bradford pear wood

[S.C. hunter]

Hi all,
  I am in the process of cutting some trees around the house.  I am going to cut down a bradford pear tree, and was wondering if anyone has tried to make a bow out of this wood? I have read that most any nut, or fuit tree will most likely be good. Anyone have any info?


             thanks
               Steve

[FlintWalker]

I don't think a Bradford pear is actually a fruit tree.  I know that the wood is very brittle and I doubt it would make a good bow.

[MaceG]

You know you gotta try, right?

[Pat B]

Bradford pear is a pears(Pyrus) but it is a cultivar (cultural variety) hybridized for landscapes. The wood of Bradford pears is strong like the other pears but the structure of the tree(branch angles) is very weak. When they break down in storms or due to ice or snow it is the junction where the limb leaves the trunk that breaks.  I'd say it should make a good bow if built like any whitewood bow.

[M-P]

Hi, I collected some for a trial, but the tree I selected had a really marked twist to the grain.  I should have seen that in the bark, but missed it somehow.  I've seen at least one other post that said most bradford pears have marked twist.  Other than that the wood looked like it should work.  I'd still be willing to try it if I could find straight grain.   Ron

[Del the cat]

I'd be suspicious of it. I havn't made a bow, but I made a nice miniature seige engine with the arm out of pear with a lovely carved spoon on the end (for putting the miniature rocks in) . It snapped off first shot*, the Elm replacement was fine. I made a sling end for it too.

So I'd say it was rather brittle and poor in shock, may be ok backed?
Del
* It snapped where the arm hits the cross member (see left picture) at the end of it's travel, there is a pad of leather stuffed whith horse hair to cushion the blow, but the nice spoon end just snapped clean off

[Pat B]

Del, I don't doubt your experiment(cool little seige engine) but I do notice that there is an eye attached into the arm right where the arm strikes the pad and you indicated that is where it broke. There are at least 2 parts of this experiment that are not consistent with the working properties of bow wood. One is the sudden stop at one point on the arm and the other is the trigger attachment is located in that same point on the arm. That puts most of the stresses at that point instead of spreading them out along the entire limb. I would imagine there are many good bow woods that could not take this kind of abuse.
  Steve, You have nothing to loose by trying Bradford pear as bow wood. I'd say give it a try. You might have a lifetime supply of good bow wood...or if worse comes to worse, firewood.  Building bows of wood is all about experimentation anyway.

[bcbull]

OK  GUYS  A WHILE BACK WE HAD THIS SAME THING COME UP  SHAUN  ACTUALLY MADE A PEAR  BOW  BUT NOT BRADFORD   FOUND OUT  BRADFORD IS NO  GOOD FOR  MAKIN BOW S TOO BRITTLE BREAKS TO EASEY UNDER TENSION  DO A SERCH  SEE IF YOU CAN FIND THEM OLD POST S WE HAD  I HONESTLY WOULDNT WASTE THE TIME TO  GET IT  I REMBER THEY SAID BEST FOR FIRE WOOD  PAT B  IF I REMBER WE HAD U THROW IN ON THAT OL  POST  BROCK

[Del the cat]

Del, I don't doubt your experiment(cool little seige engine) but I do notice that there is an eye attached into the arm right where the arm strikes the pad and you indicated that is where it broke. There are at least 2 parts of this experiment that are not consistent with the working properties of bow wood. One is the sudden stop at one point on the arm and the other is the trigger attachment is located in that same point on the arm. That puts most of the stresses at that point instead of spreading them out along the entire limb. I would imagine there are many good bow woods that could not take this kind of abuse.
  Steve, You have nothing to loose by trying Bradford pear as bow wood. I'd say give it a try. You might have a lifetime supply of good bow wood...or if worse comes to worse, firewood.  Building bows of wood is all about experimentation anyway.

Indeed, it's not a valid comparison with a bow, just annecdotal evidence of the broad properties compared with Elm.
Del

[Pat B]

I'll have to find some Bradford and give it a try. I'm not convinced it is not a good bow wood. 

[Hillbilly]

I've seen a couple bows of pear wood from our European members. I'm with Pat, I don't think that the wood is any more brittle than any other pear, it's the structure of the tree itself that is weak and causes it to break apart. Of course, it's not osage, but should be comparable to most medium-weight whitewoods.

[wodpow]

We had them  on main street all through town that wood cuts like butter we could really cut it with only a bow saw not much structure . 

[S.C. hunter]

Thanks for the info guys, the tree is down, and I did keep one piece of wood. Aftr it dries some I will try just to see. Wont cost anything

  steve

[Hillbilly]

Keep us updated. I've always wondered about BP wood, but it's a lot easier for me if you do the experimenting, especially if it doesn't work.