Okay /out/ i just got my very first ember with a bowdrill ever and i am super happy. took a lot of tries and alot of fiddling with different boards/spindles and sockets but i finaly got it to work. i used:

beech wood for the board
spindle was the innermost core from a pine tree that got kicked over by a storm
and my socket is a dried avocado seed

what have you tried? what do you use? all tips and questions are appreciated. not just with bowdrill but all primitive fireligting