shaft question

[riverrat]

anyone ever try splitting out and using tree of heaven for shafts? im just wondering. its a very light wood.grows extremely straight.and though it stinks like a weed, i remember as a kid haveing to "cut a switch" from it and it be very bendy as it struck my bottom. if the wood was laying on the ground it would rot fast. but i took a branch in the house once and it was decent enough strong.im sure it wouldnt make a bow but arrows? Tony

[Pat B]

Tony, it would be worth a try. Make a few shafts and see how they bend.

[riverrat]

think i will. it grows everywhere and is a invasive species.i did a "search" here and seen a post where it was used as a bow wood .if itll make a bow. itll make a arrow im thinking. Tony

[DavidV]

I've been playing around with doweling shafts recently and figured out that any thick ringed woods gave me extremely low spined shafts. Tree of heaven being as fast growing as it is, I'd bet you wouldn't get very consistent arrows. That's just a guess though.

[riverrat]

i already use shoot shafts. the key to it is make a thousand use the ones that shoot best lol. just joking. but if im splitting them and plaining them out, so grain runs straight. i can build them over kill at first then basically like tillering a bow, keep checking spine as i thin them out. build a bunch all same length same spine. then weigh them with a grain scale. put them in bundles according to weight.then make arrows.Tony

[DavidV]

Ah, that makes sense you can adjust the spine while you're planing them. With a doweling jig it's just cut them all to one size and hope for the best.