Sycamore
Ash
Forsythia
Phormium (New Zealand Flax) flower stem
Burdock
Reed Mace (Typha - sorry, I said tilia before)
Bramble (and some other Rubus species)
Each one has it's own quirks and you may need to adapt your technique.
Mostly I use commercial pine hearth boards. Ivy, plane, hoarse chestnut, willow are a few alternatives, but most woods will work as a hearth. However, the harder the wood of the hearth the smaller the drill diameter needs to be. Hazel seems to kill the ember unless you separate the smoking dust from the board immediately you stop drilling. Sycamore can produce a hard glaze.
For drills (easier ones at the top)
Elder
Mullein
Buddliea
Philadelphus (mock orange)
Teasel
Black current
Climbing rose (not wild rose)
Poplar
Holly Hock
Sycamore
Ash
Forsythia
Phormium (New Zealand Flax) flower stem
Burdock
Reed Mace (Typha - sorry, I said tilia before)
Bramble (and some other Rubus species)
Each one has it's own quirks and you may need to adapt your technique.