Walnut trees...

[PaulN/KS]

A friend has some small walnut trees and has offered me the chance to cut a couple down for bows. I figure to cut them down this winter so it will be awhile before I can use the wood. Thought I'd get the info stream started early tho since I'm working tonight and the home computer is at the shop....Again....

So who all has used walnut and what can I expect...?
Thanks,
Paul

[radius]

basically, from what i've read in other threads, u'd be wasting your time just to give it a second glance

[Jmilbrandt]

What kind of walnut is it? I made one from black walnut heartwood a while back. Turned out good hardly took any set and was a really smooth shooter, really pretty wood too. Only thing was it did not want bend with heat I couldn't get it to bend even a little. http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,13916.msg193365.html#msg193365

[Pat B]

I've made walnut bows and used Paul Comstock's bow design(long, wide and flat) for whitewood bows. The wood right under the bark is the back of your bow. The sapwood will darken a little in time but most of the bow will be sapwood with a trace of heartwood in the handle if any at all.
   I would cut it now and split each log(pole) in half. Seal the ends and set it up to dry. You could reduce one to almost bow size and be able to work it more in a month or two. When you remove the bark, be sure to seal the back also.

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

i made a nice little recurve form a real short little stave. i think its 56 or so inches long. about 60# @ 26" bends pretty good, but i also broke a few before it as well.  walnut is kinda tough to work into a nice bow but certainly do-able.  my only advice is bend it really slow one inch at a time and adjust and make the tiller as perfect as you can...spend a good few hours tillering it.  it does crystal easy too.- Ryan

[sulphur]

yep chrysals very easily.  I backed a perfect board with white ash and thought i had good tiller.   it chrysal-ed after about 30 shots.  but it was pretty snappy for a 45# bow. 

[zeNBowyer]

Make  some  killer  wood  for  risers

[medicinewheel]

Made some boardbows backed with hickory, that didn't chrysal, eventhough the bellies were rounded a bit much for my nowadays taste.
Made some backed with maple, tapered backing, PERFECT grain orientation, flat belly and I got chrysals on them.
Developed some sort of love-hate relationship with that wood!

[bcbull]

iv made a few blk walnut bow s it  will work  but beware like other s say it does crystal easily  first one i made wae about 1 3/4   didnt work  at 42#  so  the next one i made into a paddle bow make the limbs wide  wide as ya can   recently i made one 3 1/4 wide  with the heart wood and left the sap   on most of it   sort  of a blk /whit conbo looks pretty  this ones 48# shoot fine after 500 shots  but i did add a thin layer of silk over the white sap  so best i can say  is whatever ya do go   as ya can on ur limbs  brock