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Author Topic: Sycamore  (Read 1649 times)

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Offline ncpat

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Sycamore
« on: July 10, 2013, 04:00:18 pm »
I saw an old thread from 2010 regarding bows & arrows from sycamore shoots. Sure wish I 'd had the interest in DIY when I was a kid. Several sycamores were in the school yard across from our
house & had lots of shoots every year.  Too bad we don't always know what we have til it's gone.  :'(

Someone there also posted about the pesky leaves. I know about that too. I spent 2-3 hours a day raking & burning sycamore leaves. Good thing though, is that when dry they burned very well. I would rake up a 10-15 foot wide pile, 2-3 feet high & light them up. Flames 30 feet high for a few seconds. Within 5 minutes, fine ash that would barely fill a small bucket. Then do it again. Small oak leaves were the worst. They did not burn, no matter how dry. They smouldered all day. 
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Offline Joec123able

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2013, 12:11:40 am »
Sycamore is all around here but all of them are giagantic in diameter and pretty tall they usually grow with the cotton wood around here I'd love to harvest some for bows and arrows if I can find so trees that aren't huge it's a very light wood would be perfect for arrows I think and ive seen a bow or two made from it I'd like to try it
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Offline PrimitiveTim

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2013, 01:39:36 am »
I'm glad this thread popped up.  I just cut a few limbs off of one.  I'm hoping to make some bows out of them.  Does the bark peel off or am I going to have to put some metal to this thing?
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Offline ncpat

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2013, 02:01:18 am »
I have not handled any in a long time but the best I remember the bark can mostly be peeled off after the wood is dried out. I cleaned up a fair amount of it after storms & winds.
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Offline PrimitiveTim

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2013, 07:41:48 am »
Ok thanks.  I'll go ahead and seal them and put them up for now then.  Anyone want to post a sycamore bow???
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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 ncpat

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2013, 09:32:44 am »
Quote from: PrimitiveTim on July 11, 2013, 07:41:48 am
Ok thanks.  I'll go ahead and seal them and put them up for now then.  Anyone want to post a sycamore bow???

Verify it for sure before you store it. I think I remember correctly but it has been over 30 years too. Check with someone in the nursery or tree business.
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Offline Joec123able

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Re: Sycamore
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2013, 02:28:13 am »
Quote from: PrimitiveTim on July 11, 2013, 07:41:48 am
Ok thanks.  I'll go ahead and seal them and put them up for now then.  Anyone want to post a sycamore bow???


If you search sycamore or sycamore bow there's a few pretty nice selfbows made from it
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