Author Topic: Walnut sapwood?  (Read 818 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Woody roberts

  • Member
  • Posts: 179
Walnut sapwood?
« on: September 14, 2020, 07:10:16 pm »
Saxton Pope had said a walnut heart with the sapwood on the back made a pretty decent bow. I cut a 6” walnut a couple weeks ago but it has virtually no heartwood. Just for giggles I roughed a blank out to let it dry faster. 6’ long, 2” wide and 1-1/2” thick. Set it up in the rafters of the shed.

Is this decent bow material? What about heat treat/ fire harden?

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,491
Re: Walnut sapwood?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2020, 08:54:49 pm »
The wood right under the  bark is the best for selfbows. It takes a pretty big black walnut tree to yield heartwood of workable size. Make it wide and long.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Del the cat

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,291
    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Walnut sapwood?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2020, 04:31:32 am »
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Mafort

  • Member
  • Posts: 417
Re: Walnut sapwood?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2020, 05:48:41 am »
I have a black walnut stave that’s got a large amount of heart wood and a decent amount of sapwood. I’m sure if I split it right I can get a stave of both heartwood and sapwood and heart wood only. Supposedly these bows look absolutely beautiful but I’ve never seen one made.