need help identifying tree

[youngbowyer]

Hi,
I recently "discovered" a patch of woods next to a landscaping company near my house.
I decided to have a look and i found several trees that looked like dogwood but i wasnt sure.
Here is a picture of it

[sonny]

don't think it's a dogwood as they typically have more of a blocky pattern to the bark.....
 

[Pat B]

looks like black cherry.

[youngbowyer]

looks like your right pat. Is black cherry any good for bowmaking?

[beetlebailey1977]

Yep looks like black cherry....I am getting ready to cut some myself and find out how well it will work.  Some say it will work good others say it can blow up for no reason.  Will have to see.

[youngbowyer]

i saw some white birch in the same area and i think i will cut some down to make split timber shafts and to make a nice flatbow.

[Pat B]

Black cherry will make a pretty good bow if you build it as per Paul Comstock...long and wide. Use the sapwood right under the bark as your back. This time of year the bark is difficult to get off. The bark and cambium is pretty thick if I remember correctly.

[youngbowyer]

i might cut it down if i can find one of a small diameter. I currently have enough bowwood to last me a couple of months and i have slabs of birch wood that need to be split into arrows so i'll be busy for a couple of months while the cherry is seasoning. I think i found some white ash as well but i can't really tell because there aren't any leaves on the trees.

[youngbowyer]

finally found a tree that im absolutely sure of I'ts a black locust(easy to identify by its' seeds) its about 12-15 inches in diameter so it should hold several bow staves. My friend is going to help me cut it down this weekend. Should i leave the bark on or should i debark it and chase a ring right away?
Thanks,Tom.

[Pat B]

Are you sure it is not a redbud(Cercus canadensis). It has seed pods much like a black locust(about 3" to 4" long) but no thorns. A black locust will have rose-like thorns on the small branches and twigs. Generally by now the locust seed pods have dropped off but redbuds still hold them.

[youngbowyer]

The seeds weren't on the tree anymore I just saw a lot of them around the tree and I only saw five or six still remaining in the tree but they looked dead.I'm pretty sure its a black locust

[Pat B]

That's great. Have fun with your new bow wood. 

[youngbowyer]

I sure wil patt! There are 2 or 3 black locust trees that i found and all free for the taking!
This patch of woods that i found is almost invisible. It is hidden by a lot of tree/shrubs so it doesn't look like much but once you walk further down there are several bowmaking woods including black locust. For the coming year i will be stacked with wood

[wildman]

made a couple black cherry bows backed with boo one has about 2500 arrows on it still kicking