Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: tpoof on April 15, 2007, 02:10:32 pm
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Anyone have any information on Lilac as a bow wood?
I've heard on it being a stellar wood and cut some just the other day.
Split it out and debarked half of it, took that half inside the basement and left the other half outside under a leanto, with the bark on.
I also covered the ends with a thick coat of white glue,,,no checking on the ends....
This morning when I went to look at the debarked stave it has checks in it big time,back, belly just all riddled with them! >:(
The stave outside seems to be fine as far as I can tell so far.
The wood seems to be very , very strong compared to the Elm and Ash I usually use also the grain is the color purple as the blossoms are on that shrub. A very beautiful looking wood, but one that requires some care in drying I'm finding..
Any tips or stories on this wood, would be appreciated! ;)
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If you removed the bark and it checked, the answear is pretty simple. Either leave the bark on or seal the back of the stave as soon as the bark is removed. Its not uncommon for lots of woods to check if you remove the bark and don't seal the sapwood. Justin
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tproof there is a thread on paleo about this also.
DanaM
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Love the grain and color of the wood. It's in the same family as ash.
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Thought you might be interested in a little trivia about liliac. The early settlers in the "backwoods" (appalacian Mts.) used lilac for all sorts of kitchen equipment- cups, bowls, spoons, etc. because of the tight close grain. I have a set of forks and spoons (6 each) that my son made in 1989 out of this wood and they hold up well. He informed me that this wood was known as "spoonwood". I would be interested in knowing what kind of a bow it makes.
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Yes, simple answer now! ;) It just hurts to see a piece ruined... possibly.It was tough enough to get the bark off in the first place, a quite easy thick layer followed by innerbark that was stuck fast! took awhile,,,
DanaM, yes that is what spurred my interest, just searching for more varied responses. :)
Hillbilly,,same family as Ash thats good info! Thanks,,. Wish it had its straightness! It seems really to be a nice wood.
I'm definately going to be watching for this wood with more intensity!
BP,
thats is some good trivia! If'n this piece won't do a bow I will still try to use it somewhere! Some of my fav cookware
utensils are wooden,,,
its easier to see a spoon in it than a bow! lol ;D
thanks for the replys!!
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The only trouble with grouping trees together based on them being in the same family is that they often don't share anywhere close to the same characteristics. Lilac and Ash couldn't be more different
Almost like comparing Manitoba Maple and Rock Maple based on them being in the same family.
Pat
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I ahve a 100 year old(at least) lilac in the yard, momma would kill me ifin I cut it.
But its got this nice long snakey limb on it thats callin to me ;)
DanaM
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I ahve a 100 year old(at least) lilac in the yard, momma would kill me ifin I cut it.
But its got this nice long snakey limb on it thats callin to me ;)
DanaM
Does it need trimming????????
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dont know if you guys have ever tried bending a branch of lilac or not but were i live, its one of the least bendable woods i know. the wood explodes when under pressure. ive never even considered it as a bow wood. lilac trees here at the farm `are always breaking off in the wind or ice storms. like you guys said, ash and lilac are very different. it does have a prettuy grain. maybe if you sinew or back it with rawhide to take tension off the back you may get a bow out of it. id be interested in how it turns out for you, good luck and keep us updated on your progress, -jesse
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Don't know that I've ever seen a lilac tree. Just shrubs that are no where near bow stave size. Can someone post a pic?
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I've been messing with Rose of Sharon wood, which seems to be similar to Lilac. In my experience, it's best to split off the belly side, leave the bark on the back, and seal the ends. I've never had a piece big enough around to split down the middle, so I just take off about a third of the wood from the belly side to help it dry gracefully. I once debarked a green stave and it cracked wide open down the back overnight.
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Jesse, Are you sure it's lilac? Most would not describe it as a "tree". I don't think Lilac gets big enough to suffer storm damage. Vertical branches, clumped growth and tough wood aren't recipes for damage. They are usually pretty sheltered too.
Pat
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I have a lilac tree, if I can remember I will take a pic. The tree I have is old its been thru some storms
other than losing a few small branches its fine. Tough Tree.
DanaM
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My backyard is full of them.Deffinatly be a challenge to make a bow from them.Good luck,I will be watching closely.
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Here are some pics of my lilac tree as promised.
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Dana, that looks similar to a hophornbeam. Is that a squirrel on the first pic in that right hand branch? ;D
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Nah thats a shingle, from the house that was town down. Did I mention I burned it and it wasn't mine ::)
Now I own the lot.
Dana
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I cut some Lilac several years ago for making bow. I tried to pick out some that had the least amount of twist in them, all have twist up here. Left the bark on and let them dry out. They all split in a spiral as they dried. It hard wood though and the smell of the wood as you work it is something else. I would not consider it self bow wood
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Lilac is the greatest self bow wood I've laid my hands on. Crowned-back stick selfies safely pulling 60#, 1 1/8" limb width and sub-1" set (no heat-treating) count as great in my book.
From what I've heard, lilac should be even stronger south from the cold, dark north where I live.
Lilac grown on open ground (*like in Dana's pic) is almost always twisted beyond use. Bow lilacs grow in dense, "overgrown" habitats where they have no time to get all twisted and gnarly when competing for light and survival. Lilac growing on moist, rich soil is better in ring quality, too, compared to the thin-ringed, lighter-wood lilac found on dry, windy spots & poor soil.
*edit
Tuukka
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Tuukka knows this wood. There is a thread on LW you will be interested in. I have roughed out a stave that really shows the unusual quality of this wood. Checking, ah checking is the problem. I've not given up on it. :-\
Dave
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Wow, that bark sure looks like it swirls around the trunk a lot. I don't know that you will be able to use it. :'( Justin
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My sister in law has big patch of lilac I'm going to check next time I get there. But its
more bushy than my tree. I'll see what I can get.