Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: simk on October 30, 2018, 03:43:31 am

Title: Storm Wood
Post by: simk on October 30, 2018, 03:43:31 am

Hi All

Last night we had a bad storm which fell a 100 years old apple tree.

I could probably get a few nice staves out of it...is it worth the effort? Does apple make nice bows or better firewood?

Thanx for support

Cheers

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: Pat B on October 30, 2018, 08:02:18 am

Most fruit woods make good bows but please be careful cutting. There can be unseen stresses in a blown down tree.

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: simk on October 30, 2018, 10:53:24 am

thanx Pat - I'll take care of course.
Anybody already built an apple-bow? what about compression ability? is apple a "long&wide" wood? any design suggestions? thanx a lot and cheers

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on October 30, 2018, 10:56:32 am

I've seen a handful on here and I'm sure its good bow wood. It holds up heavy apples in the fall. You can really never go wrong with long and wide, at least to start with. If its holding its shape well as you go along then you can narrow it a bit or shorten it a bit.

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: leonwood on October 30, 2018, 03:17:27 pm

Apple is really good bow wood! I remember a really beautiful flatbow from Simson that was pretty heavy and even had grain runoff and cracks.

Found it: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,59199.0.html

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: simk on October 31, 2018, 02:24:40 am

Thanx leonwood - that makes me confident to just skip the slightly boring long&wide stage  :BB

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: Limbit on October 31, 2018, 05:47:09 am

Excellent bowwood. That and crabapple. Incredibly jealous! Also, many people want it for turning, so you shouldn't let any of that tree go to waste. You can mill it and sell the blanks to wood turners for good money or cut the trunk into slabs. Beautiful and highly desirable wood at the moment. There is very little applewood available since people obviously are growing it for apples not lumber. A few limbs on that tree look like plausible staves and you could also billet some smaller clean pieces. Get the chainsaw, sledgehammer and wedges out and be sure to seal up the end good and well and store it in a place with relatively stable humidity or it'll check like crazy on you.

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: simk on October 31, 2018, 06:45:44 am

 :OK :OK :OK :BB

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: Hawkdancer on October 31, 2018, 10:15:36 am

Might even find a few arrows there!  What scraps there are will make excellent smoke for meat and hides!
Hawkdancer

Title: Re: Storm Wood
Post by: bjrogg on October 31, 2018, 10:30:42 am

I was going to mention Simions's apple bow but Leonwood beat me to it. It's a beautiful bow.
Bjrogg