Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: turtle on May 13, 2013, 11:16:58 am
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Im going to cut some bow wood soon and was wondering if you all think green ash is worth fooling with. I have one picked out thats around 12" diameter that i can get at least 3 if not 4 clean straight 6' logs from and can back my truck right up to it. I have seen a few bows posted on here made with it but just want to know what you all think about it. Thanks
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No experinece with it passed literature. I have read a few times over that white ash is about the only one good for bows. I think the basket weavers like green and black.
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Sounds like a big tree and a lot of work for a species that may not be much good for bows. That tree probably isn't going anywhere, maybe you could find a smaller specimen of that species to try out before you put all the work into processing the big one.
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I have had a mixed bag of results with Fraxinus pennsylvanicus, green ash.
If you are thinking that the bow is very light weight and the wood isn't very dense, chuck it before spending another moment with it, it will be a crippled slug. If the stave seems to have a lot of mass for what wood you have, maybe you will have better luck. I have found that the usual rule of thumb regarding heavier mass within the species makes better bows to be very true with green ash.
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Thanks for the replys. Think i will just pass on it. Too bad its not very good bow wood cus i have at least six more justas nice as the one i described. Emerald borers got most of my white ash.
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In my limited experience, the only ash you'll be wanting is white ash, and white ash is pretty decent at that. Today I finished a kids bow from some core wood I split off a stave that's drying, and I had to keep in mind that I wasn't aiming over thirty pounds.