Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Paul F on April 22, 2013, 08:28:56 pm
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I have a few tree's being taken down in my front yard in a few weeks. I think they are a mix of hickory and Oak, but would like your opinion's please. I also have some Bamboo that I am wondering if I can use for arrows. Thank you again for this and all your help.
BAMBOO
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/BambooTwo_zps781a9424.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/BambooTwo_zps781a9424.jpg.html)
Tree One with Leaf and Bark pictures
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/TreeLeafOne_zps47ed256e.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/TreeLeafOne_zps47ed256e.jpg.html)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/TreeBarkOne_zps5ead2151.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/TreeBarkOne_zps5ead2151.jpg.html)
Tree Two with Leaf and Bark Pictures
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/TreeLeafTwo_zps17f43b4f.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/TreeLeafTwo_zps17f43b4f.jpg.html)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/TreeBarkTwo_zps5d81e07b.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/TreeBarkTwo_zps5d81e07b.jpg.html)
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I am still kind of new to this so I hope the pictures came out OK.
Paul F.
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ThE second tree looks like maple
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Not sure on the first one, maybe chinkapin oak. Second one is silver maple.
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I think tree two is a silver maple.
Not sure on tree one. Chinquapin is a good guess. But the leaf edges are pretty curled in. Was that branch cut a while ago?
Gabe
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Pretty sure the first tree is Mongolian Tulip. Pearl Drums swears by that wood for self bows. I do also..
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The first ones leaves does not look like oak or hickory
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Thank you very much for all the reply's. Both tree's are still up and the pictures are of the leaves that are still on the tree. I can try to get some better pictures tomorrow. I am just wondering if either is good for making bow's? This will be what I will have to use when it dries.......if I can that is LOL.
Paul F.
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Well most people will tell you silver maple isn't any good but it grows every where here when I first started making bows that wood is what I used for some of my first bows it seems to be pretty strong under tension but compression not so much. So silver maple is usable but be carefull when tillering to not over stress it
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Are you in the south? First one might be winged elm..hard to tell from the curled up leaves...bark looks like it could be it...its def not chinkipin oak for sure.....and the silver maple is a dead give away
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Nope I am from North Eastern Virginia. Guess I will have to do a bit more looking. Thank you all very much for the help. Any opinions on the Bamboo?
Paul F.
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That bamboo looks a lot like cane, any pictures of the leaf clusters? Regardless of what type of trees they are, if they have nice staves in them, and they are coming down, I would definitley try a bow from them.
Kyle
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Virginias south for me...and winged elm does grow in a big portion of Virginia fyi
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I will try to get a better picture of the leaves tomorrow. Thank you for the reply. Is Elm any good for bow's......sorry, still really new to this stuff.
Here is a picture of the leaf's from the bamboo/cane
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/BambooOne_zpscb638394.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/BambooOne_zpscb638394.jpg.html)
Paul F.
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Yes if its elm then its good bow wood. I didnt really think the bark looked like winged elm and its hard to see the leaves curled up but it could be. Heres a couple pics of some winged elms that might help you out.
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/fc58dc2c.jpg)
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/f03e777b.jpg)
Heres a pic of a young winged elm. The young trees will have these corky ridges on them and sometimes even the bigger trees will have them on the smaller limbs.
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/0F78A8AF-089A-494C-BD3F-16215E94F635-4673-00000C2DC44DBDF3.jpg)
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The bamboo looks like Japanese arrow bamboo. It makes good arrows but lighter in weight than the native canes.
Winged elm will have corky wings on the small branches and twigs.
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That bamboo/ cane will make excellent arrow shafts ... And if your in Virginia hickory should be easy to find along with oak walnut and others
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Dunno about your trees...they certainly don't grow here!
But that bamboo will almost certainly make fantastic arrows.
Bamboo may well be the best material in the World for arrows. ;)
I've just planted a load of Japanese arrow bamboo in a secret place!
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Dunno about your trees...they certainly don't grow here!
But that bamboo will almost certainly make fantastic arrows.
Bamboo may well be the best material in the World for arrows. ;)
I've just planted a load of Japanese arrow bamboo in a secret place!
That's odd...
Yesterday I planted 3 tiny Yew saplings in a secret place and I didn't see your bamboo there ::)
Del
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First tree with the leaves curled( must have been a cool morning) look like simple toothed alternating leaves, matched with the course bark would most likely be a Siberian elm, Ulmus pumila. Also called Asiatic or Dwarf elm
Knapper
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I was thinking some kind of elm on the first tree myself.
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So first and foremost, that you all very much for the reply's. I have taken some more pictures of the first tree and found that in a "I'm special" kind of moment, I took a picture of the wrong tree for the leaf. I have new pics of the leaf's and the actual tree. I'm am now thinking it is Beech maybe. But again, I could be wrong and I will have to search to see if this can be used for bow wood, or is it too soft.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0012_zps84fda58b.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0012_zps84fda58b.jpg.html)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0014_zps0a11442e.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0014_zps0a11442e.jpg.html)
The Bark is an almost smooth flat gray.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0013_zps87ff06df.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0013_zps87ff06df.jpg.html)
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I thought that first bark pic did not match the first leaves pic. I thought I was crazy, but apparently I wasn't, haha! I knew that first leaf pic was beech, but the bark pic is totally the opposite of what beech would be. Now it makes more sense to me.
Yeah, you got beech! Not sure which species (I only know the European beech), but I'm guessing American beech? It's pretty lousy for bows anyway. I wouldn't waste my time on it; while it is possible to make a bow from the wood, there are sooooo many better alternative woods around.
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Cool, thank you very much. How about the silver maple. I am cutting down around 20 tree's and over half are the maple. I was just hoping to get something right in the front yard LOL.
Paul F.
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And with some more reading, I think I am a bust on both. Ah well, I tried. At least I have some promising prospects in the cane. Thank you all very much again.
Paul F.
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Ive never tried silver maple but I wouldnt think it would be too good for bows, its very soft and brittle. Sugar maple, also called hard or rock maple is the one you want for bowmaking.
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Ok, One last try. I am truly sorry for asking, but I guess I just don't understand enough about tree's to find this on a tree identification website. Thank you very much for your help.....again.
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0017_zps542684ec.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0017_zps542684ec.jpg.html)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0016_zps404e1edf.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0016_zps404e1edf.jpg.html)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag136/DruidMage24/DSC_0015_zpsc5b48ee3.jpg) (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/DruidMage24/media/DSC_0015_zpsc5b48ee3.jpg.html)
Paul F.
SO MUCH TO LEARN
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Yellow Poplar maybe?
Paul F.
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Yeah I think your right looks like the poplars around my house.
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Hmmmmm, just my luck. All these tree's coming down and not a one a really good bow wood. I guess I can keep the poplar for arrow's. Then I would just need to find a guide on how to cut the tree's to work best for shaft's. Thank you all very much for all of your help.
Paul F.
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Tulip tree. Yellow poplar. Liriodendron tulipifera L.
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Yeah that tree is no good but the tree behind it and to the left looks like hackberry. If it is hackberry theres your bow wood!
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Save some of that Beech as well.
Try to make a bow from it.
If it don't work as bow wood it will make super tool handles.
David