I think the main issue was that, doing this in an urban setting, we didn’t have access to natural wood; the wood we brought was sanded, probably pressure-treated, and (while the packaging didn’t say anything about that) possibly also treated with chemicals to make it hard to burn. It was also humid (it had just rained) and windy.
“Your biggest chore will be finding the right materials in your part of the world. If possible, find out what the local ancients used; they know best since their survival depended on these materials...The char you produce will be your best clue as to whether or not the materials you have chosen will work. If your hand drill is producing large amounts of very finely textured char quickly, then you have the right materials...Downward pressure is equally as important as spinning speed...Once you have your smoldering ember, remain calm. The ember will burn for quite awhile, giving you plenty of time to carefully place it into the tinder nest and gently fan it into flames.”—”Tips for First Time Hand-drill Friction Fire Makers”, Paul Schweighardt
“A quicker test [of whether a piece of wood will work for fire-making] is to examine the char that is ground off as you twirl the spindle on the hearth board. The rule of thumb, literally, is to run the char between thumb and forefinger. If it is coarse and gritty then reject that particular piece of wood. If it is very fine, like face powder, then you have a good chance of twirling up a fire.”—”The Miracle of Fire by Friction”, Dick Baugh
There is also a list of species found in the San Francisco Bay area that are good for spindles, hearth boards, and tinder. I don’t know how much overlap there would be with your region, but I see cottonwood (Populus) and box elder (Acer negundo) listed as good for both hearth boards and spindles, and you might could get ahold of them.
I think the main issue was that, doing this in an urban setting, we didn’t have access to natural wood; the wood we brought was sanded, probably pressure-treated, and (while the packaging didn’t say anything about that) possibly also treated with chemicals to make it hard to burn. It was also humid (it had just rained) and windy.
All the below quotes on fire-making are from Primitive Technology, a Book of Earth Skills, a copy of which I have lying around.
“Your biggest chore will be finding the right materials in your part of the world. If possible, find out what the local ancients used; they know best since their survival depended on these materials...The char you produce will be your best clue as to whether or not the materials you have chosen will work. If your hand drill is producing large amounts of very finely textured char quickly, then you have the right materials...Downward pressure is equally as important as spinning speed...Once you have your smoldering ember, remain calm. The ember will burn for quite awhile, giving you plenty of time to carefully place it into the tinder nest and gently fan it into flames.”—”Tips for First Time Hand-drill Friction Fire Makers”, Paul Schweighardt
“A quicker test [of whether a piece of wood will work for fire-making] is to examine the char that is ground off as you twirl the spindle on the hearth board. The rule of thumb, literally, is to run the char between thumb and forefinger. If it is coarse and gritty then reject that particular piece of wood. If it is very fine, like face powder, then you have a good chance of twirling up a fire.”—”The Miracle of Fire by Friction”, Dick Baugh
There is also a list of species found in the San Francisco Bay area that are good for spindles, hearth boards, and tinder. I don’t know how much overlap there would be with your region, but I see cottonwood (Populus) and box elder (Acer negundo) listed as good for both hearth boards and spindles, and you might could get ahold of them.
Keep us posted!