Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: IrishJay on January 05, 2019, 03:40:01 pm
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I cut this tree about a month ago, from the bark I thought it was ash, but once I felled it I saw a slight purple tint to the heartwood and thought it was possibly boxelder. I finally split it today and after sitting the purple tint is gone and the heartwood is a very distinct dark brown. At this point I have no idea what I have. It did split nicely.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173708_zps0hussbih.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173708_zps0hussbih.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173659_zpsyc9x0yhh.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173659_zpsyc9x0yhh.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173653_zpstlpvwupa.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190105_173653_zpstlpvwupa.jpg.html)
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Looks like ash to me, but it could be any number of woods I am not familiar with.
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Couple close ups of the pith. It's chambered, making me think it might be black walnut. Still not sure.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190105_201322_zps3iyaihht.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190105_201322_zps3iyaihht.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190105_201329_zpsxddcjhjc.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190105_201329_zpsxddcjhjc.jpg.html)
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Upon further research, green ash has a chambered pith to, so I guess that doesn't help narrow it down any.
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I’m thinking black walnut by how it looks. Maybe take a few scrapes with a rasp or card scraper. Walnut has a distinct smell.
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I'll check the smell here shortly. Question, if it is black walnut do I work with the sap wood or do I chase a ring down to heartwood?
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The sapwood works well for black walnut. I made a few with sapwood right under the bark and had good luck.
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Best close up of end grain pores I could get with my phone, definitely doesn't have the distinctive ring-porous pattern of ash.
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It is black walnut.
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Next question, should I split the halves into quarters and try to get 4 staves or saw cut a slice out of each half just a little wider than the heartwood?
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You will need 1 3/4" to 2" wide limbs. I don't know how wide the halves are. You won't get much heartwood in the bow, maybe a little in the handle. You want to use the wood right under the bark.
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I tried to split on of the halves into quarters and the split did not run as straight as the initial one did. I ended up with a skinny piece of scrap and a stave that can be cleaned up with saw. I'm going to try to split the other half tomorrow, hopefully it goes better. But at least I have one good one so far.
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How skinny? Ive made a couple of really nice bows from run away splits, a good bow only needs very little timber and a split can just save you a lot of roughing out 😁
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Or if 40" of it is good it will make a billet :)
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If the first one didn't split as you wanted it to then saw the other one instead of splitting.
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All split out. 3 good staves to and the skinny runaway on the far right.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190106_124455_zpskddxzjtv.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190106_124455_zpskddxzjtv.jpg.html)
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You got lucky :)
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Yeah I'm pretty happy with how straight it split, with the exception of the one runaway. And I still might be able to get a light weight shorty out of that.
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Debarked and ends sealed on the first stage, 0 knots or imperfections on the back, 2.25" across the back at the narrowest point. That walnut odor really comes out when debarking.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/jayres83/Bow%20Pics/20190106_141531_zpsbktajpjs.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/jayres83/media/Bow%20Pics/20190106_141531_zpsbktajpjs.jpg.html)
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Now you can draw the bow on the back, leaving the tips and handle area wide and cut it out. Bind it to a form and let it dry. If you can, bring it in the house and in a month or so you could start working it down.
The odor is a very good way to ID black locust. It's very distinctive.
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That's the plan. Once I get'em all debarked I'm going to rough them out to about 2.25" wide, and take some of the excess off the bellies to speed up the seasoning process. I have my eye on a nice white ash, and a decent piece of silver maple that will hopefully joining these stages soon. Trying to get a good collection of staves drying so that down the road I'll have a good stock to work from.
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That is Black walnut.I have made a lot of bows with black Walnut saplings. It has a thick outer growth ring that is very strong .I debark them green ,and ax,and rasp to 80 percent so I can get it shaped on a form with 4 inch back set. Take the twists out of it, and line the tips up with the riser heating ,and clamping.Let it dry in my basement. Give it a good belly heat treat before you take it off the form.Then tiller ,and heat treat one or two more times. It can take a lot of set ,so heat treating is important.Makes a light smooth drawing bow. Make it wide pyramid style. Will make a good self bow. Over looked as a good self bow wood, but built right works fine. Wood will ding easy. It is a soft hard wood.I have made them short, but my best bows were 62 inches long, 2 inches wide coming off the fades to 5 eight,s at the tips.Good luck.