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Would Alder Make Good, Heavy Shafting?
D. Tiller:
JD don't do it! Alder sucks in tension. When you go to shoot it it will want to snap. You could seriously end up hurting yourself. Only good thing alder is good for is in furniture or firewood. It can not stand up to vigorous flexing. Here on Whidbey Island every winter lost of alders just snap and shatter from wind storms. I hardly ever see cedar or fir doing this.
I just see this image of you with a shaft stuck through your arm!!! :'( Please don't use it!!!!
David T
duffontap:
I think you're probably right David. Poplar is very similar though and lots of medieval war arrows were made out of poplar. Thanks guys.
J. D. Duff
brian melton:
D tiller,
Cedar sucks in tension, as does a lot of arrow woods. I know Vern holstead said "red alder" made very nice easy to spine arrows. I would give it a shot!
Brian
D. Tiller:
Port Orford is a cedar, makes great shafts. Also, tight grained heartwood of cedars is very dense and makes good shafts. The Alder here in the Northwest, I dont believe, is the same as red alder. From what I know of alder arround here is it sucks in bending and will bust easily. Maybe a different species would work fine but I'm not going to stake my body and a sharp splinter on the alder arround here.
David T.
duffontap:
It is true that cedar is weak in tension. It's also true that our alder trees snap like twigs in the wind. I know that Alder has zero rot resistance--something I've always blamed its weakness on. I think I'll make up some alder shafts and shoot them at rocks to see how strong they are.
J. D. Duff
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