Fire using a bow drill

Question

I am currently trying to get a fire going using a bow drill, but only tried once and didn't get any result. I know what types of wood to use from websites, but they aren't very clear on some things. How thick should the wood be for each part? Should the spindle be round where it contacts the board? Any advice that could get me to start a fire would be nice.

Answer 1

http://primitiveways.com/

Scroll down to the section titled "Fire Making & Primitive Cooling". The pictures show a rounded end on the spindles. The articles vary from "how to" to "scientific analysis".

Good luck!