Hey Manny--thanks a lot. You've seen some pretty nice bows (and made a few yourself!) I was thinking a while back, I wonder if anyone will ever tie with themselves again like you did? That was the first thing I read when I first signed on here. Again, thanks.
Jbell, I appreciate it Jbell. I've been away for a couple months. It has been a warm welcome from all my friends here at PA.
wvflintknapper, I should. I have permission to cut on a number of acres of private land but the Crabapple doesn't seem to like tree farms as much as it likes the beach and the swamplands around town. I guess I could check with the Department of Transportation to see if I could get a permit for along the highway. I did notice that the last storm blew some down in a few fields near town and I was thinking about trying to get some billets out of them if I could find the owners. I'll post if I do.
Gordon, I would love to see a picture of your billets. One thing I've noticed about Crabapple is that it's tough to debark. I've cut it in spring and fall and it was a major chore to get the bark worked off all the bumps and out of all the valleys these staves tend to have. Perhaps powerwashing would be the best trick? Also, I should try to cut some in midsummer. Sap may be higher then.
Juniper, I don't doubt that it would have the life expectancy of a shrew. This wood is really tough and I worked the outline to the best advantage I could see. Like I said in an earlier post though, I'm not pretending that it's something that it's not. A bow with that much character may shoot well but the life expectancy is just going to suffer. If I didn't have faith in the stave, I certainly wouldn't have tillered it to 70# @ 28", but then I wont be taking it elk hunting either. In other words, it is what it is. Thanks again.
J. D. Duff
