Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Huaco on August 21, 2008, 01:44:47 pm

Title: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Huaco on August 21, 2008, 01:44:47 pm: Just curious... What kind of Fruit woods make good bow woods? I figured these woods would be WAY too soft, but I have seen more than one bow here and there that are made of some type of fruit wood.

If you want to show us your fruity bow, go ahead and post the pix.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Pat B on August 21, 2008, 01:52:29 pm: I haqve not made a bow with fruit wood but I have read that any fruit or nut tree will make a good bow. Pat
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: DanaM on August 21, 2008, 02:08:19 pm: Quote from: Pat B on August 21, 2008, 01:52:29 pm
I haqve not made a bow with fruit wood but I have read that any fruit or nut tree will make a good bow. Pat

But can a fruit or a nut make a bow thats the real question :D :D :D
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: deerhunter97370 on August 21, 2008, 02:28:04 pm: This isnt mine. I have nowhere nere this talent but this the best fruit bow Ive ever seen.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4773.0.html
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Rich Saffold on August 21, 2008, 02:51:34 pm: I've used lemon, and Guava, ,and I have seen fine longbows made from apple, grapefruit.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: snedeker on August 21, 2008, 02:58:49 pm: There have been some nice crabapple, cherry, and plum bows on here. I did a crabapple last year and have the other half of the log section to do someday. Serviceberry and mulberry have been discussed recently. Of course, technically, all the non-gymnosperm trees bear fruits, just not all are fleshy juicy and tasty are they.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: rkeltner on August 21, 2008, 03:31:59 pm: hey, what about the ultimate bow wood....osage is a fruitwood. it just isn't humanly edible!!!
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Ryano on August 21, 2008, 04:35:55 pm: I've made decent bows of wild apple, and hawthorne which gets a small crab apple like fruit.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: JackCrafty on August 21, 2008, 05:14:59 pm: IMO, fruit wood makes the best bows. Some popular examples of fruit wood are:

Osage (already mentioned)
Mulberry
Juniper and Yew (see pictures of berries)

If you consider pods to be fruits, then there's:

Locust
Mesquite
Kentucky Coffee Tree

Other good fruit wood:

Serviceberry
Apple
Plum

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Kegan on August 21, 2008, 06:15:12 pm: The old rule of "fruit or nut woods make a bow" definately seems to fit. I've made a crabapple/bamboo bow, an osage, and a few sassafras (I've heard they bear fruit). I've also been looking for a straight section of apple for a few staves, but it's getting too late in the seasaon to cut now.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: adb on August 21, 2008, 06:37:45 pm: I've made excellent bows out of cherry.
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: orcbow on August 22, 2008, 09:07:38 am: Here's a bow I made from Indiana Black Cherry. Thanks to Minuteman for the stave. The back is flattened to reduce the sap wood and to improve the cross section. So I backed with some strong hemp canvas, since no ring was perfectly followed. Length 70". Draw weight 58# at 28". Aprox. 2" wide at the handle, with a sharp taper to the tips which are 7/16" wide. No nocks, just a wrapping of sinew and hide glue. I am very proud of this bow. It is beautiful. It has 1 3/4" string follow.
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e279/bonney-weyers/DSCN5180.jpg)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e279/bonney-weyers/DSCN4540.jpg)
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: orcbow on August 22, 2008, 09:29:52 am: Here's a close-up of the tip:
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e279/bonney-weyers/DSCN5622.jpg)
And a full side view:
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e279/bonney-weyers/DSCN5181.jpg)
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Rich Saffold on August 22, 2008, 01:33:20 pm: Orcbow, That looks sweet!
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: sailordad on August 22, 2008, 11:50:52 pm: Quote from: Kegan on August 21, 2008, 06:15:12 pm
I've also been looking for a straight section of apple for a few staves, but it's getting too late in the seasaon to cut now.

yup, good luck with that qwest there, i've been around a lot of apple trees,grandparents had a small orchard 30 acres worth when i was just liilte one,now there all gone and so is the orchard,never seen a straight apple tree limb that was more than about three feet long.
however i have been contemplating doing an apple billet bow,using a "z" style splice. just havent found the right apple tree yet,that wants to give up a limb for the cause.

there is a guy on the next block with a pear tree,seen him eyeballing it the other day,maybe hes getting ready to do some gtrimming or possibly removing the whole tree( i wish )

tim
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Traxx on August 23, 2008, 03:35:36 am: Cool lookin bow ya made there
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: Far East Archer on August 23, 2008, 05:48:23 am: I wouldnt say every fruit and nut tree make good bow.

Some such as mango tree and chestnut not good.

Usually, if the heavier the fruit, the stronger the wood is because it has to be able to carry all this weight without break limb.
Some tree though, like olive, have lighter fruit but still very dense so it varies a bit.

Alex
Title: Re: Fruit Bows--show us yours
Post by: ballista on August 24, 2008, 11:09:44 pm: i made a small bow from an apple tree branch- my only problem was finding a good stave to work with. my scale said #57, but have doubts on it-24" draw, i was considering making it into a crossbow, but.......