I’ve seen examples of doing it both ways, I’ve been getting the ember first then adding tinder.
I DONE IT!
Longer spindle works better (10-12 inches), make sure spindle hole in foot board has slots for air, and be careful with coal- is fragile, don’t knock to pieces. Used unraveled jute for tinder. Didn’t even have to blow, just waving bundle around gently got it to burst into flame. Forty-five years late, but I just got my fire starting merit badge.
I can see that almost any other fire starting method would be more practical 99.9% of the time, but I’m glad I can do it. Next step: practice occasionally until I know I can (usually) do it. Then get it to work with natural tinder (dry grass, leaves, etc.) Who knows, maybe someday I’ll even get a hand drill to work. 
Congrats.
I decided to try putting the tinder under the hole, and imho it does work better that way. Two for two now.
More lessons learned: if your spindle squeaks a lot and doesn’t feel like it’s “catching” the hole, it probably isn’t round enough in cross-section. Getting it even pays dividends.
The hand drill method might be more efficient but does require the user to develop the upper body strength needed. I have seen experts start the fire on one pass more often 2 or 3 but still well under a minute.
A side note: don’t use too thick a spindle- 1/2 inch at the most. And find some way to lubricate the head piece, will put the effort where it’ll do some good.
I may have found one even less practical: the fire roll, which seems to be the latest gimmick on YouTube survival videos. While I concede that it is a way to get an ember, the need for a flat level rolling surface would seem to be a deal breaker in any real-life situation (OK, so the guy in that one video actually made one in the woods; if I was that handy I would be starting a fire another way). Does anyone have any experience/opinions on the worthwhileness of this method?
I did it once at a primitive skills weekend workshop. I was the only one from my group of 5 to succeed. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fun and I wouldn’t bet on my being able to do it in a real survival situation. My EDC carry bag includes both a lighter and one of those ferro flints.
If I were putting together a survival bag, I’d include one of those page-sized Fresnel lenses. It’s not too hard to get something started with one of those, given even a little sun.
Plus matches, of course, because why not?
Admittedly, it has been many years, but fire by friction and fire by flint and steel were required in my Boy Scout Troop to advance from Tenderfoot to Second Class. Upon checking, starting a camp fire is still in the requirements, but the method is not specified.
Not what I was in, which was likely before you. But yes, we did have a class in both methods. For a merit badge maybe?
When I was in, being able to start a fire was definitely a requirement, and it might have been a requirement that you be able to use a method other than matches or a lighter, but it never got any more specific than that. No matches or lighter was certainly an expectation, even if it was never laid out on paper.
But I wouldn’t be surprised if one of your leaders had gotten it into his head that there was One True Method to start a fire, and insisted that everyone learn that method.
It is a possibility that it was just the way the Troop 62 interpreted that requirement. We had lots of string burning competitions.
It is amusing to see string burning as the tie breaker on Survivor. Our troop had a neckerchief and slide that changed hands as the fire starting prize. It was up for grabs at every monthly camping trip.
In my troop, the standard was to boil a cup of water. Which requires skill in fire-building, not just fire-starting.
It amuses me to reflect that I now consider flint and steel (actual flint, steel and charcloth, not ferro rod) to be the quick, easy and reliable way to start a fire compared to a fire bow. Still, I’ve improved on the bow, from “if I’m really lucky” to “maybe half the time”. Damn but friction methods require a lot of upper body stamina, which I’m still working on.
P.S. any comments on the fire roll?
P.P.S. I think in a real survival situation, being able to start a friction fire is a must-know; so you can make char cloth and never have to use friction methods ever again.
You might want to try making a fire pump drill next, from what I gather that’s more about using weight on the board, and the twist in the cordage, rather than muscle strength. Note that a lot of the videos I’ve seen are people using both hands on the board, and the drill tends to want to jump out of the notch, but the ones I’ve seen people use for actual drilling IRL at re-enactments usually have a lubricated top steady piece like a bow drill, and the board is pumped with one hand.
Doesn’t that require that you already have some fire ashes? I mean, I can see having that ready in your kit, but if you’re into starting from scratch, might be “cheating”
Yeah, we kept having to deal with those things at various inter-troop competitions, summer camp merit badge classes and stuff like that. I think out of five or six times of dealing with fire bows, we got one fire started.
There’s also “feather sticks” aka. fuzz sticks. These are supposedly so simple and easy to make that it’s like peeling a carrot. Not in my experience however. Shavings yes; a single piece stick covered with curlicues? Nuh-uh.
BTW: the right headpiece for the spindle is crucial. I tried a new one today and got nowhere because the headpiece was generating more friction than the footboard. Threw it away, used a shot glass as a headpiece and finally got an ember. Maybe next time I won’t wear myself out trying six times before finally getting a usable coal.
I don’t know-- I never had trouble making a fuzz stick. But that still only helps you once you have that first ember, and that’s the hard part.