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Author Topic: my new 55# tree of heaven bow  (Read 12461 times)

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Offline richardzane

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my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« on: January 21, 2012, 06:55:48 pm »
I wasn't happy when i realized i had a thick stand of Tree of Heaven in a hollow in the west 40.
But asked conservationists if it was strong enough for a bow. They never heard of such a thing, so i decided to give it a try.
I felled a 10" diameter tree last spring and split it into staves. the wood seemed a little soft.
but this fall when i started working on this one i had a good feeling..in fact it proved to be a very tough wood.
it tillered out evenly through the whole process of rasping and scraping with a cabinet scraper.
Its really a nice bow to shoot. the arrow i'm holding is from wild rose that didn't grow far from where the bow grew up.
these arrows are a tad long but they were my first homegrown arrows with flint tips.
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when i'm working on things my ancestors worked, singing the songs my ancestors sang, dancing the same dances, speaking the same language, only then  I feel connected to the land, THIS land, where my ancestors walked for thousands of years...

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2012, 07:04:30 pm »
Your full draw photo is worthy of a centerfold!  Now give us her measurements!  Woohoo, nice bow porn!
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Offline Dazv

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2012, 07:20:12 pm »
nice job very good looking bow loving the arrows to.
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Offline richardzane

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2012, 08:21:23 pm »
thanks for the encouragements!

measurements of my 55# Tree of Life Bow,
the length is 64 1/2 " and the widest places across the bow is 2" (the hips?)  sorry ,I'm not up on official bow anatomy!
i've only shot it maybe fifty times, but so far hasn't shown much 'following of the string' as my hickories and hackberry's have.
plus its lighter and thinner. no knots at all , and just the slightest twist on one limb.

the back of the bow is the surface right under the thin bark, just lightly scraped and sanded. and couple layers of true oil.

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when i'm working on things my ancestors worked, singing the songs my ancestors sang, dancing the same dances, speaking the same language, only then  I feel connected to the land, THIS land, where my ancestors walked for thousands of years...

Offline Gus

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2012, 08:33:37 pm »
Yes Sir!

Very Nice looking Bow and Profile.

Hmm... Hips sounds good to me!  :)

-gus
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Offline randman

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2012, 08:55:02 pm »
Beauty! I love it when those invasive species (Tree of heaven, scotchbroom, russian olive) make great bow wood because you can don't have to feel guilty about hacking down as much as you like and some people love to see you do it! Definitely keeping my eyes open for TOH when I'm out and about in eastern Washington where it grows like crazy everywhere.
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Offline richardzane

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2012, 09:39:31 pm »
 its also called a "Ghetto Palm" since it grows well in cities in vacant lots and between cracks in the sidewalk.
I used to think it was a kind of summac, It often has a little "thumb" on its individual leaflets
that helps to distinguish it from walnut shoots ,hickories or others with multiple leaflets....and it stinks.
scary wood!
I cut a staff of it and left it down on a picnic table by our spring for a couple weeks. It rained for a few days, and some days later the dang thing had sprouted leaves . it was trying to grow laying right on the top of the picnic table!
yeah its an aggressive tree, and sends out horizontal roots from which shoots start coming up everywhere.
might as well put it to work.
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when i'm working on things my ancestors worked, singing the songs my ancestors sang, dancing the same dances, speaking the same language, only then  I feel connected to the land, THIS land, where my ancestors walked for thousands of years...

Offline seabass

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2012, 10:00:33 pm »
very nice.well done buddy.love the arrows too,Steve
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Offline Postman

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2012, 10:38:41 pm »
Nice bow! Would not have thunk that TOH would work... Just goes to show ya. ;D
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Offline TRACY

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2012, 12:34:47 am »
Nice job man! I would have never considered the species after removing hundreds in the past. Maybe I ought to reconsider silver maple 8)

Tracy
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It is what it is - make the most of it!    PN500956

Offline bubby

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2012, 01:05:08 am »
tree of heaven, chinese sumac, chinese stink tree, all the same thing, med. density hardwood, makes good bows and pretty furnature, i've had some staves seasoning for about 5 mos, nice lookin' bow, Bub
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Offline coaster500

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2012, 01:12:14 am »
Man ya got to love those hips and fulls draw curves  >:D

Great job !!

Thanks for adding a new wood to the mix!!!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2012, 01:13:09 am »
Heavenly full draw.  8)
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Offline Elktracker

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2012, 03:05:28 am »
Nice bow and arrow! Great work!

Josh
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my friends think my shops a mess, my wife thinks I have too much bow wood, my neighbors think im redneck white trash and they may all be right on the money!!

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Offline gmc

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Re: my new 55# tree of heaven bow
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2012, 04:42:18 am »
Very Sweet.
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