Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on January 19, 2016, 07:13:40 pm

Title: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: DC on January 19, 2016, 07:13:40 pm
I collected a piece of Pacific Crabapple on my walk today, I started barking it and the wood looks like it has varicose veins. My first guess would be bugs of some kind but I can't see any anywhere. They are not just in this spot, they cover the whole trunk. Is there another explanation? I noticed something similar on a piece of Pacific Dogwood that I collected a few years ago. The "veins" are three dimensional, you can feel them. Most important, will it affect its use as a bow wood :D
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: Bryce on January 20, 2016, 03:00:11 am
That's just how crabapple is. Lovely tension wood.
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: DC on January 20, 2016, 11:32:20 am
That's what I was hoping. It should make a gorgeous bow, especially if it holds the colors. I'm not expecting that though.
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: PatM on January 20, 2016, 01:41:46 pm
In many trees those marks are from bugs but they are not actually in the wood. They  live under the bark temporarily as grubs and the tracks get grown over each year. 
HHB is sometimes riddled with them while Birch and Maple may have lesser amounts.
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: DC on January 20, 2016, 02:31:22 pm
The colors disappeared overnight :( :(.
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: Bryce on January 23, 2016, 02:13:38 pm
The colors disappeared overnight :( :(.

Crabapple has a nice very light pink sapwood and yellowish heartwood. I made one for Carson a few years back. Maybe if you bug him he'll post some pictures of something;)
Title: Re: Pacific Crabapple question
Post by: bubbles on January 23, 2016, 05:31:44 pm
I cut a piece of maple a while ago that was riddled with those veins. I scraped down to see what was going on and found the dust filled bug trails.  I didnt end up stave but now it seems like it would have made a bow.