Information and Resources > Primitive Archery Clubs

New Zealand

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Crogacht:
If you debark a log/stave you have to seal that surface also, otherwise it will check all the way down it. I prefer to leave the bark on as it protects the wood from checking most of the time as long as the ends are sealed well, it will also dry slower, but it doesn't bother me. I definitely wouldn't debark lancewood, with those ridges all the way down it needs all the protection it can get or it will twist and crack pretty bad. Like I said, split it down the middle into halves or quarters, whatever is appropriate for the diameter of the log and seal the ends, but I would leave the bark on for sure.

It will be cool to see how the barberry goes, pretty much anything will make a bow, just depends if the width required makes it impractical or not. A quick search suggests Barberry is ring porous, if it has heartwood I would maybe chase a ring down to that or leave a few rings of sapwood, but if not may as well strip the bark and use that for the back.

Kanuka makes a very nice bow, I haven't tried it yet myself, but I plan to.  Very hard, strong wood, just need to design it right and distribute the stress evenly (as with any bow).

rockynz:
I did not get the chance to take pics last night. Weather here not great just now but will get to it sometime today. I don't see any sapwood on the Barberry and I'm not sure what ring porous means to me? I shaved down an off cut and its nice and easy to work (green) and grain is nice and straight. When I searched for its use as a timber all I found is that wood turners use it.

I want to make a long bow of some sort, maybe i should start a build along or something so I get lots of input? This is such a great place. Can't stop reading all the posts, so much talent here!

Crogacht:
Basically, ring porous woods are woods where the seasonal growth is very well defined, meaning the latewood is much better than the earlywood. Diffuse porous woods may not even have discernible rings, like many NZ natives.

Maybe just make a post that you're starting your first bow and post a few progress pics etc as you go along. You should get plenty of advice once you get into tillering.

rockynz:
Managed to get a break in the weather to get some pics!

Crogacht:
Nice, yeah I can't really see any heartwood/sapwood boundary. It could be that the sapwood is only a ring or two right under the bark, or the heartwood/sapwood are a very similar colour. Can see a few rings there, semi-ring porous I guess. I'd probably use the wood right under the bark for the back, like that as you said. Make sure to get it sealed on the ends if it isn't already.

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