« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Purpleheart selfbow  (Read 6639 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

mikekeswick

  • Guest
Purpleheart selfbow
« on: April 03, 2012, 04:20:53 pm »
I have recently made contact with probably the best wood suppliers in the UK. I was walking around their yard with my jaw on the floor at all the wood they had. Anyway I came round a corner and saw purpleheart trees in long lengths. I got to thinking that a purpleheart selfbow with a chased ring or two of sapwood would be super cool! I've made purpleheart bellied elb's before but found it prone to chrysaling a little.
So I was wondering if anybody out there had done this before? Any success?
Logged

Offline Del the cat

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,322
    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2012, 04:24:15 pm »
<cough> And where, pray tell, is this purveyor of fine timbers establishment to be found?
Del
(I promise I won't tell any of the 'others')
Logged
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Ian.

  • Member
  • Posts: 470
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2012, 04:41:47 pm »
I would love to see you try it, it would look pretty stunning if it works.
Logged
ALways happy to help anyone get into heavy weight archery: https://www.facebook.com/bostonwarbowsbows/

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2012, 07:42:42 pm »
I heard the same about purpleheart after I roughed out an elb and backed with a thin strip of maple....and there it has sat for 2 years.  I have another peice that I plan on making a square cross section bastardized ELB.  Maybe distributing the belly compression will help. 

Either way, it will look awful pretty!
Logged
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Gaur

  • Member
  • Posts: 460
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2012, 08:35:29 pm »
I was just thinking of trying that with some of our local woods like teak.  I experimented with them a bit with backing with bamboo and it crushed it but was thinking of trying to leave some sap wood and see what happens.  Also thought of trying it with sinew.

Guess you'll have to try it and let us know. 
Logged
"...He made me a polished arrow and hid me in His quiver." Is 49:2

Offline Prarie Bowyer

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,599
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2012, 05:00:06 am »
Quote from: JW_Halverson on April 03, 2012, 07:42:42 pm
I heard the same about purpleheart after I roughed out an elb and backed with a thin strip of maple....and there it has sat for 2 years.  I have another peice that I plan on making a square cross section bastardized ELB.  Maybe distributing the belly compression will help. 

Either way, it will look awful pretty!

those square cross section ELB's are nice bows to shoot I think. I've made three now. 

Boariar Bows on Youtube did an all purple heart long bow in one of his videos.
Logged

Offline Stefan

  • Member
  • Posts: 167
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2012, 05:57:45 am »
wouldn't it be near to impossible to chase a ring on purpleheart? The stuff I have is thin ringed and I haven't seen purperheart with colour change between sapwood and heartwood?

I would love to see a purpleheart selfbow, I find that purpleheart is not that expensive so you could give it a try...
Logged
Iron rusts from disuse, water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.

Leonardo

Offline markinengland

  • Member
  • Posts: 698
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2012, 06:05:22 am »
I think Steve Gardner tried purpleheart as a self bow some time back. Might be a thread on it if the record goes back that far.
I've heard that it tends to chrysal and has low tension strength, which might explain why we tend to see it as a central core. Might make a pretty stunning flatbow is made wide enough though.
Where is this stunning wood yard by the way?
Logged

mikekeswick

  • Guest
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2012, 06:46:43 am »
It's near Glasgow and I luckily spoke to one of the bosses there when I phoned up. He was interesterd in bows and was happy to walk round with me for about an hour answering all my questions. It was pretty cool to see all these huge tropical trees still in tree form. They specialise in marine construction woods. They had more greenheart than you can imagine! Found out it's the wood of choice for launching ships/oil rigs so that shows you the compression it can take. If any of you southerner's  ;) want anything getting i'm going to the Sottish 3D nationals this weekend and will be going to the yard on Monday. PM me if you want any wood getting.
Stefan - Purpleheart has white sapwood.
Logged

TurtleCreek

  • Guest
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 06:49:07 am »
  I think you should give it a shot
Logged

Offline bobnewboy

  • Member
  • Posts: 329
  • https://www.flickr.com/photos/bob_d14/
    • The Company of Sixty Field Archers
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012, 09:01:29 am »
Hmmm, do they do osage or yew?  Life could get very expensive!  PM sent from this southerner just in case......
Logged
"The Englishman takes great pride in his liberty. He values this gift more than all the joys of life, and would sacrifice everything to retain it. The populace would have you understand there is no country in the world where such perfect freedom can be enjoyed, as in England!" Frenchman, London 1719

Offline MWirwicki

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,234
  • The wood speaks to you; Listen with your eyes. GSD
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2012, 01:05:27 pm »
I've tried purpleheart with a hickory backing, to the same result.  Chrysaling on the belly. 
Logged
Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

Offline druid

  • Member
  • Posts: 475
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2012, 01:14:05 pm »
Mike, if you deicide to take it- I believe in you! Make it into bow!!!!
Logged

Offline Cameroo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,579
    • Cam's Stuff
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2012, 04:52:14 pm »
I'm pretty sure that someone once said that any wood will make a bow :)  You just have to design it right! It might have to be really wide, maybe with a trapped back, and it may not be a top performer, but it sure would look cool!
Logged

Offline tattoo dave

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
  • Rockford, MI
Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2012, 11:29:09 pm »
Yup, same experience here. I made a kids bow with it on the belly, and even at only 18#s it did the same thing >:( But it would be awesome if you could make it work!

Tattoo Dave
Logged
Rockford, MI
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »