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Author Topic: Possible bow wood?  (Read 2984 times)

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Offline tgtmatt

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Possible bow wood?
« on: January 30, 2013, 11:34:39 pm »
Has anyone every tried Crape myrtles? They grow all over the place where I live. Ironically Myrtle beach, makes sense I suppose but I know they don't originate from here. In this National geographic book I have their hardness level is considered a 7, so i suppose that's fairly well? Here's a few pictures.
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Offline aaron

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2013, 11:41:14 pm »
very good wood.
mostly, bow wood is good or bad based on it's density , or specific gravity. denser is better.
that stuff is .75
many bow woods are only .65 - oak
legendary woods like osage are .8
 insanely dense woods may be .9 or even over 1 (ironwood). these woods don't even float.
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline tgtmatt

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2013, 11:45:25 pm »
I'm going to be visiting some local places to chop some down(; wish me luck. If anyone has good experience with it, how long should i wit for it to dry? and what should i do after cutting it as it will be my first actual stave.
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Offline Weylin

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2013, 12:13:50 am »
do a search on here. There have been some nice crepe myrtle bows posted.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2013, 12:15:46 am »
Ken75 posted several nice CM bows here
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I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline rossfactor

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2013, 12:23:27 am »
Related to guava. Crepe myrtle ranks with the very best bow woods. A long straight piece is a gift from the bowyering gods.

Gabe
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Humboldt County CA.

Offline PrimitiveTim

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2013, 01:14:12 am »
OOH!  That's a good wood.  I cut one during the summer and the bark didn't come off real easy.   When it starts bending you'll hear it crack and start flaking off.  Do a search on it and you'll get a lot of your questions answered... It was really helpful to me anyway. 

Oh, take more than you need for trading cause lots of folks don't have access to it.
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Florida to Kwajalein to Turkey and back in Florida again.  Good to be home but man was that an adventure!

Offline tgtmatt

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2013, 08:57:10 am »
Feels good to have a good tree to use, I've been looking through so many tree books getting used to identifying trees in my area and got is it hard to do this in the winter without leaves. And the books don't give a very good bark description.
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Offline lesken2011

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2013, 09:20:45 am »
I have some crepe myrtle I have had drying since last spring. When I cut it, I got a lot of advise from Ken75 and Half Eye. Both really like it so I can't wait to get started on one. I just got in the bow trade....hmmmm??!!
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Kenny from Mississippi, USA

Offline tgtmatt

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2013, 10:59:29 am »
Any advice you have for me? On how to dry it, split it, etc?
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Offline Marks

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2013, 11:02:13 am »
I just burned a huge one in my back yard last summer.
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Offline Sasquatch

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2013, 11:36:02 am »
It should make a great bow. The ones in the pic look like there at some Businesses are they?  Hopefully you wont have to where a ski mask to cut yours.  >:D
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Offline tgtmatt

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2013, 12:22:00 pm »
Those I got online from google because I didn't have any pictures from around here but they look exactly like that. There is tons of these around here (myrtle beach) and all in businesses and neighborhoods. I might have to wear a ski mask:)
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Offline PrimitiveTim

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Re: Possible bow wood?
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2013, 02:45:55 pm »
I cut a piece over new years and I just sealed the ends and threw it on the barn to dry.  This summer I'll probably split it and start working on it.  I'm not saying this is the best or fastest way but I'm sure it'll work.  Getting the bark off easily is something I'm curious about.
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Florida to Kwajalein to Turkey and back in Florida again.  Good to be home but man was that an adventure!
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