Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: sailordad on February 20, 2008, 01:29:54 am

Title: cotton wood
Post by: sailordad on February 20, 2008, 01:29:54 am

          hi everyone,
first off i would like to thank everyone for the responses to my question on hhb.
now i have a few more wood related questions.
a friend of mine is going to be cutting down a cotton wood tree,the trunk is approx. 6-8 feet in diameter.
i was wondering how good of a bow wood cotton wood would make,can staves be piggy backed,and do you use sap wood or just heartwood?
thanks again for the share of knowledge.

                                                                                           PEACE,

                                                                                                   Tim

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: El Destructo on February 20, 2008, 01:37:39 am

Cottonwood is a member of the Poplar Family...just like Aspen....very Soft...very light....you can make a Bow from it...I have....but the limbs need to be about three inches wide ...and at leat 68-72 inches long total for the Bow....look in the Bowyers Bible....it lists Cottonwood....and the shape and sizes recommended for it..I would not waste my time with it myself

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: sailordad on February 20, 2008, 01:48:37 am

Thanks yankeemongiat,
i wont waste my time trying to lug that heavy old trunk home then.
personally i seem to like the harder woods like ipe,hhb and even hickory,dont know much about wood yet,still pretty new to all of this.but i sure do like those so called harder to work woods.i gotta split that hhb log tomorrow.
thanks again.

                                                                                PEACE,
                                                                                        Tim

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: El Destructo on February 20, 2008, 01:51:37 am

you cant beat Ironwood....I love Hop Hornbeam!! I also really like Vine Maple and Mulberry too....I get into the gnarly grained woods!!

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: sailordad on February 20, 2008, 02:15:55 am

my next door neighbor has a huge sugar maple and a huge black locust in their yard.need to try and talk them into either trimming them back or taking them down so i can get some good wood out of them.lol

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: Justin Snyder on February 20, 2008, 02:26:13 am

Cut you out a 36" piece of the cottonwood for arrows.  Justin

Title: Re: cotton wood
Post by: sailordad on February 20, 2008, 02:37:11 am

I wouldn't know how to make an arrow out of it. right now I'm still trying to figure out this bow making thing,I haven't finished one from stave to bow yet so not even thinking of making arrows yet.however i do appreciate the input and may just cut that out and put it  away for "someday",and well now that I'm thinking about arrows i will be getting a whole bunch of turkey feathers this year,was gonna re-fletch what I've got,maybe "someday" will be here sooner than planned.

                                                                                              PEACE,
                                                                                                     Tim