Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bassman on September 08, 2019, 07:14:07 pm
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My son's neighbor timbered some of these trees, and left the top half of the trees .I don't know when they were cut. I could harvest a bunch of nice staves from what is laying their, and have permission. The leaves are still green. Is it worth the effort, or are these trees toast for bow making? I have read that white wood doesn't take long to go bad with out proper care.
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White oak is my main bow wood and I rip some for bow backing as well love the stuff. Red oak is also good I never used elm but I am sure it’s worth it as well.
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all good woods for bows.
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I have used all 3 woods for bows also, but would their be cell break if it lays their for a time to the point were the wood is useless for making bows?
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Cell break down.
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Yep I read that wrong sorry. I’ve harvested red oak that has been down for a few days and made a bow out of it. I don’t know about the rest. I would harvest it and try anyways especially since the leaves are still green.
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I could have ask the question more clearly. My bad. I am going to cut up some today, and try to make some bows from it this winter.
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I'd probably try to ask when they were cut and how long they've been laying on the ground. I've cut logs for firewood in the winter. Cut them in five foot lengths and piled them. When I went to cut and split them the next fall they had new twig limbs and leave growing from them. Are the leaves on them from before or after they were cut?
Bjrogg
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Brogg, the green leaves are on them after the cut. I will try to find out when they were cut, today. I don't think it has been much more than a week or two. Some really nice sapling Elm.The white ,and red oak are the full tops of the trees just laying their un cut with all the green leaves still on them. If the wood is still good I can make quite a few bow staves from it. It is such a waste if I can't. It hasn't rained for the last couple of weeks if that means any thing. Wished I would have been their the day they were cut.I would have had them cut up , and stored properly as we speak.
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Some people leave trees after cuting on the ground until the leaves will be dry. The leaves suck muisture out of trunk and the staves will dry faster after that.
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Thanks for the info.I gathered some nice sized Elm saplings today.Tomorrow I will get some red ,and white Oak.
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Their just fine. Cut em up into staves/billets.
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Thanks Pearl. I am going to gather some nice Sassafrass ,also that was knocked over when they laid the big Oaks down, but still in good shape, and try to make a couple of ELB bows. 72 to 74 inches long. Read on here that wood works well for those bows, but never tried to make one.
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I think stuff cut later in the year with the leaves left on has an increased shelf life.
Quite a few people have mentioned the thought that downing a tree and letting the leaves shrivel pulls a bit of the moisture out.
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wait? drowning it? wouldnt that just put more water in it?
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With the leaves still green, that stuff should be just fine. I'd look close at any areas the bark got damaged just to make sure no powder post beetles started to enter it in those areas. but I have seen that problem more in the spring.
Mike
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Bassman, you mentioned sassafras as well. I think the consensus is its not good bow wood. I thought the same based off the wee bit of experience I had with it. Then I talked with a fella at Marshall that was carrying around a sinew backed static bow about 62-65" long and 70-80#. He has shot it for years. Its a beast and not what most think sassafras is capable off. Just something to consider, I know you like to veer away from the norm and play around.
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wait? drowning it? wouldnt that just put more water in it?
Only if you add an R.
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oh! haha (lol)
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Downing vs drowning. And the winner is downing . Simple reading mistake. We all make them, and nice to see you have a sense of humor DH21. Pearl , Tim baker claims sassafras backed with raw hide backing will make a bow in the 40's in poundage. Some were, but I can't remember were a guy showed one at full draw . It was a long bow made Elb style, and had some good things to say about the wood.I don't think it was backed, and I think it was a higher poundage bow, so I just thought I would take a shot at one in the 45 lb. range at 72 to 74 inches long since the wood is at my finger tips.
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White Oak - could you address the specific problems AOB users have mentioned in this post and assure potential new users that similar problems will not happen with them? Could you also offer the AOB users a solution?
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I don't know what AOB is but I made a sassafras longbow years ago. I made it wide as per the TBB recommendations.
That's when I went through a phase of trying almost every conceivable bow wood and then some.
I believe sassafras is mentioned in the Witchery of Archery as a bowwood they used.
It smells like root beer.
Jawge
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Does anyone have any examples of native American style red oak bows?
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Makes me want to go and gather some roots and brew some root beer! Need a way to get rhe alcohol out of it though. :P maybe ill gather some wild rye and make bread too.
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Write red oak paddle bow on utube.. JR sales them.Their are also good examples of Eastern woodland bows for sale made from Red Oak.