Main Discussion Area > Bows
AZ Ironwood Bow
Hamish:
More pic's of the billets please?
Jim Davis:
Take Tim Baker's approach. Cut a small sample from an area that is not going to be part of the bow, thin that piece enough to try some bending experiments. Nearly all woods will fail in compression just before they fail in tension, provided the tension grain is uncut.
Looked at another way, most of a stave is totally wasted in the making of a bow. Where that wood is so beautiful, it's a shame to turn most of it into useless chunks and shavings in order to make a bow that will not perform better than one of Osage or yew.
TRiggs:
Desert ironwood will split and crack most likely blow up in you face, it makes pretty knife scales that will split if you drop it unless it is stabilized.
Hamish:
It might be a brittle wood, but the poster is going to back it, so tension won't be an issue. Compression resistance is another matter. It is a risk as some really dense woods don't take compression as well as their density would suggest in theory. eg purpleheart.
I've never really understood the need to stabilize a heavy wood like this, unless it has checked in drying or is knotty. It will sink in water rather than float. This means there is negligible space in the pores, not much empty space for the resin to replace. A medium or light wood will benefit much more in terms of strength by stabilization because all the empty space will be filled.
You sound like you are speaking from actual experience regarding IW, when dropping it. Do you know what method of tang construction was used?
Some woods defintely are brittle when it comes to shock. Nothing beats hickory for an axe, or sledge handle. Several other woods like ash and beech, oak are good too. The thing they all have in common, is that the wood compresses from a missed strike, rather than immediately starting to splinter.
richgibula:
I have only a beam, no billets.
Thanks for your info.
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