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Author Topic: cotton wood???  (Read 3969 times)

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Offline sound maker

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cotton wood???
« on: May 14, 2012, 08:34:18 pm »
So I happen to have some cotton wood (black cotton wood i think) saplings that I can get and i was
wondering if they can be made into bows.  I can get them about 3inches thick and about 6-7 1/2 feet tall. So would I debark it and set it to dry after some rough shaping?? And would I be making it into a flat bow or is the a better design for this wood??
      Thanks for any advice!!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2012, 09:07:08 pm »
You can make a bow with it but it probably won't be much good. I've never tried cottonwood so this is just a guess.
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Offline Bevan R.

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2012, 10:00:14 pm »
Cottonwood will be soft, so the wider and flatter the belly the better. It might make a 'serviceable' bow but it is not a 'good' bow wood by any means.
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Offline sound maker

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2012, 10:21:17 pm »
 well mostly the reason I'm asking is because theres alot of it around me and I want to get practice on making bows and I want to get a nice load of wooden bow that I don't mind being broken by people :-\. you know these people, the ones that go "how far back can this go?!?!?" people (theres going to be effort but I'm not going to do anything fancy just shotable bow) for a group I'm with until I can get some 'good' bow wood from around to make the different draw lengths and weights. The 'good' bow wood would be vine, curly, and other maples with some oceanspray, bamboo, hickory, and the random one from my neck of the wood that I am going to be getting from now till fall that are going to need to be dry and such.
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I am not the best but learn from the wise and you'll end up being called he best!
 What one person calls common sense another calls wisdom.

Offline Bevan R.

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2012, 10:40:20 pm »
I was not trying to talk you out of it. By all means, go ahead. You will get some experience getting limbs bending evenly. I was just warning you not to expect a rocket launcher.
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Bowmakers are a little bent, but knappers are just plain flaky.

Offline sound maker

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2012, 11:09:36 pm »
 I already have a stave coming from a friend that going to be a rocket launcher! ;D! ;D! and I understand you were not talking me out of it and as you said they will make 'serviceable' bow and with the people that are going to use them will need those kind from a wood that I can get alot of because I know that they would end up breaking them ::) :o ::). Then I can makes some nice bows from the  ;D'good' ;D stuff so they can appreciate them when they shoot them and by the time they shoot the good ones they will know what not to do. :laugh: I hope anyways ::) ;D ::)
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I am not the best but learn from the wise and you'll end up being called he best!
 What one person calls common sense another calls wisdom.

Offline hammerstone

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2012, 12:47:07 am »
makes decent arrows if you wanna put in the work.probably better arrows than bows.
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2012, 01:09:44 pm »
My opinion is it is junk...most people won't even use it for firewood. It sucks water up like cotton, and the wood it less then durable. The only use I know of is plywood filler, and cheap skids for trucks.....good luck!
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2012, 01:16:18 pm »
Its a great way to hurt your buddys that want to shoot them, if one holds together to even make a bow. Dont spend your time on it friend. You wont gain anything from working it.
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Offline johnston

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2012, 01:37:15 pm »
Uh...wouldn't be easier to instruct your friends on proper bow deployment ?
Just sayin'...

Lane
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Offline k-hat

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2012, 02:13:34 pm »
"proper bow deployment" . . . for some reason creates funny images in my mind ;D  Seems like I've done that with bows that wouldn't cooperate ::) :P
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2012, 05:29:49 pm »
I've made a couple bows from cottonwood and it is very light and weak.  It feels and acts almost like pine. If it wants to break, it won't give you any warning... it just explodes.  I don't recommend it for bows that will be abused.  Rattan or Ramin wood is much better for that kind of bow.

If you have lots of cottonwood, I would use it for arrows if I were you.
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Offline RDK

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2012, 07:53:45 pm »
I agree with jackcrafty-my lesson was not to use it again for a bow---we solely heat and cook with wood--it has its use in getting a quick hot fire going-but that's about it.  I never thought to even try to use cotton wood for arrows. Around here went log out the property cottonwood goes for pallets.
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Offline YosemiteBen

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #13 on: May 16, 2012, 01:56:28 pm »
@Soundmaker - cottonwood has been used to make flutes.
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Offline randman

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Re: cotton wood???
« Reply #14 on: May 16, 2012, 06:21:08 pm »
Soundmaker, there are so many better woods around your neighborhood to spend your time on. You got tons of hazel real close. Easy to season and work and a much better choice than cottonwood. Hazel shoots make good arrows too.
By the way, did you ever find yourself a drawknife in any of those places I told you about?
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