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Black cherry recommendations, And boom she goes
Stringman:
True enough, have fun!
mikekeswick:
--- Quote from: WillS on February 13, 2017, 12:55:17 pm ---Perhaps I'm stubborn, but I've always believed that if a species of wood can make a 50lb bow, it can make a 150lb bow if treated properly ;D
The majority a few years ago said hazel would never go above 50lb, and yet two bowyers took it to 160lb when they completely reversed the cross section. Same with holly, and a fair while ago with ash. You still get people today insisting ash needs heat treatment and a heavily trapped back to make a decent bow, which is fundamentally incorrect! It's about trying new things, and seeing what happens.
If nobody pushes the boat out and gets crazy, we'd all be sat reading the same out of date rubbish on forums doing nothing new ;)
--- End quote ---
If a good 50# bow can be made from a particular species of course a 100# bow can also be made, that is fairly obvious. It is simply a question of scale. Wood is wood and knows nothing of what fancy pants bow it is. The wood simply reacts to strain. If you keep that strain without the woods limits you are within its limits. Take it over and either you will get excessive set or an explosion.
Nothing new under the sun.....things can be rediscovered but you are mistaken if you think any of this stuff is 'new'. Are you saying that ash doesn't act better with heat treatment and trapped back? If so I would suggest you are wrong. ;)
WillS:
--- Quote from: mikekeswick on February 14, 2017, 04:05:04 am --- Are you saying that ash doesn't act better with heat treatment and trapped back?
--- End quote ---
Nope. I'm saying it's not necessary to make a good bow. Some people insist you HAVE to do it, to make an ash bow work. This is incorrect :D
There's been quite a few discussions amongst a particular American reenactment group recently about hickory making a good bow. Any good bowyer knows it's an excellent bow wood, but all these reenactors are buying super cheap hickory bows made by terrible bowyers who use a yew cross section, and complain when it takes excessive set and fails. A lot of them consider themselves "experts" and insist that hickory DOES NOT MAKE A GOOD BOW.
It's the same as saying a cherry bow will NOT make a warbow when it just needs the right approach, like all woods. Remember when Ryoon made a poplar warbow? Anyway, I believe we agree - you said it very succinctly with "It is simply a question of scale. Wood is wood and knows nothing of what fancy pants bow it is. The wood simply reacts to strain. If you keep that strain without the woods limits you are within its limits. Take it over and either you will get excessive set or an explosion." This means that black cherry will absolutely make a heavy bow, provided it's treated properly.
I look forward to seeing further attempts, because it's a really good bow wood, so with the right cross section (and tiller - this is important, surprisingly...) it should make a brilliant heavy bow :)
Stringman:
Why don't you do it Will? It would seem appropriate for its staunches defender to realize its greatest potential. No reason for us to continue to scoff if/when you pull it off. And then you can jump from the theorist camp to the builder. Let's stop all this meaningless gabbing about what it can do and show us what it did do.
"Really good bow wood" sounds like hogwash to me, but then I've been blessed to work with some of the best.
WillS:
I don't think I've ever seen a black cherry tree, let alone staves of it ;D
Quite why people on a bow making forum are so negative about somebody trying to make a bow I don't know, but it's pretty disappointing.
I guess everybody just wants to see an endless stream of yew bows and nothing else. 2 people still counts as "everyone" right? ::)
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