Plum

[Marc St Louis]

The species I cut were not wild but I'm not sure which ones they were, there are a few.

[Badger]

I split the stave down the center right through the pith and am drying it in the hot sun. I am amazed at how fast it si drying, 1st day 24%, and 17%, 12% and 10% in successive days, I believe by friday I will be abloe to start tillering. Doesn't feel stiff enough for a real heavy bow but I think I may get 100# out of it.

[Marc St Louis]

Sounds like you have a softer species of Plum.  The plum I cut was very dense and a 50# bow came out very slim

[Badger]

Mark, this seems to be stiffening up nicely as it dries, I haven't really dried that much wood so don't have a good feel for it. It dropped from 24% real fast then I think I took some bad readings, it is loosing about 1 oz of moisture a day in the ht weather we are having, starting to slow down now and I am getting reading from 13% to 17%. I figure I will just let it dry till it stops loosing weight. I notice a big difference in how stiff it is. Mass is down to 28 oz now and bow is pretty well shaped. I was hoping to finish a 120# at 26 oz. Maybe by the end of next week she will be ready to tiller. Most of the plumb I have worked seems more elastic than osage or even yew so I will see how it goes. Little higher crown than I wanted but not too bad,

[Del the cat]

Great thread guys, just lettin' you know I'm lurking in the bushes .
Del

[Badger]

Well, Dell, maybe I will do a bit of a build along or at least tiller along on this one. I have always struggled with good tillers on Elbs, just never had the eye for it or something. This time I am going to use Erics tillering gizmo, and apply my own no set tillering tecnique with it. I have high hopes for plum in this design. The tiller I am going for is center 12" on slightly bending, last 12" near tips almost stiff and center limb circular.

[Ian.]

Funny you should say that Steve as I think flatbows are harder, I am in the process of gluing up a Hill style bow and I keep putting it off as I dare not commit  to the glue up, I guess its what your used to.

[Marc St Louis]

Steve
I have a stave of Plum that I cut about3 years ago now that is pretty nice.  It was a 4" tree that I cut in half.  The one side has some decent knots but the other side is pretty clean.  Too short for a warbow but one of these days I will make something out of it.

[Badger]

  Mark, I bet it would work well in those semi recure designs of yours.

[Badger]

  Well, the plum was dead too long before I got it cut, outer layers were too wormy and powdery to work with, JOB CLOSED!

[ErictheViking]

Dang! Badger I was really looking forward to this. I have a  purple plum stave I'm waiting to work on. was hoping to see you work on one.

[JW_Halverson]

Sorry the plum turned into a prune.   

I was looking forward to seeing the finished product.  Better luck on the next project.

[Ian.]

That is a shame, is there any more Plum near you at all that would yield a suitable size stave.

[Badger]

  I really was disappointed, first time I had come across a plum stave long and straight enough to make a decent heavy elb from. I will cotinue to keep my eyes open. The same place this came from has several more living trees that will soon be dead from some kind of bark beetle killing all the plum tres over their. They may do too much damage before the tree actually dies.