Any tips on getting free wood in (essintially) a wood desert?

[Bitterguy]

Hey guys its been a long time since I've last posted and boy is the itch coming back good haha.
I asked this question on the bowyer subreddit and thought that I might as well Post it here.
So here it its copy+pasted:

I'm looking to get back into bowyering. I made a pretty basic red oak longbow last year but now I'm out of a job (still in hs so not that big of a deal). I've been looking to build a molle and a bow for my girl for a while but with no money and essentially no wood to cut (even if there was I'd graduate and leave before it had time to fully cure) I'm out of luck. Now I'm not looking for a handout just advice of places/ ways to obtain at least decent bow wood for free.

As always, thanks in advance.

[Blaflair2]

Cut it. Find old fence posts of locust or osage. Old barn beams. Old a nothing really. Look for things made of wood that u can identify and try it. A lot of people on gradualist give away all sorts of stuff

[PEARL DRUMS]

$10 will make two bows.

[Josh B]

I'm not trying to be smart arse, but the best tip I can give you is look harder.   There is no place in the US that I have been that didn't have something to make a bow out of.  It may not be the best stuff,  but there will be something that'll make a bow.  Even JW has ash, elm and Russian olive nearby.   His area is as close to a bow wood desert as I have been.  If we knew what region you're in, we might be able to give you a better idea of what to look for.  Josh

[Badger]

  If you live in Pa then you have plenty of good bow wood nearby. You can rough a bow out from greenwood and let it dry while you work on it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

You can cut down a 2" sapling today and have a suitable bow in 2-3 weeks. The road sides are covered in 2" saplings.

[Bitterguy]

I'm not trying to be smart arse, but the best tip I can give you is look harder.   There is no place in the US that I have been that didn't have something to make a bow out of.  It may not be the best stuff,  but there will be something that'll make a bow.  Even JW has ash, elm and Russian olive nearby.   His area is as close to a bow wood desert as I have been.  If we knew what region you're in, we might be able to give you a better idea of what to look for.  Josh

I live in central PA. I said essentially due to the fact that I don't know anyone who owns land and all the place around me that have decent trees are protected so they won't let me cut down trees or right next to a school. Even if I did have a place to cut wood I graduate in 5 months and I'm essentially leaving right after and with no access to a kiln i don't see a way in drying it in time.

On a better note my shop teacher just got a bunch of eastern red cedar he is willing to part with. I just have to find a piece that will work. I just need to know whether I should use the red part or white part. I'm not entirely sure which is the heart and which is the sap

[Pat B]

The red is the heart. A combo of both is best with the sapwood for the back. You can build a bow with all sapwood also. If you use heartwood be sure to back it with cloth, brown grocery bag paper, rawhide or a wood backing.

[blackhawk]

Pennsylvania is the exact opposite of a bow wood desert!!!! And there is millions of acres of public land here between the plenty state game lands,state forest,preserves,and national forests....not to mention all the defacto wilderness....plus folks round these parts r purty darn nice,and most will let ya cut some if ya go out looking and asking....all ya gotta do is learn how to be assertive and go ask..I'm sure there's something you could find by simply walking from your house even if you do live in a city....did ya know we live in pa?..plenty of trees round here dude...and 5 months is plenty of time to have a bow made from a living tree/sapling/limb ...and I'd stay away from board erc with your experience level IMO....

[rps3]

I dont live far from you and offered staves before. The offer still stands.

[DarkSoul]

Stay away from ERC boards as a beginner.
Cut a small sapling today. Rough it out this weekend. Store in a very dry place over the week. Refine the design up to floor tillering next weekend and put to dry again. The third weekend, the wood WILL be dry enough to make a decent bow. Yes, it can take as little as two weeks of drying time.

[kleinpm]

I bet all of us could come up with reasons why we can't make a bow. Lack of wood, family etc. But we choose to not make excuses and just do it. Go out, find some wood, figure out who owns it, ask permission and repeat. I am pretty sure you have a long wait for some free wood to just get dumped in your lap.

Powerline cuts can be a good place. Roadsides, ditches, etc. I cut a chokecherry stave behind Costco in Montana, while my wife was inside getting groceries. I asked the manager and he said sure. Easy as that. 

If I waited months for my bow staves to dry I wouldn't make many bows. Rough it out, let it dry and in a few weeks you'll be shooting. Or, take the 15 dollars you will spend in gas to get some staves and buy a hickory board.

Patrick

[Bitterguy]

Thanks for all your help I though a sapling wouldn't work for a bow but I apprently stand corrected. And sorry about not taking up your offer rps. I asked my friend if he we be willing to give me a ride so he could start building too but he pulled one of those "sure sounds good" and then never follow through moves.

My girlfriend however just informed me that her neighbors have land behind their house. That would have been good to know before hand but whacha gonna do?

Thanks for all your help and clearing things up. Ill try my best to go get some wood and report back with my bounty for steps on how to take it from there!

Again many thanks!

[bow101]

Wood pallets sometimes have really good hardwood.  Maple, cherry etc..... Although they are short you can always do a splice.

[dwardo]

$10 will make two bows.

Yup a folding saw is easy to hide and very cheap. Add to that the cover of darkness and picking somewhere it wont be missed.

After that its essentially pruning and creating bio-diversity.