Author Topic: Thoughts on Dog Wood  (Read 5165 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Thoughts on Dog Wood
« on: June 23, 2015, 07:05:10 am »
I have been working on a dog wood bow I cut and roughed out in 2005. As it turned out then I made a bad cut and it turned out  only 1 3/8 at the handle and straight tapered to some very small tips. 60inches T-T 58 N-N. I let it set in the cabin until a few weeks ago and decided to see what I can do with it. I have it out to 48@26 and it is shooting fine but seem to have taken a little set, kind of funny tho, just a minute after unstrung almost all of the reflex comes back.
I am wondering, :-\ finally the question  ;) How does Dog Wood do heat treating, I never really heat treat bows except to add reflex or tweak something, just wondering if I really did a heat treating how that would work out. I don't think it is wet , :-\been keeping it in a hot box at 90+ when not working on it but the box is in my outside shop and the humidity is high in TN. right now. Most wood I have dealt with that was wet wouldn't come back if you shot them that way. I have only built 2 dog wood bows and that was years ago so looking for someone that has a little experience with the wood and effect of heat treating. good or bad. Your thoughts on it would be appreciated.  :)Here are a few pictures when I started tillering, I have sense got to full brace and out to my draw, sorry no pictures of full draw, by myself yesterday. It may just be to narrow for what I wanted if that is the case I will turn it into a kids bow,it was just all I had to work with.  :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline autologus

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,092
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2015, 08:31:49 am »
I think a little heat would go a long way to help reduce the set.

Grady
Proud Hillbilly from Arkansas.

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2015, 08:45:01 am »
  Was that top picture after shooting?  I have only made a couple of dog wood bows myself. About the same width as yours but about 64" long. I had a similar problem with taking a little set. I remember liking the bows but not being favorites. In my case heat treating may have helped but not enough. Mine ended up wit a tad of string follow.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2015, 09:00:14 am »
Thanks, No Steve that was after it came off the form. It started with about 2 1/2 reflex not counting the flipped tips when I started, after tillering it had about 1 1/2. After shooting 25 or so arrows and full draw it was about flat but the funny thing was in just a very short time it was back to 2. :) So I don't think Moisture content is the problem. Not sure what it is , never really check that on any bows, I just go by how they feel and this one feel very good at brace and working the wood with very good brace string tension. :)
  Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2015, 09:08:49 am »
Pappy, most whitewoods react well to belly tempering and I'd bet dogwood would too. I've never worked dogwood but that would be my guess.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2015, 11:13:34 am »
  Sounds like a pretty decent bow but it just aint osage. I run into that with white woods quite often.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2015, 04:56:57 am »
Well good or bad :-\ I gave a good heat treatment last evening, we will see what that does for it. Thanks. :)
  Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Chief RID

  • Member
  • Posts: 684
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2015, 06:42:35 am »
Let us know Pappy. I for one am interested to see how this turns out. I have a very straight one growing tall in a wind row that is ready to cut.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2015, 07:15:20 am »
I should know by the weekend, I plan on giving it a few day to rehydrate.  ;)Some say that's
not necessary but I think I will give it a few days anyway. :)
 Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline crooketarrow

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,790
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2015, 02:26:29 pm »
 I've built 4 dogwood bows through the years. The first one did I temper the belly. The other 3 the defex was add while green. Seems to me dogwood has better than adverge cast. My bows were fastand a snappy bows.

 But I'm not a fan of heat on any working parts. So the one I belly tempered was the only one I added any heat to.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING

Offline wizardgoat

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,397
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2015, 03:20:05 pm »
I've only made 2 bows of dogwood, and tried heating one. It seemed to work so-so, but I don't think I heated it very deep. such a nice wood to work though, carves like soap

mikekeswick

  • Guest
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2015, 03:00:43 am »
I've made a couple and heat treating turned them into no set rocket launchers  8)
One of my favourite woods but it only grows many miles away from here.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2015, 05:23:22 am »
Thanks guys, well it's heated so we will see, looks good off the form and it really needed a little something so I am hoping this will help. Hope it turns out like yours Mike, If not I always know a kid that needs a bow. ;) :)Mike we have tons of it around us, sometimes hard to find a good straight one, it grows slow and low around here and most is twisted and knotty also. :) This  happened to be a clean one pretty much, just wished I hadn't made the bad cut on it and had a little more wood to have worked with. Update next week. ;) :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Badly Bent

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,750
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2015, 08:05:46 pm »
Ed, (forest farmer), pointed out a nice big dogwood to me on your place when we were shooting the second half of the course at the classic Pappy. Lucky for you we weren't packing a chain saw. ;D ;D ;D
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline turtle

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,069
  • PA1007207
Re: Thoughts on Dog Wood
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2015, 09:17:54 pm »
Ed, (forest farmer), pointed out a nice big dogwood to me on your place when we were shooting the second half of the course at the classic Pappy. Lucky for you we weren't packing a chain saw. ;D ;D ;D
Yeah.... I always end up drooling over a couple of the dogwoods i see while shooting the course. I think Pappy will be real pleased with the results of heat treated dogwood.
Steve Bennett