Black locus.? do u follow one ring just as u would osage.

[Otter]

I cut down a black locus last year(4/12). My brother has got me hooked on bow making. He brought me to the Classic last year,and the to of us have over 70 staves of six or seven different wood. He is working midnights and im playing around, so would really appreciate any advice. And yes me and Turtle well be at the Classic this year to and we are going to camp this year.Hope to see some of you there.

[vyadha]

Yes chase a ring. Last weekend though I saw badger at a shoot. He had abl bow with 1/4" of sapwood on it. No difference in performance according to him.

[Otter]

Over time I would think that the sap wood would pull out. Next question, do u make the stave longer and wider than osage ?

[Otter]

Also its been only a year, am I able to make a bow out of this now or should I wait another year?

[George Tsoukalas]

Well, if it's ready or not depends on where you live. My BL was never ready after a year if left in stave form. After a year, I've taken it and roughed it out and let it dry. I monitor moisture with a moisture meter. You could weight and of the weight is constant for a week it is probably ready. If you remove the bark and it's wet you need to poly the back or you'll get drying cracks. Jawge

[Otter]

Thanks for your input George, I live in southeastern Ohio. I just debarked the back and chased a ring, the stave is 85 1/2" long and 2 1/2" wide,and 2 1/2 " thick. I coated it twice with shellac. Also coated a walnut stave I was forming out.Thinking about bring it with me to the classic next month for the trade blanket.

[blackhawk]

Has it been sitting up in your barn rafters with all your others? I'd rough shape it down to hear bow dimension and let it sit for at least a couple weeks inside at 40-50% rh and it should be pretty much ready to go. I've found the density with black locust can vary greatly from one tree to another,and some of my bows have been fairly wide and some at osage dimension because they were so dense...I know ya like simple flat bows so I'd go no less than 68" and make it 1 3/4" wide at the fade and run that width till mid limb then taper to half inch tips for starters and go from there...also I highly recommend giving it a nice light temper right when ya notice it taking set....yeah get it roughed out now and bring it to tennersee and we'll throw it in pappys hot box n get her dried out n help ya out with it and it should be ready to go ....just come n find me n I'll help ya out....remember we traded some staves at flint ridge?

[Otter]

Hey Blackhawk, thanks for the input,I still have alot to learn. Cant wait to see you a the classic. Me and Steve will be there sometime on Thursday evening. Where going to set up camp and settle in. I have both the hickory and hackberry  st aves already to start tilderin.

[Otter]

We will be bringing a few staves of osage and persimone,black locas,slippery elm, hickory and we got a couple of old osage fence post that are really snakey. We also skined out 12 beaver tails. I'm planing on entering the bow challange. Cant wait.

[blackhawk]

Sounds good...see yins boys soon...that snakey ole fence post sounds enticing and right up my alley

[Otter]

Lol.... Steve got two of them. He was going to try and make a bow out of one and trade the other I think. ? He might just give it to u. ?.. Never know about him lol.

[blackhawk]

Sweet..I'll have to find yins out when y'all get down there...I'll prob be in the shop