Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 02:08:51 pm

Title: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 02:08:51 pm

Got my hands on some free wood. Need help with identifying it.
Also does it have potential as a bow wood?
The bark just peels right off as soon as it is cut.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Elktracker on April 05, 2011, 02:27:59 pm

Does it peel off length wise or around the tree? I am bad at IDing trees but if it peels off around the tree it might be cherry?

Josh

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Blacktail on April 05, 2011, 02:33:22 pm

i think josh is right...maybe choke cherry..

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 02:34:23 pm

This stuff peels right up the length of the tree.
Not around.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 02:37:47 pm

Here is a piece I peeled earlier

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Elktracker on April 05, 2011, 02:46:15 pm

 ??? someone will get on here and be able to help ya out ;)

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: lowell on April 05, 2011, 02:49:21 pm

I don't think cherry...what part of the country???  Doesnt look like anything from my area.

  My first thought is young hackberry but really don't know!!

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 02:52:03 pm

Texas, I was leaning along the lines of hackberry,,, but after more research it looks more like sugarberry????
Maybe I'm wrong

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: criveraville on April 05, 2011, 03:03:17 pm

looks like hackberry to me

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Pat B on April 05, 2011, 03:50:53 pm

My first thought was mulberry. Was there any white sap when you cut it?
  The leaf doesn't look like a cherry or hackberry(sugarberry). As far as I know hackberry and sugarberry are the same.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 05:01:34 pm

Yes it does have white sap. I just now laid out a profile on it and carved it out with a draw knife.
Also I left the bark on the back, and I am about to seal it with polyurethane.
Does that sound about right?

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Pat B on April 05, 2011, 05:09:19 pm

It is mulberry!  You should be fine leaving the bark on for a while. Do seal the ends though.  With the belly cut down the moisture can escape there. You might want to clamp or tie it to a form to prevent twisting. You can add a little backset to it too.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 05:14:56 pm

Great information Pat. Thanks for the advice.
This stave is about 3 inches thick.
How long do you think it should cure before I Start to work on it?
Keep in mind, I am in Texas and the average temp is about 85's lately.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Elktracker on April 05, 2011, 05:20:23 pm

I bought a 12 dollar cooking scale at fred meyer works good to figure out when your wood has stopped loseing weight, for me here in Oregon its very humid but with most white woods I get them down to about the size you have there then after about a month I reduce it further down closer to size wait a couple weeks then I take it down to floor tiller and let it loose the rest of the moisture it will lose, usually takes about 3 months.

Josh

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: BowJunkie on April 05, 2011, 05:39:40 pm

Sounds Perfect. Maybe with any luck, I will have a serviceable bow ready for Deer Season in October.
Thank you so much for the guidance.
I'm sure I may need more in the future.

Title: Re: Help... Need Wood I.D.
Post by: Pat B on April 05, 2011, 05:54:48 pm

You can easily have a servicable bow by bow season. After a month or so you can remove the bark then get the bow to floor tiller size. Shouldn't take long after that before you can complete the bow.