Pacific Dogwood build along.... Update- Broken...

[FilipT]

Cool, I am looking forward to this build a long. I have some experience with common dogwood (cornus sanguinea) and this wood is probably totally different than your dogwood.
Only similar thing I found is when I googled "pacific dogwood" is that your dogwood has similar leaf to mine, and that's it. Probably behaves different than mine also.

For example, when wet, common dogwood here has really stinky odor and when tillering, one has to pay attention to knots on back as they seem to be like from another type of wood. For example, if one would to make warbow out of it (possible), if it would collapse, it would surely be along the back knots which seem to be softer than rock hard sap and heartwood.

[wizardgoat]

Stalker, knots and pins are known to be a weakness in PDW as well.
My helped my brother in law make a bow, a pretty straight PDW stave with
a good amount of knobby grown over broken branches.  I don't remember the exact
specs, it was around 50#, and was shooting 500 grain arrows in the high 170s.
Very stiff and snappy, even with no heat

[vinemaplebows]

Brian I've made just one bow from eastern dogwood, and 3 from pacific.
If you told me they were the same I'd believe you.
The 4 DW bows I made all have very distinct contrast between the pink and white wood.
This log is pretty much completely salmon coloured, maybe because it's size

I have one to cut that is just off my land that is close to 30 inches at the base (best guess) has 3 distinct logs that make up the tree that are pipe straight.....I can't say how rare this is around here...most are relatively small. I will get a pic with a tape around it. The color is the same here.

[DC]

Blayne, I just stripped the rest of the bark off my quarter. If you carefully cut the outer bark with a draw knife as close as you can without cutting the wood then spray it with water, a little spritzer bottle is what I used, it softens the under bark in a few minutes and it will scrape off with your fingernail Just work your way up and down the bow and you will have a pristine back.

[Blayne]

Thanks Don. I will be working on this stave again soon! I did that with my past yew bow, it worked excellent!

[Blayne]

I spent a little more time on it today. Taken the thickness down even more, so now it is rasp and floor tiller time!





The bark is a poppin!

[DC]

What we thought was really straight is quire roller coastery. Mine looks just like that for some reason

[Blayne]

I know the one limb is like that, the other is totally straight. Looks like that one might a challenge!

[Roosevelt]

Following along. Received a Dogwood log from our apartment building. Just wish i had some wedges and sledgehammer...

[Blayne]

Sorry its been a while. The honey-do list got in the way! Anyhow the bow has taken shape pretty well. I almost totally screwed up by taking too long to put a short string on it. Once I did it was coming in almost where I wanted it.



Removing the bark was pretty easy. It is time consuming and I am always scared to violate a growth ring. My trusty Mora 2 knife and a spritz of water here or there(thanks DC) got it cleaned up nice!







It sits now at 70lbs at 30" after a little more sanding and scraping. A bit disappointed that I missed my weight by about 5lbs, but I will just have to build another one!



Hope to have some action shots soon! Thanks for looking.

[DC]

I want to see it bent!!

[Blayne]

Here ya go Don...



Too bad this happened shortly after:(





Dang knot! I was a little worried about it, from what I heard about dogwood. Oh well it was fun while it lasted. I guess I will build a heavy yew bow now☺️

[DC]

Oh crap! Was it the top limb that broke?

[Blayne]

It was the bottom limb. The snakey one is great lol!

[penderbender]

Too bad that was looking good. Did it snap at that deflex spot out of the fade? Cheers- Brendan