Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: doskil on February 14, 2008, 02:30:18 pm

Title: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: doskil on February 14, 2008, 02:30:18 pm

Can one make a longbow out of these three woods:

Black walnut

American yellowwood

Pauwlonia (Royal Princess Tree)?

Thanks

Never built a bow before but inquiring about these three woods

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Loki on February 14, 2008, 02:41:33 pm

Black Walnut makes a grea ELB if that's the style of Longbow you want,dont know about the other's though.
Andy

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: snedeker on February 14, 2008, 03:17:42 pm

Princess tree  wood is not good for bows.

Dave

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: doskil on February 14, 2008, 03:53:02 pm

What is ELB?

I'm just looking into making a simple no frills long bow for hunting and shooting

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: adb on February 14, 2008, 03:55:35 pm

Black walnut? Absolutely.
The other two? Never heard of them.
ELB = English Long Bow. Flat back, round belly, ie: D X-section, usually bend thru the handle, often >72" Nock to Nock. Often has horn nocks.

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Pat B on February 14, 2008, 04:19:50 pm

Black Walnut- yes, Paulonia- no and I've never used yellow wood(Cladrastis kentukea[lutea]). If you were planning to cut some anyway, give it a try.    Pat

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Hillbilly on February 14, 2008, 05:57:10 pm

Walnut makes a good bow. Yellowwood probably will make a bow. I've never tried it, but I have worked with the wood a bit. It's mid-density wood, not the strongest, but it has a great color and sure would make a nice-looking bow. It is prone to checking during drying. The Paulownia I would be extremely doubtful of. It does make good flutes, and is used by the Japanese for making some kind of furniture chests-but it's really lightweight, soft, and brittle.

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: doskil on February 15, 2008, 12:23:32 am

Okay thanks

Now what about:

Black cherry

Mockernut hickory

Sweet birch?

Thanks

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Pat B on February 15, 2008, 12:54:34 am

Go for the hickory...hands down!!!   Black cherry ain't bad and sweet birch will make a bow.     Pat

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Hillbilly on February 15, 2008, 09:36:21 am

What Pat said. Mockernut is excellent if you get it really dry. The sweet birch should be good-I would guess that sweet and yellow are the best of the birches. Cherry is usually best backed. It has good compression figures, but is weak in tension. Somebody just posted a really short nice cherry self bow that is mostly sapwood.

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: doskil on February 16, 2008, 01:55:47 am

Thanks a lot!

And can you make a bow out of Tree-Of-Heaven?

Thanks

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Pat B on February 16, 2008, 02:14:30 am

I don't know but kill every one you see. Another invasive exotic.     Pat

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Hillbilly on February 16, 2008, 11:02:49 am

I haven't tried the tree-of-hell, and have no plans to. I've cut thousands of them down, though-it's light, spongy, wierd wood, and it has a horrible smell. Causes contact dermatitis in some people. Like Pat said-kill, kill, kill. It's one of the worst invasive Asian trees, takes over whole ecosystems and produces alleopathic toxins from its roots that prevent other plants from growing (except other Asian invasives). The Paulownia is a really troublesome invasive, too.

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: doskil on February 16, 2008, 07:30:11 pm

I've got both exotics in my area and that is why I asked.

Title: Re: Black walnut, yellowood and pauwlonia (royal princess tree)?
Post by: Hillbilly on February 16, 2008, 08:36:36 pm

You could try it and see, but I wouldn't expect much from the Ailanthus. You never know, though.