Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: osagejack on February 18, 2013, 05:29:07 pm
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I have a few staves laying around, just wandering what everyone thinks about?
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I have yet to make a successful bow (no0b disclaimer), but I have been reading/working at this for 9mo or so and so far I only have mulberry to work with. Here's what I've learned about it:
NOTE - I only have red mulberry so what I've read pertains mainly to it specifically, though it might be the same for some of the other mulberry types.
1. Splitting sux a LOT when it's wet. If you can leave it somewhere (ends sealed, bark sprayed with pesticide) to dry for a year before splitting - morebetter. If you must split it now - pack a lunch and don't screw up your axe handles like I did.
2. It's a great wood for bows - very close to the mythical osage orange in most respects, but not quite as hearty so be a little more conservative with your design than you might osage.
3. Like osage, it's mainly good for its heartwood, but it is possible to make a bow with the sapwood (I think I saw someone on here that had both sap and heart in their's)
4. No need to heat temper the belly.
5. Chasing a ring is your best bet - almost identical to osage.
That's about all I know right now. I also just finished making a couple of axe handles with it as well (yes, the same ones I boogered up splitting my first mulberry log). It's not quite Osage, but it seems close enough (from what I've read/seen) that you can follow mostly the same approach for making a bow.
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I've only cut one mulberry, it was about 10 inches in diameter. It was straight and split very easily green. We'll see next year how the bow turns out...
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I have made 3 bows out of mulberry and it has been good by me.
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Treat it the same as you do your Osage.
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make it at least 25 % wider for the same poundage bow or it will chrysal...just sayin...gut
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Mullberry a cousin to OSAGE. I've made 6 or 7 mullberry bows and made them the same as O'sage bows.
Mullberry makes a find bow.
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I'd add 10% all the way around for the same weight as an osage bow. Mulberry makes a very good bow. After a few years it is difficult to tell the difference between osage and mulberry except for the physical weight. They both darken nicely to a chocolate brown color over time.
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Ditto with other's advice to make the bows a scootch wider. I've had great luck with the wood, too. Some have taken more set than I would want. Blame it on my tillering technique and the design I chose rather than just put it on the wood.
I have a piece I want to make a modified ELB from, complete with sapwood back and heartwood belly because the difference in the colors is just as pretty as it is in osage and yew.
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I had good luck tempering the belly on mulberry.