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Author Topic: New to the Primitive Bow art  (Read 1613 times)

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Offline NCoutdoorsman

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New to the Primitive Bow art
« on: April 25, 2019, 10:05:12 am »
Hello everyone,
  I'm new to the Primitive Bow building. I have only every shot recurve or longbow. But I would like to try my hand at making them now. With that being said I just have an acre of land chopped down. On it was sweet gums and pines for days. I have a couple of silver maples, pin oak, live oak, texas ash, eastern cedar, and a lot of poison ivy. Now my question is what wood would be the best for me to start out with and what wood should I avoid all together?
« Last Edit: April 25, 2019, 10:15:11 am by NCoutdoorsman »
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“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” –John Lubbock

Offline sleek

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Re: New to the Promitive Bow art
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2019, 10:17:01 am »
Well, I'd leave the poison Ivy alone for starts. Cedar is great stuff, especially when bamboo backed. I have some boo growing on my place, I'm happy to share. Ash makes a decent bow, not sure about Texs Ash. The live oak and pine oak may do well, but I never messed with them. I'm heading through central NC late next week, toward the weekend, and I'm hauling my osage stash. I'd be willin to drop you off a piece or two if you like. Maybe even make a trade for some cedar, I will be hauling some bamboo with me also...
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Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

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Offline Pat B

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2019, 11:00:11 am »
Welcome to PA, NC. Do you live in NC? I'm in Brevard, southwest of Asheville in the Southern Highlands.
 You can't beat the offer Sleek has made you. You'll find lots of generous folks here at PA.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline peacefullymadewarbows

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2019, 11:35:08 am »
Save that live oak now. It is the densest oak and I've heard makes very nice bows. Ashes, the eastern red cedar, and all other oaks are pretty good woods as well. But I'd say the live oak is the top of the list wood that you said there. Welcome to PA!
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Offline NCoutdoorsman

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2019, 12:24:23 pm »
Quote from: sleek on April 25, 2019, 10:17:01 am
Well, I'd leave the poison Ivy alone for starts. Cedar is great stuff, especially when bamboo backed. I have some boo growing on my place, I'm happy to share. Ash makes a decent bow, not sure about Texas Ash. The live oak and pine oak may do well, but I never messed with them. I'm heading through central NC late next week, toward the weekend, and I'm hauling my Osage stash. I'd be willin to drop you off a piece or two if you like. Maybe even make a trade for some cedar, I will be hauling some bamboo with me also...
Sleek that would be awesome but unfortunately I will be working that Friday, Sat and Sun. I would still like to meet up and try to learn something from you. And do some bartering/trading. All my stuff like I said just got chopped down. So none of it is dried yet, that's the part i'm not looking forward to. I do have off next wed and Thurs. What part do mean when you say the central part? Im in Johnston county.

Quote from: Pat B on April 25, 2019, 11:00:11 am
Welcome to PA, NC. Do you live in NC? I'm in Brevard, southwest of Asheville in the Southern Highlands.
 You can't beat the offer Sleek has made you. You'll find lots of generous folks here at PA.

Thank you Pat B,
Yes I agree I can't beat the offer made by sleek and if I didn't have to work then I would take him up on it. I have been following the forums for a while now and when I talk about reading things its mostly where I have received my info backed by google. I got married in Brevard 3 years ago. At looking glass falls. We go up that way a couple times a year. I love it up there but we cant move to far from the beaches.

Quote from: peacefullymadewarbows on April 25, 2019, 11:35:08 am
Save that live oak now. It is the densest oak and I've heard makes very nice bows. Ashes, the eastern red cedar, and all other oaks are pretty good woods as well. But I'd say the live oak is the top of the list wood that you said there. Welcome to PA!

Thank you peacefullymade,
when you say save the live oak now do you mean stave it / work it now. or do you mean save it for a year or two. From everything I have read the oak is the best choice for a bow but with this being my first i was more wondering if i should use one of the others to learn on? Most likely i will stave all of them and just save it all for a year or so and just practice on the lighter weaker stuff until the good stuff gets weathered.
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“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” –John Lubbock

Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2019, 01:55:58 pm »
Cut the wood quickly and seal the ends so you don't get drying checks. they can appear quickly
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Offline NCoutdoorsman

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2019, 02:06:14 pm »
Thank you hunter for the tip. I had read that some where but it just skipped right over my head
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“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” –John Lubbock

Offline sleek

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2019, 02:11:46 pm »
I'm about to drive from Oklahoma to New Bern next week. So, I go from Ft Knox to the coast, right through Raleigh.
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Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline peacefullymadewarbows

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2019, 02:44:16 pm »
Yeah split and seal all of them first. Sadly you are gonna have to wait for it all to dry for it to make good bows but if you pick a stave to rough out to near final dimensions it'll be bone dry in 2-4 weeks.
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Offline NCoutdoorsman

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2019, 06:14:14 pm »
Hey Sleek I shot you a pm. And thank you peacefully
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“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” –John Lubbock

Offline Dante_F

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Re: New to the Primitive Bow art
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2019, 07:52:37 pm »
Texas and white are the same even though its disputed they have the same Latin name and probably the about the same properties. The erc and ash may be a good combo. also i used to live in California and we had coast live oak and its so hard that a belt sander grinds down cow bone better than it, you could sand for five minutes and maybe not even remove 3/8 to a half an inch, maybe good belly wood do a few bend tests to find its tension qualities.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2019, 07:57:34 pm by DELTA_WOLF »
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