Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Nashoba on February 04, 2010, 05:40:51 pm

Title: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Nashoba on February 04, 2010, 05:40:51 pm

I'm trying my hand at bow making and I'm wondering which wood would be best.
I've got pignut and shagbark hickorys, osage orange, a wide variety of red and white oaks, silver maple and green ash.

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Josh on February 04, 2010, 05:43:57 pm

osage is my favorite outta those but for durability and unbreakability I would go with hickory.  Also you don't have to chase a ring with hickory the wood directly underneath the bark is used for the back of your bow.  JMO   :)   -josh

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Grunt on February 04, 2010, 07:09:39 pm

I live in the NC mountains and had a Pignut come down in a storm across one of our dog paths. I've made three self bows out of it and have several more staves roughed out. It's great strong fiberous wood but you have to make an effort to get it dry before you start tillering or else it will follow the string quite a bit. Don't let it set on the ground to long as the bugs really like the sap wood. Oak board bows are a good way of getting started with little $ investment. I've never had pleasure of using Osage but that wood is in my future.   Have Fun

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: bryan irwin on February 04, 2010, 08:54:33 pm

im with the others on hickory very tough wood and it;s every where hear in the southeast.

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Ryano on February 05, 2010, 12:19:22 am

It's going to be really tough to be osage buddy....... ;D

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Keenan on February 05, 2010, 12:56:50 am

 What Ryan said, your country Osage is tops

Title: Re: Best bow wood from the southeast.
Post by: Pat B on February 05, 2010, 01:33:01 am

I'm in the mountains a bit west of Grunt. We have humid summers and dryer winters. My favorite bow wood is osage but hickory ain't too far behind if kept dry. Any of the whitewoods should be cut during the growing season so the bark will peel off and you don't have to chase a ring; just use the wood under the bark for the back. Like Grunt said, don't let any whitewood lay on the ground for any length of time. Cut it down, split it and get it in a dry location to begin drying. It will begin to rot if left on the ground for a week in warm weather and you won't know it until it breaks while tillering.
  Osage, locust and mulberry can be cut anytime you can get it. You have to(eventually) get the bark and sapwood off and build your bow with the heart wood(not completely necessary but the norm). If you leave the bark on osage to cure treat the bark with an insecticide to kill the grubs that have been laid in the bark or they will eat it up. When you remove the bark and sapwood from either of the three mentioned above seal the ends and back very well. If you leave the bark on to cure seal the ends.
Either of the oaks make good bows. I'm not sure about the silver maple but I think green ash isn't too good.