Lilac bow design ideas

[mikekeswick]

My friend has just cut a piece of lilac with the intention of making his first bow from it. It's straight enough and has a couple of inches of reflex but is only 53 inches long. I've just read the section on it in TTB4 and it looks like we might be onto a good thing 
We  just reduced it down to 2 inches wide and an inch thick, removed the bark and sealed the back and ends. It is beautiful stuff...the heartwood has pink, olive and purple/scarlet bands in it! It's like every ring is a different colour 
I was wondering have any of you ever made lilac bows and if so how is it best treated?

[PatM]

 Do a search on here and Paleoplanet.  Several threads on it. A guy from Finland has stated that it would be the only wood he would use if he could find it in decent quantities.
 It is incredible stuff. Made a few trial shorties out of it.
 I have a couple of billets that I cut last fall that are ready to join and work.
 I would glue tips onto your stave to stretch it out and make a full draw version.

[DuBois]

Yeah, I remember that guy kindof. he made a nice short bow if I recall. I have stick roughed out.

Interesting thing with it.

I removed bark on the area I was thinking of as the back and left it on the rest of branch and shellaced ends and back and left it for months. When I looked at it again it had checked right along the bark line and  still got a decent roughed out stave. It was trying to split itself into a bow 
I finished the rough out job and still keep eyeballing it.

I think it was Mrs. Roosevelt that had tons of it planted along highways to help beautify the nation and up here there is a stretch called the lilac corridor. I think I will try to get some of the larger ones I have been peepin at before too much sap starts rising.
Will be watching this one closely.

[mikekeswick]

Thanks for that fellas.
Just to make everyone jealous we can get lots of it from the place he works 
I've got to say it again....it's beautiful stuff.....can't wait till it's dry!