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Offline Brent.Mac.

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Exotic Wood
« on: February 01, 2012, 03:34:08 pm »
Hey guys

I'm just wondering if any of you have heard of any of these exotic woods my local lumber store carries.  And if any are good bow candidates.

Lacewood,  Boardfoot, Bloodwood,  Padauk,  Wenge,  Panga Panga, Zebra, and Jatoba.

If anyone has any expirence with any of these please enlighten me with your bow wood knowledge.

Thanks in advance!
- Brent M
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Offline Lone500

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2012, 03:57:50 pm »
quick search on google shows that people have made lacewood, wenge, padauk, jatoba have been used for bows. donno about the rest.

as far as specific about the woods i dont really know anything.

jatoba- SG .91
zebraw- .74
panga panga- finding variation between .65 - .8 also another name for wenge wood it seems.
wenge-.65-.8
padauk- seen anywhere from .6-.8 so prob about .7 avg
bloodwood- .95-1.01 apparently beautiful wood and heavy as heck
lacewood- .4-.6 so .5 avg

looks like with proper design they could all make bows.
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Leon      Saluda, NC

Offline Elktracker

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  • Josh
Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2012, 03:59:55 pm »
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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!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline Bevan R.

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2012, 04:05:18 pm »
I have made bows from wenge. It can 'tear' and splinters burn like crazy. makes a bow when all is said and done. The paduk I tried popped a chunk out of a limb belly. It is harder to see any swirly grain in it. beautiful stuff for overlays and accents, but I will not be using it again.

Bevan
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Bowmakers are a little bent, but knappers are just plain flaky.

Offline bubby

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2012, 04:06:21 pm »
lacewood is quarter sawn sycamore and is mainly used for rizers and such, Bub
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Offline RBLusthaus

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2012, 04:16:08 pm »
I like to use zebra wood in handles and tip overlays - awesome grain and easy to carve (rasp).  Looks real nice when paired with a bamboo backing and something dark like ipe. 

Russ
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Offline paulsemp

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2012, 04:32:16 pm »
I just finished a hickory backed jatoba. I really like the wood. I just posted pics, under bows, title=new bow. Can not figure out how to put link on?
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Offline Elktracker

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  • Josh
Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2012, 04:43:13 pm »
Paul right click the link , copy it then past it where you want the link (in the reply)

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!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline paulsemp

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2012, 04:48:27 pm »
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Offline Matt S.

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2012, 05:10:23 pm »
I have heard of these: Bloodwood, Padauk, Wenge, Zebra, and Jatoba because one of my semi-local woodworking stores carries them. I have been interested in trying some of these out, most likely backed with hickory or white oak.

I do not have any personal experience with any of these, but from my research it seems that some people love them and some people hate them. The general consensus I get is that even though some of these woods are very dense, they perform like they're 10-15% less dense.

Let us know if you use any and how they turn out!
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Offline k-hat

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2012, 05:15:26 pm »
Another PA member did a nice padauk bow a while back that i bugged him about.  It's a beauty, but a bit of a difficult wood:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,21715.0.html

It's a 70 pounder by the way!
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Offline Brent.Mac.

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2012, 05:26:51 pm »
Wow you guys reply really fast!

Thanks for the input, I think I'll get a bloodwood and one other, but not sure.
I will be backing with hickory.

Now I've never backed with wood before so any tips would be awesome!
I can imagine it can't be too much harder then with rawhide=D

Thanks again
-Brent
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Offline soy

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Re: Exotic Wood
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2012, 07:49:33 pm »
Where did you find all that? I've been looking for blood wood can't seem to find it anywhere  :-\
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Is this bow making a sickness? or the cure...
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