Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: JoJoDapyro on October 07, 2014, 11:10:43 pm

Title: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 07, 2014, 11:10:43 pm: Has anyone used Mahogany for a bow? How about in a laminate?
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: Bloodhound on October 07, 2014, 11:55:39 pm: Tried a board of it once, terrible result, could have just been the peice I guess. Thing snappped super easy.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: Pat B on October 08, 2014, 12:12:31 am: I've used it for risers and overlays. I do have a primitive crossbow made fully of mahogany but there lots of different mahoganies.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 08, 2014, 12:16:20 am: I ask because I have available to me more than I could ever use. Boards that is.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: Pat B on October 08, 2014, 12:24:44 am: Probably not but unless you try you'll never know.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: jeffp51 on October 08, 2014, 12:37:18 am: makes nice furniture. . .maybe it would be better to use it for what it is good for. Seems like I read something about the mountain mahogany that grows around here being good for bows, but I could be wrong.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: mikekeswick on October 08, 2014, 03:30:06 am: It's ok for thin cores.
Chances are what you have available is sapelle.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 08, 2014, 09:03:48 am: It is almost white when sanded, but goes back to a dark orange brown when oiled or varnished. A cabinet shop in a nearby town leaves all their excess on the side of the road. Hundreds of board feet a week. Some 1x2's and some as thin as a 32nd. It kind of has a bad smell when being sanded, but the wood alone is kind of a spicy smell.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: wizardgoat on October 08, 2014, 11:55:30 am: Id for sure be grabbing some, but not using it for bows
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 09, 2014, 01:24:34 am: I have about 25 feet of 1x2, and 40 or so of thinner pieces. Some are about an eighth. I also got some White Oak, and some cedar.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: mullet on October 09, 2014, 11:52:06 am: I've made a bow from Eastern Mohogany,(china berry). It was a pretty slow shooting bow. Very dead feeling piece of wood.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 09, 2014, 12:47:50 pm: Mountain mahogany is one of the heaviest woods in the US. Go out and spend a day looking for a tree strait enough for a bow. Lots of it around. Reg mahogany is not even close
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: DarkSoul on October 09, 2014, 07:18:24 pm: I suggest we use the scientific name for any wood that has a vernacular name that carries 'mahogany' in it.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 09, 2014, 09:17:31 pm: well that counts me out. It is brown, and smells "Spicy"? Here is a photo of the pile last Saturday. Some of the pieces are over 12 feet long. Tyke put a long string on a 1 1/2 square piece of white oak and pulled it to 26 before it broke, I may have to try some.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: SeanStuart on October 09, 2014, 10:10:04 pm: wow, that would make some interesting glued-up boards for table tops, boxes, etc.
Title: Re: Mahogany
Post by: JoJoDapyro on October 09, 2014, 10:37:24 pm: I thought the same thing. With enough glue and clamps I am planning on making a work bench for my shop in the attic.