Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Crogacht on April 19, 2014, 12:55:59 am
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We had a storm and a 15 foot branch came down from a beautiful old 100 year old walnut tree... it's got a bit of character that's for sure, but I wasn't about to let it go to waste. Even got the smaller bits for carving/handles/overlays/footings... you get the picture ;)
The staves are very large still, but with all the knots and bends I don't think I can safely split them any further, but I'm happy.
Any advice... warnings? :P
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Well, yeah, I guess that qualifies as character!
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I'm pretty sure thats not walnut. Knock yourself out!
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Well it drops walnuts :P It's an English Walnut though, not a black walnut, which seems to be the more common type.
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Well if you say it drops walnuts then that is hard to argue with but it does look more like hickory. Either way its gonna be tough to get a bow outta those staves. Looks more like firewood to me >:D, but if you're feeling froggy go for it.
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Looks like a challenge for sure - good luck with them!
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I just realised I didn't actually know what Hickory looked like... we don't really have it around here.
I looked it up and it actually looks pretty similar to english walnut. Maybe it is hickory?... I was going off the leaves and the green nut casings, which look similar in both hickory and walnut. I can't recall if I've seen the actual walnuts themselves on the ground.
I'll have to go and check next time I go past... Hickory would be good though! And it was actually quite difficult to split, so maybe you guys are right :P
I haven't completed a bow yet so I collect all sorts of horrific staves in the hope that one day I'll be able to use them :D
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Apparently English walnut will dry to a darker color, i would let them season and see if the color changes. If it is a statistically unlikely hickory, the wood won't darken much as it dries.
Whatever wood it is the nice thing is that most fruit and nut trees will make a bow.
Pecans have been in NZ for something like 100 years, it's so close to a hickory that if a hickory tree and a pecan are next to each other they can produce something called a hican.
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Well, I went back and dove into the shrubbery and found one of the nuts from the tree. I picked it up and thought AHAH it WAS walnut. But I have since looked up 'hickory nut' on the internet, and they look VERY similar. I have attached a picture of said nut... or the case anyway... do I need to crack this thing open to know the truth??? Or do we need photos of the tree.
Like I said, Hickory is unheard of around here, hence me not knowing what one looks like.
EDIT: I cracked it open with the hatchet... nut was rotten but looks like a walnut.
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Could be I guess but don't looking like any Walnut I have around,looks from the nut to be some kind of Hickory,maybe English walnut,not sure about that. ;) Any way you are right about one thing,it has character. :) Should make a bow with a lot of thender loving care. :)
Pappy
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Good luck with that ;) ...some might say the only type of wood that is, is firewood :laugh:
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Man... the more I look at walnuts and hickories, the more similar they look. I think I need to go back and collect more evidence... I'll get a decent picture of the tree too.
Haha, yes, most likely firewood, but I'll shave a bit off once it's dry and see if there's any bow wood hiding under the bark >:D