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Sweetgum bows (Read 7010 times)

Klarh Junior Member Offline The Ultimate Newbie Posts: 90 Jackson, Tennessee Gender:	Sweetgum bows May 17^th, 2005 at 6:54pm Is sweetgum a suitable bow-making tree? My parents will soon be cutting several saplings down around our garden(for space to build a shed) and most of the trees there are sweetgum...I figure I could make several bows from the saplings, if it's an alright material for bowmaking... By the way, has anyone tried making arrows out of bamboo/river cane?
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henryblowery Descens Offline Posts: 130 Raleigh NC Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #1 - May 19^th, 2005 at 11:07am Sweetgum should work just fine for bow. It has a hire dinsidy then Red Oak witch is what I make all my bows out of. How wide are the saplings? depending on there diamiter you might half to decrown the stave to make an affetiont bow. Gray
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Klarh Junior Member Offline The Ultimate Newbie Posts: 90 Jackson, Tennessee Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #2 - May 19^th, 2005 at 5:05pm We've probably got 'em from about 3 inches radius downward-maybe bigger. They're supposed to be cutting down a lot more trees than I thought;mom wants a 12'*12' shed. Good thing that I can reuse some of those "evil trash trees" as my dad thinks of them...He's a crusader against infidel trees
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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #3 - May 29^th, 2005 at 9:08pm

Klarh, 3 inch radius? So that would be a 6 inch diamter right? Thats perfect for splittin in half. Two bows from each sapling. As henry said you need to decrown them, but there might be an easier way. Usually when you split
a log for bow wood you use the part that made the outside of the tree as the back, but if your going to decrown them anyways, you might try using the inside of the tree as the back and save yourself alot of time. Good luck.

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english

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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #4 - Jun 1^st, 2005 at 6:01am

You don't have to decrown them. What you could do is decrown one of the staves, if you end up with two or more, but leave the back on the others. 6 inch diameter is about 18-20 inch circumference; divide into two for your two staves, and you have two 9-10inch circumference staves. If you make the bow fairly narrow, decrowning might not be necessary, because the back will nearly be flat anyway, I would think. See how it turns out, and update us.

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me Senior Member Offline I sling therefore I am. Posts: 373 Rowlett, TX, USA Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #5 - Jun 1^st, 2005 at 3:43pm True english, I guess the real question is what is the general elasticity of the piece. If poor decrown it and make it wider, if good go with english's suggestion.
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Willeke Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Give me some string and I know what to do. Posts: 2072 Netherlands Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #6 - Jun 1^st, 2005 at 4:15pm I wonder what decrowning is, how do you do it? Willeke, PS, not all of us have English as our first language and not all of us do work with wood all the time.
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Lionheart

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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #7 - Jun 1^st, 2005 at 5:04pm

Bows from a stave, basically a stick of wood, should be made so that the back ofthe bow, the bit far from the shooter where all the tension is, should follow only one growth ring, which means from small trees, there is quite a large curve to it, which means a lot of the wood is not doing anyhting, and making the bow weaker by havign wood that isnt doign anyhting. This hump is called a crown, and decrowning it means cutting it away so the back is flat, but cuts through lots of growth rings.
A board used to make a bow is a decrowned stave.
I think decrowing can be done by using a rasp or anyhtign else that scrapes of wood
Rik

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english

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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #8 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 6:28am

... and the disadvantage of breaking through growth rings on the back of the bow is that the wood might splinter and break, because there is not one homogenous cellulose ring covering. It is a common cause of bows breaking in primitive archery with a decrowned stave.
A knife, drawknife or pocket knife, can be used to decrown a stave. Just scrape at 90 degrees to the grain, scraping slowly and clearing away the shavings. I'm not an efficieny freak (anymore) so most of my bows have slightly rounded backs - I don't feel the need to decrown, even on low-diameter stuff. The bows will work well with a slightly rounded back, and won't break as easily, so why risk it, and waste time?

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Lionheart

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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #9 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 7:34am

"homogenous cellulose ring covering" thatll help peple without english as a first language Wink

. If you do want to decrown a stave, or have no choice if you are using a board you can make thel imbs wider or put a backing of some sort on the bow
Rik

PS English, do you know any shops in Britian where i could get board to make a bow with, Im not sure where to look?

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Douglas_The_Black Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Hakkaa päälle! Posts: 3491 Salineville Ohio Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #10 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 11:54am haha i have my money on english saying he just made his.
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english Ex Member	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #11 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 12:34pm Sorry lionheart, I don't make bows from boards, never have. Somewhere like B&Q might have some boards, but.... I don't know. Sorry.
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Lionheart Descens Offline Sling when you're winning Posts: 229 Near Manchester, England Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #12 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 1:38pm O ok english, does anyone else form the UK know wher ei can get boarrds from?
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Re: Sweetgum bows
Reply #13 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 3:57pm

Lionheart sorry for my ignorance, but surely you have lumberyards around? Do you have any Home Depots or Lowes or other large home improvement stores?Sorry not trying to be rude, those are the only things I can think of. By the way Ive used decrowned staves quite a bit and never had a properly tillered one break. Even made unbacked static recurves from decrowned/board staves. Anyways good luck finding some wood.

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Lionheart Descens Offline Sling when you're winning Posts: 229 Near Manchester, England Gender:	Re: Sweetgum bows Reply #14 - Jun 2^nd, 2005 at 5:20pm Thgere probably are lumber yards around, but i have no idea where and its easier to go to a shop. I have heard of Lowes and HomeDepot but there arent any here, i was wondering if anyone else form britain had made board bows, and where they got them from. Rik
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