Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: hunterman on September 29, 2007, 05:00:51 pm

Title: stave wood?
Post by: hunterman on September 29, 2007, 05:00:51 pm

yo

Just wonderin if poplar is a good bow wood. i got 2 staves of it from my cousin yesterday.

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: Hillbilly on September 29, 2007, 05:24:09 pm

No, not really. It's possible to make a poplar bow(usually really wide or long) but it's pretty marginal as bow wood and most of them break pretty quickly. Makes good arrows, though. Is this tulip poplar or one of the true poplars?

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: hunterman on September 29, 2007, 05:56:07 pm

its real poplar

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: Justin Snyder on September 29, 2007, 08:28:16 pm

It ranks right up there with cottonwood, willow and quaking aspen.  Makes great arrows like Hillbilly said though. Justin

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: Hillbilly on September 30, 2007, 10:01:14 am

I'll put it this way: I saw a group of really good, experienced, well-known bowyers have a contest awhile back to see who could build a poplar bow that would stay together and shoot efficiently as a challenge.

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: Hrothgar on September 30, 2007, 10:01:29 pm

Hillbilly, where's the moral of the story... or they still trying to make an acceptable poplar bow?  ;)

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: koan on September 30, 2007, 10:58:24 pm

Way to leave us hangin there Hillbilly.....Brian

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: Hillbilly on October 01, 2007, 08:41:09 am

I think a couple of them got some good bows made, maybe-don't remember perzackly. Just the point that if  bowyers who have made hundreds of bows see making a poplar bow as a challenge worthy of a contest, it's probably not the wood of choice for beginning bow makers.

Title: Re: stave wood?
Post by: hunterman on October 01, 2007, 10:45:56 pm

doesnt look too good then.  :( maybe ill use one of them for my hornbow... wont put the wood under too much pressure. ;D