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Author Topic: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.  (Read 9830 times)

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Offline ionicmuffin

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I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« on: October 03, 2012, 12:37:59 am »
So, some time ago i had dragged a branch back to my garage, i then proceeded to saw it on all 4 sides with my dads table saw. I know what your thinking at this point. "DONT DO IT!" well, i did. When i was done i left it there for several months, later i scrapped it because back then i was just a kid. i didnt know what i was doing. At about the beginning of summer i had tossed it out into a pile where we keep all of our scrap wood that we discard or mulch. but today i had an inkling that maybe it was still usable. so i went out and found it. then i took it and chased part of one ring, and i must say, Its salvageable! im so glad it is! it has at least 4 inches of reflex "compliments of nature" built in to it. since it is about 78 inches in length i think i might make an ELB for my friend. The stave is of maple.  It is rather high crowned so thats why i thought ELB. I think it has had at least 3-4 years to dry out, so definitely well seasoned. I still have to chase the entire thing to one ring. I dont plan on anything heavier than 60 # at 32" because my friend loves to overdraw his current bow(which has now developed a hing and is nearing the end of its life.)  He is Extremely tall and has very long arms. at this point he often draws to the shoulder farthest from the bow >.< this means hes at least 32" draw if not close to 33 or 34... and on top of that hes only 14(almost 15, this will be his present.) and hes currently 6' 6" and his arms are as i said earlier, LONG. thats why i think making an ELB that can be overdraw like that would suit him. Whats your guys' thoughts on this project? I can back it to give it more strength if it will be tension weak or something.
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2012, 12:39:12 am »
The maple is Big Leaf Maple. i am more than willing to use rawhide or flax backing for this stave if that will help any
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Offline adb

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2012, 01:58:02 am »
Hard maple is tension strong, and makes an excellent backing. If you're looking to make a warbow, that stave will be a challenge.
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2012, 02:13:23 am »
Yeah, i figured that i would have a hard time with it, but i just couldn't see letting it sit there and be useless. I really do think i will back it since ive seen here: http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/10100/Choke-Cherry-and-ELB-s#.UGvBAZiHLUt
Im thinking that if i back it with some hemp that ive separated like sinew that it will work out best because it will make it a bit more tension strong.
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2012, 01:10:02 pm »
ok. so just recently i found this link. http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/44387#.UHGg8ZiHLUt
its a silver maple warbow, and its by toomanyknots  ;D so im thinking that if he could make a decent warbow with the stuff, then maybe my ideas still got some power behind it!
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2012, 05:06:13 pm »
correction, this isnt a big leaf maple, this is a Norway maple.
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Offline bow-toxo

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2012, 06:02:56 pm »
60 pounds is not what we call a warbow [modern term], it is a longbow, a less powerful version of a warbow.78" weith 75" between nocks is long enough that a 32" draw is not an overdraw. I am not familiar with that kind of wood. In mediaeval and Tudor times, longbows were heat treated but not backed. They were "selfbows' of one piece of wood, sometimes with horn nocks.
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Offline adb

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2012, 06:23:30 pm »
Quote from: bow-toxo on October 26, 2012, 06:02:56 pm
60 pounds is not what we call a warbow [modern term], it is a longbow, a less powerful version of a warbow.78" weith 75" between nocks is long enough that a 32" draw is not an overdraw. I am not familiar with that kind of wood. In mediaeval and Tudor times, longbows were heat treated but not backed. They were "selfbows' of one piece of wood, sometimes with horn nocks.
I had no idea medieval or even Tudor bows were heat treated. How did they do it? What evidence do you have that it existed? I think I've heard that our Native Americans heat treated some stuff, but never medieval bowyers.
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Offline bow-toxo

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2012, 02:07:06 am »
Ascham writes that bowyers should use "Heetes conveniente" . Arrows were sometimes also heated according to Lartdarcherie.
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Offline adb

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2012, 02:33:02 am »
Can you be more specific? "Heetes conveniente" seems pretty vague.
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2012, 02:36:13 am »
good to know this, i havent gotten around to chasing one ring. i will post pictures when i have it all shaped.
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Offline paulsemp

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2012, 06:14:14 am »
no need to chase a ring, take off the bark and there is your ring
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2012, 01:48:08 pm »
thats the problem. i had previously severly violated the rings, so i think that i either have to chase one, or add a backing. the later may be my best option considering that the handle section may get really thin if i try to chase a ring.
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Offline bow-toxo

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2012, 11:47:46 pm »
Quote from: adb on October 28, 2012, 02:33:02 am
Can you be more specific? "Heetes conveniente" seems pretty vague.
No, but heat used by a bowyer and the effects we know heat has on a bow is evidence for me. I would prefer more. We use what we can get and it's more than we have for ff strings.
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Offline adb

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Re: I found some wood, possible stave for war bow? i dont need it to be super heavy.
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2012, 01:40:25 am »
Well... then in fact, you can't say with certainty that medieval or Tudor bowyers heat treated the bows.
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