Author Topic: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?  (Read 10745 times)

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Offline Tree_Ninja

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #30 on: April 12, 2015, 12:00:47 pm »
I haven't made many bows, oceanspray is ok, tough to work with, it doesn't act like "wood".
Haven't finished an osoberry bow yet but it seems just as hard as OS but much lighter.

    I really like douglas maple to work with (it dries fast without checking) and it's strong. I wonder how vine maple compares to douglas.

 I wish I could get some hophornbeam. When I was in school I learned about the amazing properties of HHB. 

Offline Pat B

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #31 on: April 12, 2015, 01:27:19 pm »
Hickory, elm and hop hornbeam are my favorite other woods.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline DavidV

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #32 on: April 12, 2015, 01:34:31 pm »
Hickory. No wait.... Maple? Actually elm, that's it! Ooooh plum is good too...

It doesn't matter as long as it's straight.
Springfield, MO

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #33 on: April 12, 2015, 05:45:41 pm »
  HICKORY  my favoret white wood by far. Pig nuts my favoret. But shag barks not bad either. I have a 64"  61# @26" HICKORY I used 7 seasons and killed 13 bucks with it. Before I retired it.
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Offline mullet

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #34 on: April 12, 2015, 07:28:40 pm »
ERC, vine maple, and HHB that Marc has.
Lakeland, Florida
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Offline bow101

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #35 on: April 12, 2015, 08:52:44 pm »
Maple, Ocean spray, Black Locust.  We seem to use whats available in our area.   ::)
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #36 on: April 12, 2015, 09:23:48 pm »
Cascara
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #37 on: April 12, 2015, 09:39:50 pm »
I haven't made many bows, oceanspray is ok, tough to work with, it doesn't act like "wood".
Haven't finished an osoberry bow yet but it seems just as hard as OS but much lighter.

    I really like douglas maple to work with (it dries fast without checking) and it's strong. I wonder how vine maple compares to douglas.

 I wish I could get some hophornbeam. When I was in school I learned about the amazing properties of HHB.

Douglas maple from my experience seems to be a less snappy then vine maple. There also seems to be more mass in a finished bow, but that's here......I would not hesitate to use it though. Vine maple varies from region to region as well as douglas I presume. :)
Debating is an intellectual exchange of differing views...with no winners.

Offline raylbird

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #38 on: April 12, 2015, 11:17:49 pm »
American Beech because I love working with the wood and have made my best shooting bows with it. Hickory because it is so consistent, always strong.

Limbit

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #39 on: April 13, 2015, 04:13:57 am »
Juniper, Incense Cedar, Plum. I think it is hard to beat a sinew-backed juniper bow or a sinew-backed incense cedar one.  Easily worked, but not the easiest to tiller out. They shoot like nothing else, look sexy and smell great.

Offline bowster

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #40 on: April 13, 2015, 06:57:06 am »
dogwood & elder

Offline Pappy

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #41 on: April 13, 2015, 08:05:30 am »
HHB, Winged Elm and hickory. I would say our my top 3.
  Pappy
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Offline Thunder

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #42 on: April 13, 2015, 10:36:08 am »
American Elm  8)
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #43 on: April 13, 2015, 12:05:38 pm »
Hazel, it's plentiful (in UK) grows straight, v few knots, easy to work, takes heat bending and heat treatment. Very little grain to worry about although it can grow twisted, the rings are barely visible as it barely stops growing over winter, no sooner than it's lost it's leaves the catkins start appearing :)
Maybe not the fastest bows and won't take a narrow deep longbow style without chrysals. But it's great to have a go with.
I'm currently working on a Hazel warbow, aiming for 90# at about 31" but with full 32" draw.
It's at that stage where I'm getting nervous....  :o
Del
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Offline paoliguy

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Re: favourite bow-wood EXCEPT yew or osage?
« Reply #44 on: April 13, 2015, 12:36:56 pm »
I'm in the Hickory camp. Maybe because it's very common in my area but also because it's very forgiving.