Anyone tried Mesquite?

[Westbound]

Has anyone tried a Mesquite wood bow?

I know Mesquite is a stout hardwood, and woodworkers like the way it works.
Here in Texas we are overrun with this non-native tree, so if it would make a good bow, I might be able to supply a goodly about for the Trading Post.

[DanaM]

Mesquite will make a good bow, I've heard of a few but I believe one of the problems with it is finding a decent piece i.e. straight enough and big enough.

Ribeyes taste great cooked on it

[Westbound]

LOL.  Everything tastes better cooked over mesquite!!

Tree selection would be an issue.  Finding a 6 or 7 foot straight piece could be a challange.
Next time I'm at my grandmother's I'll look.  Before my grandfather died I spent summers there with the explicit orders to kill any and all mesquite sprouts, but there are still several trees in the fencelines.

[mullet]

  I've always wanted to try one. I thought you could splice billets and sinew back it. I've wanted to make a sinew-backed take-down, though.

[JackCrafty]

Tried it a couple times....the latest one is just sitting there, unfinished.  It's too brittle for a short, narrow bow but a wide limb one might work.  I was thinking of backing mine with sinew but I think I'll wait for humid weather here (late summer).  I just broke a short elm bow last week.

It heat or steam bends well when green.  NA's used it for bows and foreshafts.

[huntersim]

I built a bow with a slat that Dave Rue (look for snedeker, he's built one or two and liked it) gave me. It needed a backing so I used some hickory and built a little 58" bow about 1 1/4" wide with a rounded belly. It seems to make a nice bow with a backing of some sort.  I've stalled putting a proper finish on it because I keep expecting to see frets and the finish I was putting on it originally, looked really bad. I just spliced another piece also from Dave that I plan on building a slightly longer recurve from.

[snedeker]

Ed Scott of Owl bows makes sinewed mesquite bows.   Very weak in compression.  A hard wood.   I have done a couple straight ones backed with hickory but have been a little cursed wtih foul ups.  String slip off causing belly crack, adn the last one I got the handle a little too narrow and the glue on piece wants to pop off - may have to to a take down out of it.

The lumber is pretty expensive.

Dave

[mullet]

 How have you been Dave? I havn't seen you on in awhile.

[snedeker]

My first post in months.  Weaned my way off for a bit, working on a book.  You know, its hard to be an occassional bowyer.  Have ruined a couple through dumb carelessness.  Thanks for noticing my absence

Dave