Slinging.org Forum - Researching wood for self bow

Fritz_the_Cat Senior Member Offline Eat Danish cheese Posts: 431 Detroit Michigan USA Gender:	Researching wood for self bow Jan 1^st, 2006 at 10:43am I've never made a self bow except for a "twig bow" that didn't work very well years back . I plan on harvesting my own wood up in northern Michigan near Alpena (45 degree Latitude) . Anyone know a good site to indentify wood by its bark ? I might be able to get some white Ash . I have tons of red Oak . Has anyone ever used Beech?
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Hellfire

Ex Member

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #1 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 5:27pm

Wood that will work for a bow:

red cedar, mulberry, red oak, white oak, black oak, black ash, white ash, ironwood, hackberry, elm, beech, osage, yew, cascara, vine maple, hard maple, bl maple, black locust, honey locust, juniper, hickory, chokecherry, black cherry, pin cherry, plum... many others.

Basically, if the wood is above 39 lbs. to the cubic foot, or .5 specific gravity, then it will work for a bow.

Need any more details on making a bow just ask. such as..

how wide?
how long?
poundage?
tillering?
stiff handle/bendy handle?
sinewed?
recurved?
setback?
ect, ect..

websites for bows:

b16.ezboard.com/bpaleoplanet69529

www.stickbow.com- g2 leatherwall

Suggest you go to paleoplanet, and read up the archives, particularly the Archery resource center, it has very good articles for beginning bowyers.

If you need a pic of a very basic bow I just made, just ask, its made of a red oak 1by2by6'.

Hope this helps.

edit:

correct tiller, or bend, for a bow.

diagram for sudbury bow:

pic of red oak tree

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Hellfire

Ex Member

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #2 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 5:33pm

also, if you have an account at Amazon dot com, then look up

traditional bowyers bibles, vol I, II, and III.

I suggest you get them all, if you are serious into making bows.

If you have a bookstore nearby, maybe they could order it for you, then it would probably be cheaper then amazon.

also- a good website for begginners

www.primitiveways.com

look up the topic "Sapling Bow". Ought to help a lot.

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Fritz_the_Cat

Senior Member

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Eat Danish cheese

Posts: 431
Detroit Michigan USA
Gender: male

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #3 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 5:34pm

I'll look up the websites . Thanks . I'm a bit concerned about cutting a piece out of season . Most sources say to cut during the winter and I won't be able to visit my land until spring . My 4 wheel drive Jeep is kaput .

If I can't find any White Ash on my property I'll settle for Red Oak . I've never heard anyone making a bow out of Beech . It seems to be a tuff wood and it is "springy"

I'm a bit in awe how bow makers split their wood so cleanly. I've seen some pictures and the staves look perfect . Did you write the post on a red Oak bow made out of a klin dried board ? Cheesy

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Hellfire

Ex Member

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #4 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 5:39pm

It is actually best to cut the wood in spring, because the bark is green and will peel directly off the log. They say that the wood is full of sap in the spring, but it doesnt matter, because even in the dead of winter, when the wood has no sap, it is the exact same moisture content as it is in the spring.

The sources that you refer to say to cut wood in the winter because the lumber companies seem to prefer winter cut wood, that it seems to "take to the kiln" a little easier. Meaning it wont check as badly when they kiln dry it.

Did you write the post on a red Oak bow made out of a klin dried board ? Cheesy

[/quote]

May have been someone else. I have a nice red oak board bow, I may post it. Its about 55lb at 28", about 1" of set. Its a nice bow.

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Douglas_The_Black Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Hakkaa päälle! Posts: 3491 Salineville Ohio Gender:	Re: Researching wood for self bow Reply #5 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 6:28pm Im always amazed at how you get such great staves too. my staves always end up so crappy looking
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drum_slinger Senior Member Offline Armed with a heart of steel. Posts: 267 Gender:	Re: Researching wood for self bow Reply #6 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 7:14pm Go to Tradgang.com, They are a completely primitive bow site, and if you put up a post for help, I just about garuntee you will get at least one piece of usful advice, but will probably get much more. There are a lot bowyers that post there that are very experianced, so listen to their advice.
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BrianS Descens Offline Does Tux love to Sling?!? Posts: 119 NY, USA Gender:	Re: Researching wood for self bow Reply #7 - Jan 1^st, 2006 at 11:02pm Nice bow. Interesting organization clutter mess!! Looks like my basement.
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Hellfire

Ex Member

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #8 - Jan 2^nd, 2006 at 9:34am

Quote:

Im always amazed at how you get such great staves too. my staves always end up so crappy looking

What kind of wood do you split into staves. Some wood splits much more cleanly than others. Ash will split cleanly enough to use the split side as the back of the bow. Osage and elm will not split very cleanly, often very stringy. I've come up with some good ways to split hard-to-split wood like elm. Such as hammering a wedge in the top, and cutting out the split while it splits.

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Fritz_the_Cat

Senior Member

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Eat Danish cheese

Posts: 431
Detroit Michigan USA
Gender: male

Re: Researching wood for self bow
Reply #9 - Jan 2^nd, 2006 at 11:24am

I'm going to try to find a sutible tree this weekend . I'd like to make two bows. One for actual use around 50 lbs. Is that enough for Blackbear ? The second one I like to try an 80 pounder . Years back I saw a 80 lb self bow and it was a beauty . I don't think I could hunt with it but for a wall hanger it would look cool .

As for length my hunting bow what would you guys (and gals) suggest ? I have plenty of sites to shoot from so lenght would not be a problem . I'm going to cut the staves just over 72" and I'll have plenty of time to figure out the dimensions.

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Lo there do I see my Father , Lo there do I see my Mother , and my Sisters and my Brothers, Lo there do I see a line of my people back to the beginning, Lo they do call to me they bid me to take my place among them in the halls of Vahalla where the brave may live forever

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Hellfire Ex Member	Re: Researching wood for self bow Reply #10 - Jan 2^nd, 2006 at 4:41pm Quote: As for length my hunting bow what would you guys (and gals) suggest ? I have plenty of sites to shoot from so lenght would not be a problem . I'm going to cut the staves just over 72" and I'll have plenty of time to figure out the dimensions. Need any help with dimensions just ask.
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Hellfire Ex Member	Re: Researching wood for self bow Reply #11 - Jan 8^th, 2006 at 1:54pm Ok, here is some good bow wood. In this pic, there are some elm staves and two plum staves to the far right. The longer elm staves will make 5/8ths 50lb longbows, the shorter ones flatbows, and a really short stave (because of a knot), a sinewed bow.
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