Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Announcements => Topic started by: Nate on December 04, 2015, 09:09:49 pm

Title: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Nate on December 04, 2015, 09:09:49 pm

Hi there. I'm new to this site. Just registered and have been looking around a bit. Pretty inspiring! I haven't made a bow in ten years. ( got married,had kids etc) A friend from Michigan brought my two huge hop beam logs (12 to 13 inches in diameter) I split them in quarters and tested the specific gravity of a piece at.83 That's way heavier than anything I have access to locally. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this wood and might pass on any tricks , tips and advice. I think local names for it are Ironwood or muscle wood.  Thanks   Nate

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Pat B on December 04, 2015, 10:24:18 pm

Welcome to PA, Nate.
Hop Hornbeam is a very good bow wood. Treat it like you would hickory. Be sure the ends are sealed and store in a dry place off the ground.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Nate on December 04, 2015, 11:07:55 pm

Is there a difference between "Hornbeam" and "Hop hornbeam"? Not sure but I thought I might have heard some one mention them as separate species. I'm totally unfamiliar with these "exotic" (to me) woods.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Pat B on December 05, 2015, 09:24:03 am

Hornbeam and Hop Hornbeam are two different trees with different characteristics. Hornbeam has smooth bark with a muscly appearance and Hop Hornbeam has flaky bark and usually straight trunk. Hornbeam will make a bow but it is not as good as Hop Hornbeam.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Pappy on December 08, 2015, 04:29:03 am

Welcome Nate. :)
 Pappy

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: JW_Halverson on December 08, 2015, 07:51:39 pm

Hey!  Good to hear from the land of Louis Real!

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: mullet on December 09, 2015, 06:29:50 pm

Welcome, Nate. get in touch with Marc St Louis on this sight. I'd say he is the Master of Hop Hornbeam, and he's a fellow Canook.

Also, I'll be working in Flim Flom after the first of the year.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Nate on December 10, 2015, 03:12:51 pm

Hi Mullet. I'm on the #6 highway, so if your traveling up that way to Flin Flon. Feel free to stop in. The logs I received have a bark on them that is a little reminiscent of white ash. Does this mean they're hop hornbeam instead of the other hornbeam? The specific gravity on a sample was over .8  .

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: mullet on December 10, 2015, 04:55:52 pm

Sorry, I don't know that much about Horn beam, It doesn't grow down here in Florida.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Pat B on December 10, 2015, 10:03:41 pm

Hornbeam has smooth bark with a muscular look to the trunk(muscle wood). Hop Hornbeam has scaly bark.

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: bjrogg on March 26, 2016, 07:19:18 pm

I'm sure not expert but we have hop hornbeam it has thin flacky bark growth ring extremely tight I would think a 13" diameter log would be very old most around here avg. 6" or less but there was a large fire that came through here in 1881" contact Marc he was great help to me

Title: Re: Hello from Manitoba Canada
Post by: Zuma on March 30, 2016, 02:34:09 pm

Welcome Nate,
Did you see any of these critters jumping the fence
into Canada from the ND Turtle Mts. last week?
Moose, deer, coyote or Snow geese? LOL
Zuma