Utah bowyers

[jeffp51]

I am curious how many people on this forum are from Utah. I have seen JoJo and one or two others and wonder who else is out there. Since I am new to this I would love to pick a few brains.  How do you legally obtain staves?  from which local woods?  I keep hearing about juniper, but I have lived here my whole life and never seen one that wasn't twisted and bushy.  what other woods make good bows here and how do I get them?  I am in Pleasant Grove, by the way.

thanks.

Jeff

[knapperboy]

I have the same question about juniper. I live in northwestern Colorado, near Utah, and I see juniper all over. It's really the only thing that grows out here. Hope you don't mind me askin a few questions on your forum Jeff!
                       KB

[jeffp51]

not at all.  I also always see juniper in the same sentence with sinew backing, but I don't have any of that either.  I wonder about russian olive, (also twisty, but ubiquitous) chinese elm, or anything else. I think I saw JoJo uses black locust, but I don't know where he gets it. The only osage I see from here looks like about $100 a stave on the internet, and my wife would not go for that, I am sure--besides, I like the idea of harvesting my own wood.  I would be willing to trade, but as a new guy, not sure what someone else would want from me.  I did make some pretty cool bamboo arrows from the build along on this site, and made my own quiver too.

[bubby]

guys there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to a hardwood dealer and getting some hickory or hard maple boards to turn into bows while you look for staves

[IdahoMatt]

guys there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to a hardwood dealer and getting some hickory or hard maple boards to turn into bows while you look for staves

+1 that's how I got my start.

[jeffp51]

did that.  went through every hickory board in their impressive stock, and bought the board with the straightest grain I could find, and got 4 pyramid-style bows out of it--only to discover that the grain still runs off the back.  built the straightest one anyway, and backed it with wall board tape, and it still broke on me.  Went back, searched through another whole stack of lumber and only found boards more wavy-grained than the first time.  Also built a bow from red oak with the same result.
Just a little disappointed with that method.  maybe I don't know what to look for.

[Tyke]

You can also find some awesome wood for trade or barter thats how me and jojo got our first osage and a different. Subject i want to start a utah bowyers club if interested

[bubby]

Jeff, check out jawges site there is a link at the top of the how to page, it will show you exactly what to look for in a board   

[wizardgoat]

Chuck aka Loeffler runs heartwood bows out of salt lake city, and makes some of the best
north american indian replica bows I've ever seen.
I know for a fact he goes and cuts Utah juniper, rocky mountain juniper, and he mentioned he just cut a black locust too. Our RMJ grows really skow and small up here, but he just showed me a pic of one he cut that was 12" diam!
I love juniper, and if I were you guys id be roaming the dessert looking for it. Its true, its very hard to find a nice long piece, but theyre out there!
Juniper is better suited for shorter bendy bows, and pretty much needs to be backed, or it wont last too long.

[JoJoDapyro]

Jeff, I have an extra Osage stave if you want to do some trading. Tyke and I are going to get some Juniper this weekend. We have a friend who owns like 8 acres in the Oquirrhs. I'll see what we can find, and possibly (depending on the quality) do a trade for some Juniper as well. I currently am working on one Osage bow, and have another stave. I have only made one bow, and that is a red oak board bow. I'm a rookie too.

There is a hardwood dealer in slat lake that will cut what you want. I guess I can't say their name as they aren't a paying advertiser, but if you PM me I can tell you. I talked to their manager and he said that he would cut what I wanted, so I wasn't stuck with wood that wouldn't work. I found my red oak at Lowes, I have looked at about 45 1X2's and that is still the only one I found that was decent.

About picking brains. I have no problem with meeting up and talking and sharing ideas. Shooting in a group is always better too.

[loefflerchuck]

Juniper #1. Look on canyon bottoms for strait trees. Serviceberry makes a great bow with a sinew backing and a good bow without it. Chokecherry, mountain mahogany and scrub oak also good native trees. Other newer trees to the area. Black locust, russian olive, green ash can be found. There is no shortage of trees here that make great bows. I sinew almost all my juniper, serviceberry and chokecherry.

[JoJoDapyro]

Another Idea is to ask a friend of mine who trims trees to see if he would be willing to save decent sized logs. I just haven't gotten around to asking as it generally takes 2 hours and a 24 pack to get out of his house.

[Tyke]

Jeff im going to get some juniper off my buddys property this weekend if i get enough id gladly give you a stave

[jeffp51]

Tyke, that would be very kind if it works out.  that osage recurve you did looks really nice.

[Tyke]

Thanks im glad to see more locals bowyering