Author Topic: Wood for self warbow?  (Read 10087 times)

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Offline Bearded bowyer

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2013, 04:44:19 pm »
Any one up for a competition to see who can make a warbow out of the craziest wood?
Are there any pics of the lilac bow Wills? I'd love to see just how mad they are!
 :)

Offline Bearded bowyer

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2013, 04:45:04 pm »
apple?

Offline WillS

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2013, 05:00:56 pm »
No, I can't find any!  :(

There were a few posts over on PaleoPlanet by prolific warbowyers claiming Lilac made excellent bows, might be worth starting a thread on there asking for pics?

I want Bowslayer to make a warbow out of pine....  ::)

Offline Bearded bowyer

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #18 on: November 26, 2013, 05:13:28 pm »
PINE  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Offline AH

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #19 on: November 26, 2013, 11:58:20 pm »
Hi

Yes, I forgot locust/robinia and also elder, boxwood, lemonwood and maple/sycamore.

Now it seem that they are getting to many and I will have to divide them for small/light warbows, warbows and heavy warbows and start this winter with the small/light ones.

Does anybody know more wood or has made experiences with an other wood in the list?

@WillS: Thanks for the links! The laburnum warbow looks crazy.  :)

@Livefortheoutdoors: Elm (wych-elm) is already listed. Or do you think of an other conspecies?


Kind regards
Andi

ooh, I need to read more carefully. Although there are more species of elm..I've used different type of elm but never wych elm, and every time I find it works real nice, although it's a pain to split.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2013, 12:26:29 am »
Speaking of elm, what about red elm? I have a piece of it that will make about 3 warbows if I wished, about 82" long.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline gianluca100

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #21 on: November 28, 2013, 03:55:41 am »
Elm was reported as been made into english warbows in former times. I think it was Roger Ascham.

I find Elm a tad better in compression than ash and at least as tension strong. So here also a flattish belly and a good rounded back rule.
If you heat treat it you can get away with a rounder belly. And, the longer the bow the more you can round the belly too...

Here is a good webside (you prolly know it): http://www.norwegianwarbows.com/makeyourownwarbow.htm

ciao,
gian-luca

Offline AndiE

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #22 on: November 28, 2013, 04:29:58 am »
Hi

Many long-/warbowyers say that yew is the best and elm the second best wood for english war-/longbows. The only two woods that can keep up with those are laburnum and especially boxwood.
Does anyone know a warbow or longbow made of boxwood?
Boxwood staves are very rare in this length and quality. I have 2 but they are unfortunately only 66 and 69".  :(

Kind regards
Andi

Offline WillS

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #23 on: November 28, 2013, 07:09:34 am »
Boxwood I'm not sure about, as I've not come across it in the UK (I think the term can refer to loads of different species) but Ironwood makes great warbows.  Jake Fenwick made a stunning ironwood warbow a while back.  Not sure how easy it is to get hold of though.

Offline adb

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2013, 10:19:25 am »
When you say ironwood, do you mean ipe?

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #25 on: November 28, 2013, 10:27:59 am »
When you say ironwood, do you mean ipe?

I think most of the time, ironwood refers to hophornbeam, most of the time around here it does anyway:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrya_virginiana
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline PatM

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #26 on: November 28, 2013, 10:35:28 am »
HHB makes a fantastic warbow.  I still remember testing that first one Marc made about 10 years ago. I was able to test it at its peak and it was something else.

Offline WillS

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #27 on: November 28, 2013, 11:09:04 am »
Def. Not ipe, possibly hhb.  He has a YouTube video detailing it.

Offline AndiE

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Re: Wood for self warbow?
« Reply #28 on: November 28, 2013, 01:26:40 pm »
Hi

Today I made 10 elder staves and they all look like they will be nice warbows someday.  ;)
They are all 76-86". With the 86" I think I will try a real heavy one.

Kind regards
Andi