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Author Topic: Mountain Laurel ?  (Read 13772 times)

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Offline greenstick

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Mountain Laurel ?
« on: March 17, 2009, 12:20:06 pm »
At this time I have access to lots of Mountain Laurel trees for potential staves. Has any of the seasoned bow makers out there ever tried this type of wood,can it be done?

Thanks
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I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.-Thomas Edison  ( Indiana )

Offline brownhillboy

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2009, 12:31:09 pm »
I'm glad you asked this question...I've been looking at some and wondering the same thing.
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south central VA

Offline Pat B

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2009, 12:32:33 pm »
I have not tried Mt Laural even though I have 25ac of the stuff. If you can find a piece that is straight enough and not twisted give it a try and report back.  ;)
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline DanaM

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2009, 01:48:55 pm »
If its the same as mescalbean the roots have some awesome colors, makes great knife handles :)
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Manistique, MI

Offline Keenan

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2009, 01:51:38 pm »
  The SG. of mountain laurel is good and it should make a good bow. However I have not tried one so far, but have a very good looking mounatian laurel stave that has seasoned for a few years now.  Maybe I can pull it down out of the rafters and give it a try. ;)
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Offline greenstick

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2009, 02:20:58 pm »
Sounds good Keenan, I think I'll cut one and give it a try.
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I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.-Thomas Edison  ( Indiana )

Offline Pat B

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2009, 02:21:55 pm »
Dana, the mountain laurel he is referring to is Kalmia latifolia, aka in the mountains here as ivy!
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline brownhillboy

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2009, 02:28:32 pm »
I'm not sure which type greenstick is referring to, but here in my part of VA, we have both ivy and mountain laurel, which is rhododendron, and is different from what we call "ivy".
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south central VA

Offline DanaM

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2009, 02:32:10 pm »
cowbot gave me some slabs of mountain laurel roots, beautiful wood. Think he got it in Texas ???
Also if I remember right he said it was really toxic and the locals kill it at every opportunity.
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"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline Pat B

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2009, 02:51:12 pm »
Dana, mountain laurel is toxic to cattle and other livestock and the root was considered second only to Mercheim(sp) for making pipe bowls.   Brownhill, We have mt laurel and rhodo here too. The locals call mt laurel ivy.
   When they were surveying the border between NC and Tenn, way back when, there were places the ivy was so thick the surveyors would lay large wooden planks over the top of the ivy 'hells"(as they called them) to walk on instead of trying to go through them.  :o
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline cowboy

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  • Paul Wolfe. Springtown, TX
Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2009, 03:01:00 pm »
That's Mexican mountain laurel Dana, only grows in the West that I know of. It put's out pods with about a half dozen red seeds in them that are toxic. their highly prized out there as ornamentals and are highly priced ::).
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2009, 03:05:38 pm »
So whos yard did ya uproot Paul :o :D
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"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline greenstick

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2009, 03:06:42 pm »
Here is a bad picture with my palm camera,I think its mt.laurel[/img]
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I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.-Thomas Edison  ( Indiana )

Offline Keenan

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2009, 03:08:15 pm »
Yes as others have said the Laurel that I have is from a tree that gets about 30' tall with smooth redish brown bark that sheds leaving a greenish underbark. The leaves are a shiny dark green and smooth almost waxy texture and the wood is white!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Mountain Laurel ?
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2009, 03:43:08 pm »
I think we are talking about different mountain laurels.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC
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