Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: John K on April 05, 2008, 12:55:58 am
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Anyone ever work with it ???
I'm picking some up tomorrow, i've heard it's good.
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Never used green ash but like all ash I would say keep it wide and long.
I would also heat reflex it to reduce the amount of set it will take.
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Thanks Dana !
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Used Green Ash Before....it's alright....makes better Bows than Shade trees....I cut mine down and made a few Bows from it!!It will take set though.....So I would make er wide....and temper the Belly....and maybe flip da Tips a bit!!!
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My uncle had one cut down yesterday, and i just can't see it going into the chipper !! So i'm heading over there with a buddy to split and seal it up, it's got to be better than Black Ash :)
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Not as good as white ash, but probably better than black.
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Well got back from from the wood run today, looks like the Green Ash should make a good bow. Now the Honey Locust looked real good, or so i think it's Honey Locust. It has the long cigar shaped seed pods, but no thorns on the trunk or branches........very heavy dense wood about an inch of white sap wood then a nice almost redish brown heart wood. Anybody ever hear of a Honey Locust with no thorns ??? I didn't get many full length staves, but quit a few billets ;D All in all it was a great day :) :)
John
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John...I dont think what you have is Honey Locust....cause it is some Thorny Chit....big honkin Thorns on the trunk and Branches....really mean Wood!!!
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Hmmm.....so what else has those long brown cigar type seed pods ???
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By cigar-shaped do you mean round? Honey locust has big flat pods. There are several ornamental cultivars of honey locust without thorns that are bred from var. inermis, a naturally thornless subspecies. They all have flat pods, though. The only tree off the top of my head that would have long, round seedpods and dark brown heartwood would be catalpa. It's not a heavy, dense wood, though. Where are you located?
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Hillybilly, I'm in Wisconsin, and yes they where flat not round. We use to just call it the cigar tree. My uncle planted it 30 years ago in front of his house. I was wondering if was some kind of Honey Locust that was cultivated to not have thorns... I'll try and get some pics up later of the bark and wood.
Thanks John
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It's probably a Shademaster or Sunburst honeylocust. Are (were :) ) the leaves green or yellowish?
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Not sure on the leaves, no leaves this time of year :'( and i never paid attention before ::) Now that i have bow building brain i can hardly drive down the road, i keep looking at all the trees :D
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The seed pods on honey locust, like Steve said, are big and flat. They are dark brown and look like an over sized bean pod(they are legumes like beans are). Honey locust pods have a sweet taste to them also and deer love them when ripe. Pat
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Thanks Pat, Those are what the seed pods looked like, just no thorns on the tree....i'll get some pics up later of the bark and wood.
John
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Catalpa..they have big long Round Seed Pods
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No not that. They where what Pat discirbed.
John
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Bow wood then!!! Catalpa is about as good as a piece of Poplar or Cottonwood!!
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Ok, Here are a few pics of the questionable Honey Locust.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/Johnsbowshop002-1.jpg)
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/Johnsbowshop003.jpg)
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/Johnsbowshop004.jpg)
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/Johnsbowshop005.jpg)
Mini trial bow 17"
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/Johnsbowshop007.jpg)
John
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That bark looks like honey locust.
Yankee, The Catalpa tree is a great host for excellent fishing bait. ;) When the worms come on to the tree you can collect them put them in a sealed container and freeze them. When you are ready to go fishing just thaw them out and they go right back to wiggling. ;D With their tough skin, they are almost an all day bait too. Pat
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I got three Catalpa's...two Unbrella...and one just a standard Catalpa....and have never seen a Worm on them yet???? Must be this dry-assed Climate here!!!
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Hey I know where a Catalpa tree is in da UP, must of gotten lost eh. :o
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Hey I know where a Catalpa tree is in da UP, must of gotten lost eh. :o
My Gram had one all my Life in the Backyard in Ishpeming....it was in many Articles and I used to take the beans to School for our Seed and Leave Projects....you remember them dontcha Dana!!! And I would always get a Top grade because of the beans!!
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Oh yea I remember the leave collections fer science class, cemetery had the best selection of leaves ;D
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Yep, that looks like thornless honey locust.
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Boy the stuff is HEAVY !! Should make a nice bow.
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Any ash is better than no ash ::)
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Sounds like what your uncle has is a black locust, which is good bow wood, it has more sapwood than a honey locust and no thorns; or if this tree comes from town it might have been a commercial sunburst locust as someone referred to; I believe that comes from a hybred honey locust.
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Hrothgar, It's not Black Locust, i know what that looks like. I think it was hybred honey locust with no thorns.
John
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Could that "Locust" be Kentucky Coffee Tree instead?
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Green ash should work for ya.We've got what the locals call thorn trees here.They are honey locust really like your picture of the trunk with the thorns.They are the cause of many a flat tire on tractors and pickups alike.Matured brown flat pods.Deer love em and transplant them all over the country here.I believe good bow wood too but a bit brittle.Pretty wood.Good fire wood in my stove.It splits like butter.A wider longer bow would be the starting point.You don't want the tip of one of those thorns embedded underneath your skin.Get it out.It'll swell up like a melon.
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the pics are definitely honey locust. there are many wild honey locusts without thorns in the woods around here.it has been speculated that the indians cultivated these to use without the hassle of thorns,as they had many uses for these trees.I have my eye on a couple now, just waiting for it to cool down some.never built a bow out of it,but john strunk seems to really like it.