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Author Topic: Wood types  (Read 6429 times)

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first-timer

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Wood types
« on: May 22, 2009, 07:27:18 pm »
Sorry if this isn't the right thread to post this on, new to the site and I'm not too sure where evrything goes yet :P
Anyways, I was looking into making bows, but I was wondering where to get the wood for it. Up here in the North we have a small amout of oak, and alot of christmas trees (not quite sure what the proper name for them is.) So I was wondering if you guys here had any tips as to alternative woods. I'm not looking for anything real complicated, because I'm just starting out with this stuff, and it will be years before I'm as good as you guys at this stuff :P
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2009, 08:45:16 pm »
Oak is good. What kind of oak? Jawge
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first-timer

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2009, 11:02:16 pm »
Actualy, never mind what I just said about oak. Sorry, I'm an idiot as far as identifiying trees goes. I asked my friend earlier and apparently it's just trees that I thought look like oak. Got Junniper, Birch, Alders, Balsom. I think I'll have to bring my friend with me when I go looking for wood. Anyways, are any of those any good? I think junniper is, but even so those woods are all outnumbered by far by the christmast trees :P
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Offline Diligence

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2009, 12:11:27 am »
I'm far, far from being any sort of expert, but in Newfoundland you can use the birch and perhaps the tamarack (larch) too....and if you can find pin cherry or choke cherry or saskatoon berry - you are set.

D
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"Always do your best and to everyone be kind and good" - Ernst Hjalmer Selin (1906-2000)....my grandfather's words of advice he wanted me to tell my children.

first-timer

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2009, 12:31:32 am »
huh, I thouht tamarack and juniper where the same thing :P Although, when you say Newfoundland , you're probably reffering to the Island part of of the prvince? I think theres Birch up here, but I'm not sure about the rest. I'm a twenty-five minute drive away from the Quebec border, so not sure about those last three trees. But thanks for the tips, I'll check it out. I realy never have paid much attention to what kind of wood grows here, so you could verry well be right :P
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Offline Diligence

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2009, 06:40:49 pm »
Well - not sure about your local names for trees, but the Larch = tamarack = needles turn red and fall off in the winter time.  I looked at your profile and Google-earthed Labrador City.  You are right up in the bush and you will certainly find birch.  As for tamarack, I think it should be there too.

here's what Tamarack looks like:
http://www.borealforest.org/trees/tree5.htm

Here's what Birch looks like:
http://www.borealforest.org/trees/tree3.htm

Cheers,
D
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"Always do your best and to everyone be kind and good" - Ernst Hjalmer Selin (1906-2000)....my grandfather's words of advice he wanted me to tell my children.

first-timer

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2009, 09:10:59 pm »
Thanks for the help evryone, hopefully I can get started on my first soon :)
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Offline Dauntless

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2009, 11:52:51 pm »
Avoid the conifers and any poplars.  Birch is probably your best option.  I have a bow made from a paper birch sapling I cut in North-West Ontario that is still shooting great.  Not exactly the same part of the country, but essentially the same kind of forest.  I hope you have fun with your first one, go simple and go long.
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2009, 10:52:32 am »
One easy way to tell if a wood is good for bows is just harvest some branches, dry them out for a couple months and then try to break them.  The hardest ones to break will make good bows. (It may surprise you to find that juniper will bend quite a bit before it breaks, depending on what species you have up there).

Just make sure you label each piece of wood....they tend to look alike without the bark.....not that I have made that mistake before.... ::)
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first-timer

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2009, 11:40:17 am »
Haha, thanks for the tips. Anyways, I was reading the Traditional Bowyers Bible, was just wondering if that was a good book to learn from. I know I'm gonne off subject, but... oh well.
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Offline Badger

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2009, 12:07:18 pm »
   I like juniper a lot but have had a bad success rate with the ones I have not sinew backed. Everyone I have ever built broke after a week or so of shooting or less. Still love it. Steve
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Offline smokeu

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2009, 04:05:21 pm »
I went to the library and got a book of trees specific to my area>>>>> HUGE HELP!!! lol  i would  have been lost without it. I studied it for about a month plus you canlearn a lot of neat facts about trees in your area like uses and such.

Good luck

mike
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Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2009, 04:53:18 pm »
Do you have Sugar Maples up there?
Sugar Maple is Good bow wood.

David
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David Key / N.W. Alabama

first-timer

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2009, 05:55:32 pm »
Not wild. And most people don't like it when you cut down their trees :P Well, we might have a few in the woods, but never seen one yet. although, I haven't gonne too far into the mountains to check. And bears are getting out of hibernation at the moment, so it's not the best time to go hiking. I don't need a 500 pound black bear chassing me through the woods :P
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Offline sailordad

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Re: Wood types
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2009, 05:58:33 pm »
Quote from: first-timer on May 27, 2009, 05:55:32 pm
Not wild. And most people don't like it when you cut down their trees :P Well, we might have a few in the woods, but never seen one yet. although, I haven't gonne too far into the mountains to check. And bears are getting out of hibernation at the moment, so it's not the best time to go hiking. I don't need a 500 pound black bear chassing me through the woods :P

heck dont let the bears worry,if they are just coming out of hibernation i doubt if too many are still hitting that 500lb mark,lol        just kidding
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