poplar as bow wood

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Gotcha. 1" of set a 5" of bend sounds like a broken bow to me. 

Same. But it doesn't go up at all. Thats what puzzles me. It takes most of the set early on, but then it doesn't increase....

[Ifrit617]

Gotcha. 1" of set a 5" of bend sounds like a broken bow to me. 

Same. But it doesn't go up at all. Thats what puzzles me. It takes most of the set early on, but then it doesn't increase....

I've never heard of anything like that. Have you pulled the same bow to 27"?? The set should increase. Pics would help to tell whats wrong.

Jon

[blackhawk]

The op asked if it could make a " decent bow"....by my definition and opinion...no it won't...you will have to make it long and so wide for it to actually be a long lasting durable SHOOTABLE bow that I would not want to carry something like that into the woods...and I'd never fully trust it and have 200% confidence in it

[adb]

The op asked if it could make a " decent bow"....by my definition and opinion...no it won't...you will have to make it long and so wide for it to actually be a long lasting durable SHOOTABLE bow that I would not want to carry something like that into the woods...and I'd never fully trust it and have 200% confidence in it

+1

[TatankaOhitika]

Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years

[PEARL DRUMS]

Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years

I liable to come unscrewed if I read another post about soaking bows in water or oil to make them stronger. Its silly and does nothing to teach new people.  Rawhide adds ZERO tension to the back, you cant overpower a fart with rawhide.

[blackhawk]

Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years

OK...let's see it...show me....but only after you've spent thousands of arrows thru it,hunted with it multiple times being strung for hours on end,thrown from trees,used as a crutch to get ya out of the woods with a hurt ankle,banged on rocks galore, etc....and let's still see if its a "decent bow"   ...

[blackhawk]

If I lived where the op lived and only made a couple bows in an area with osage,hickory,elm,hophornbeam,oaks,dogwood,ash...etc...poplar would be the last on my list to use...always use the best available wood to you when first starting out and learning how to make bows...<--------thats a big period

[adb]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

[blackhawk]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

Because someone like me walks Into the conversation to stir the pot and says you can't do that..lmao.. ....right Ryan  

[JeremiahVires]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.

[blackhawk]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.

Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time

[JeremiahVires]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.

Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time

Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!

[blackhawk]

Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?

Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.

Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time

Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!

That's right Jeremiah ...switch sides and come to the dark side...the right side...and get on your knees and bow down to the king osage and swear your loyalty and allegiance to him as your lord lol... 

[paulsemp]

the only time I would make a bow out of poplar , is if I was stranded in a forest of nothing but poplar  and was starving .  even then I would not be happy about it !!!