American Plum?

[DavidV]

Anyone know about american plum (prunus americana)? I found a large thicket while stumping and there may be some smaller 2" saplings that are long enough for bows. If not there are definitely a bunch of arrow shafts, riser blocks, and accents for other projects.

[Bryce]

Gabe will probably chime in shortly   

American plum from what I can tell and my limited experience with the species seems to be good bow wood.

[rossfactor]

Aaaaaand I'm in! Plums #1 PR guy!

Actually I don't know a darn thing about American Plum    But, of the 3-4 cultivars I've used, all have been great bow wood.  Sounds like Prunus Americana, is pretty shrubby, but if you can find a straight-ish piece, in the 60+ inches range, with diameter 1.5 inches or up, (even smaller if your careful), and not completely covered in knots, you should be in good shape. So I've not found a species of plum that won't make a bow.

Gabe

[DavidV]

Ahh, thanks man that's what I was looking for. It is shrubby stuff and just hadn't heard much about it.

[TimPotter]

I've seen bows made from plum with the bark left on the back, (it won't pop off latter down the road). But once the bark is off the belly side coat in glue as it will check and open like a son-of-a-gun.

[DavidV]

Ended up cutting a sapling 2" on bottom and a little over 1.5" on top. It's 58" long, I thought it was longer when I cut it.... must be a guy thing  ....anyway I know there's a bow in there somewhere but I don't have much experience with character bows so not sure where to start. Tempted to do a 5-curve just looking at it.

[TimPotter]

I see a gull wing bow in there. 

[rossfactor]

Yup, that can work.

I'd use heat to even the limb profiles. You can either add deflex to the mid left limb (and produce a gull wing profile), or add reflex to the mid right limb (and produce a five curve profile). The gull wing will probably be easier to tiller. Plum works well with wet or dry heat and oil. But since the wood is green, I'd seal the ends and let it set for a couple months first. Or my other method for plum: rough it out and wrap it in plastic wrap for a week, than cut holes in the plastic for a week, and than unwrap it for three weeks indoors.

Either way I'd go semi-bendy handle design. And don't worry about the high crown, plum can handle it. Again I've never worked with American Plum, but with other plums this limb can easily give 60+ lbs at 28 inches with a semi bendy handle design....

Gabe

[Salvador 06]

I've played with the plum that's used for street trees, its good wood.  I think all plums make good bows.  I've been tempted to do some creative pruning myself. 

58" should be plenty long for a gullwing bow.

[Badger]

  Plum is one of my favorite woods, I rate it as a 1st string bow wood right up with osage and yew. Responds well to heat and adjustments and very flexable. I believe if the English would have had access to good plum they would have used it for long bows instead of yew.

   One problem with plum is that it is a nightmare to dry and must be dried slowly or it will split. I usually will quicly rough out a bow and then seal it up real good for a few months. I started wrapping mine in seran wrap with a few little holes punched in it. A year would be fair time for a 2" sapling roughed out.

[DavidV]

Well I'm liking it so far responds great to the drawknife, and I steamed the limbs to match this morning (reflexed the right limb otherwise it would have had 2 inches a deflex starting out). It's wrapped in seran wrap as suggested and strapped down...

Rossfactor- On the second method, is the wood dry after the three weeks indoors? I'm not in a hurry, just wondering.

I did cut one other sapling which might be better than the first. It has the same kink in the handle but the limbs are straight. At the very least I'll get 66" out of it.

[rossfactor]

to answer your question in a long winded way:

If your humidity is reasonably low in the house (I keep mine near the heater), I've found that after the 5 week total deal (1 wrapped, 1 with holes, 3 unwrapped), my small diameter plum bows take very little set.

gabe