Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dictionary on March 11, 2012, 02:32:49 pm
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I cut a few maple saplings growing amongst some pine behind a nearby school. Most maple i cut, the bark is very easily scraped off with a machete at right angles to the wood in winter. But with a couple of these saplings, the bark clings much tighter to the wood. After i scrape off this section, underneath there are often dark markings on the sapwood and the smell is a little foul as well when it is freshly green, smells something like ink. I have encountered this before and usually just don't use the wood but some of these saplings are good peices of wood. I am wondering if i should not worry about it and just give it a shot. Sorry i don't know the species of maple and the pictures aren't too good but you can see the dark markings and spots running across the belly and on the back. I am guessing these are portions of dead wood, making these saplings unserviceable.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll235/Jayrock205_photos/treedisease1.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll235/Jayrock205_photos/treedisease.jpg)
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There is a beetle that can cause that or a fungal infection. I think it's just stained and not dead.
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When wood discolours like that, usually it means decay. Could be from a wound the tree had a while back that has been grown over. I don't know how much it could weaken the wood, I guess it depends on the extent of the decay. Like you say, you could always try ot and see what comes out of it.
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Yea i think i'll give it a shot. Some of it i noticed is just wood discoloration and others it looks slightly like decay(i'll take a wildlife biologist's word on that), but it is mostly on the belly side of the bow and when i rough it down some, it often disappears leaving only parts of it. Hopefully it'll be alright
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If you hadn't told me it was maple, I woulda thought it was Scotch Broom. The heart wood on Scotch Broom has a kind Vanilla-Chocolate swirl look like that. Sometimes more sometimes less. If that is on the belly it might be alright. On the back.... I dunno. What kind of maple is that?