Bow drill

[1][2][3] The spindle can be held into a fixed frame, or by a hand-held block (the hand piece or thimble) with a hole into which the top of the shaft is inserted.

In a variation called the Egyptian bow drill, the cord is wound around the shaft multiple times, or is fixed to it by a knot or a hole.

[citation needed] The strap drill is a simpler version, where the bow is absent and the cord is kept taut by pulling the ends with both hands, while moving them left and right at the same time.

[6] For use as a fire drill, the shaft should have a blunt end, which is placed into a small cavity of a stationary piece of wood (the fireboard).

Turning the shaft with high speed and downward pressure generates heat, which eventually creates powdered charcoal and ignites it forming a small ember.