Author Topic: Thoughts on Dog Wood (Read 5111 times)

Pappy · « **on:** June 23, 2015, 07:05:10 am »

I have been working on a dog wood bow I cut and roughed out in 2005. As it turned out then I made a bad cut and it turned out only 1 3/8 at the handle and straight tapered to some very small tips. 60inches T-T 58 N-N. I let it set in the cabin until a few weeks ago and decided to see what I can do with it. I have it out to 48@26 and it is shooting fine but seem to have taken a little set, kind of funny tho, just a minute after unstrung almost all of the reflex comes back.
I am wondering, $:-\$ finally the question

How does Dog Wood do heat treating, I never really heat treat bows except to add reflex or tweak something, just wondering if I really did a heat treating how that would work out. I don't think it is wet , :-\been keeping it in a hot box at 90+ when not working on it but the box is in my outside shop and the humidity is high in TN. right now. Most wood I have dealt with that was wet wouldn't come back if you shot them that way. I have only built 2 dog wood bows and that was years ago so looking for someone that has a little experience with the wood and effect of heat treating. good or bad. Your thoughts on it would be appreciated. :)Here are a few pictures when I started tillering, I have sense got to full brace and out to my draw, sorry no pictures of full draw, by myself yesterday. It may just be to narrow for what I wanted if that is the case I will turn it into a kids bow,it was just all I had to work with.

Pappy

autologus · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2015, 08:31:49 am »

I think a little heat would go a long way to help reduce the set.

Grady

Badger · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2015, 08:45:01 am »

Was that top picture after shooting? I have only made a couple of dog wood bows myself. About the same width as yours but about 64" long. I had a similar problem with taking a little set. I remember liking the bows but not being favorites. In my case heat treating may have helped but not enough. Mine ended up wit a tad of string follow.

Pappy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2015, 09:00:14 am »

Thanks, No Steve that was after it came off the form. It started with about 2 1/2 reflex not counting the flipped tips when I started, after tillering it had about 1 1/2. After shooting 25 or so arrows and full draw it was about flat but the funny thing was in just a very short time it was back to 2.

So I don't think Moisture content is the problem. Not sure what it is , never really check that on any bows, I just go by how they feel and this one feel very good at brace and working the wood with very good brace string tension.

Pappy

Pat B · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2015, 09:08:49 am »

Pappy, most whitewoods react well to belly tempering and I'd bet dogwood would too. I've never worked dogwood but that would be my guess.

Badger · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2015, 11:13:34 am »

Sounds like a pretty decent bow but it just aint osage. I run into that with white woods quite often.

Pappy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2015, 04:56:57 am »

Well good or bad $:-\$ I gave a good heat treatment last evening, we will see what that does for it. Thanks.

Pappy

Chief RID · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2015, 06:42:35 am »

Let us know Pappy. I for one am interested to see how this turns out. I have a very straight one growing tall in a wind row that is ready to cut.

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2015, 07:15:20 am »

I should know by the weekend, I plan on giving it a few day to rehydrate. ;)Some say that's
not necessary but I think I will give it a few days anyway.

Pappy

crooketarrow · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2015, 02:26:29 pm »

I've built 4 dogwood bows through the years. The first one did I temper the belly. The other 3 the defex was add while green. Seems to me dogwood has better than adverge cast. My bows were fastand a snappy bows.

But I'm not a fan of heat on any working parts. So the one I belly tempered was the only one I added any heat to.

wizardgoat · « **Reply #10 on:** June 24, 2015, 03:20:05 pm »

I've only made 2 bows of dogwood, and tried heating one. It seemed to work so-so, but I don't think I heated it very deep. such a nice wood to work though, carves like soap

mikekeswick · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2015, 03:00:43 am »

I've made a couple and heat treating turned them into no set rocket launchers

One of my favourite woods but it only grows many miles away from here.

Pappy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2015, 05:23:22 am »

Thanks guys, well it's heated so we will see, looks good off the form and it really needed a little something so I am hoping this will help. Hope it turns out like yours Mike, If not I always know a kid that needs a bow.

:)Mike we have tons of it around us, sometimes hard to find a good straight one, it grows slow and low around here and most is twisted and knotty also.

This happened to be a clean one pretty much, just wished I hadn't made the bad cut on it and had a little more wood to have worked with. Update next week.

Pappy

Badly Bent · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2015, 08:05:46 pm »

Ed, (forest farmer), pointed out a nice big dogwood to me on your place when we were shooting the second half of the course at the classic Pappy. Lucky for you we weren't packing a chain saw.

turtle · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2015, 09:17:54 pm »

Quote from: Badly Bent on June 25, 2015, 08:05:46 pm

Ed, (forest farmer), pointed out a nice big dogwood to me on your place when we were shooting the second half of the course at the classic Pappy. Lucky for you we weren't packing a chain saw.

Yeah.... I always end up drooling over a couple of the dogwoods i see while shooting the course. I think Pappy will be real pleased with the results of heat treated dogwood.

Primitive Archer