Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Blaflair2 on May 20, 2014, 08:45:00 pm
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Has anyone ever just peeled the bark and used that as the back? Just thought the color contrast would be cool. Experiences? Knowledge?
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I have used the sapwood before as a back..But never just under the bark on an actual stave(usually to thick and weak)..Always chased it down to the trasition ring,or the "Creamcicle" ring..I did just use the sapwood directly under the bark for the back on a lower poundage "D" bow made from a large Osage sapling. Some guys on here have used the sapwwod for a back on Osage with no problems..In my expierence the sapwood on Osage is , for lack of a better term,soft and chalky...As long as the sapwood is sound and you use the right design,draw,and weight..etc. Ya might be ok..But why take the chance on a good piece of hedge...Just my 2 cents tho..
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here's one I have pics of
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,26379.msg354408.html#msg354408
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How did it shoot?
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I've only used sapwood when there was not enough heartwood as in saplings. No reason not to remove sapwood if you can. Jawge
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It just looks cool >:D
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If you are sure the sapwood is sound it will work fine on the back of the bow. I would take it down to 2 or 3 sapwood rings but not just under the bark unless the sapwood was thin.
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I'll probly take it off. Was just curious as to opinions about the subject. I recall seeing a osage bow with sapwood and skins that made almost a white border around them. It was aweet
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I've got a few osage bows roughed out with thin sapwood. I love the sapwood, it's good stuff:)
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The sapwood is fine if the stave was appropriately stored and cared for. The sapwood doesn't have the same rot resistance as the heartwood does. That's where most sapwood problems start. Josh
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,36278.msg477374.html#msg477374
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One of the attractions of using usage is watching the color change with sapwood. Jawge
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Sweet little bow!
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Thanks blaflair. Im pretty sure i just peeled the bark on that limb and used that for the back. My tiller wasnt great on that bow but Ive hunted with it for 2 years and it still shoots great and still holds the same 1.5" of reflex. If I have enough heartwood I usually chase a ring just because I like the color of it better. Maybe toomanyknots will chime in on this one, Hes made quite a few osage bows with sapwood.
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I was just wondering after cutting that osage tree. I had some nice pieces with sapwood on after I peeled the bark.
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Heartwood is stronger and denser than sapwood.
If you don't feel like chasing or if it looks pretty then fine. Leave the sapwood.
But...
There is a huge difference between leaving the sapwood on a sapling or a limb bow or leaving it on a mature tree. Usually there is not enough heartwood to make a bow so you must leave sapwood. Sapwood close to heartwood is stronger anyway so it will likely work.
In osage, black locust and mulberry most of the wood is heartwood on a large tree. Not so on a sapling or limb because the tree is immature.
What happens is the sapwood ring on top of the heartwood eventually gets converted to heartwood as the tree grows. Thus, that sapwood ring is the strongest of all and the one under the bark is the weakest.
You can baby and care for the stave but the sapwood on that babied stave will still be weaker than the heartwood.
I've made bows from osage saplings too but only because there was not enough heartwood for a bow.
Jawge
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What Jawges said, will sap wood work,yes,is the best choice if you have plenty of heart wood to chase a ring,my vote is no. :)
Pappy
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Maybe toomanyknots will chime in on this one, Hes made quite a few osage bows with sapwood.
Yeah, I'm pretty lazy, lol. ;D I think it works great. As long as the sapwood is around 1/4" or less in my opinion it will make a fabulous bow, it is very tension strong. I've made super stressed bows with it, I made some really short warbows, and this one bow was thicker than it was wide in some parts (don't know how that happened but it did). It does make seasoning harder though, you don't want the staves overly large, or they will check. You need to have the entire back and of course ends sealed very well, and kept in a cool place for the first 3 or so months of seasoning. All my staves are typically reflexed and sapwood or not they all keep some of that reflex. Here's an example of a 60 pounder:
(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb392/toomany7/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0061.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/toomany7/media/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0061.jpg.html)
(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb392/toomany7/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0055.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/toomany7/media/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0055.jpg.html)
(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb392/toomany7/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0085.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/toomany7/media/Osage%20Recurve%20Better%20Quality%20Pictures%20SHARPENED/DSCN0085.jpg.html)
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That's sweet man, I love the look of it.