Jeff P51, really nice wood you got there!
Loope, that is going to be one cool bow when you're done with it!
Swampman, really looking forward to what you can do with your white birch.
Rich, too bad about the Penobscot, but you don't seem to let much stop you! Your snake bow will be cool.
ajooter, sorry about that crack in the stave. But you've been turning out the bows, too, I bet you have yet another planned? re. birch -- the black (sweet) birch is actually pretty heavy, but it's also very stiff, so you end up with fairly thin limbs, and similar mass to anything else. White birch is less dense, and less stiff, so it will yield a thicker limb, again at about the same mass -- at least according to the mass principle. I have a third variety -- yellow birch -- haven't tried it yet. It is dense and stiff, and also has interlocking grain, which black birch does not. Almost like elm in that respect. I will probably try some yellow birch after the spring when I plan to cut some. White, I won't be trying because most of mine has died out, and I want to let the survivors grow.
Drewster your stuff looks ten times better on the tree at any particular moment than mine does. Very neat work.
jandersson, thank you kindly!
Dakota, your elm sounds mighty fine with those tips added. re. the birch -- I'm liking black birch -- it grows straight and tall and limbless for 30 or more feet, so it's easy to get clear wood out of it. Most common hardwood I have growing here, so I'm glad i can use it. I'll be curious to see the difference in yellow birch.....
