Massaranduba AKA bullet wood, beefwood

[Badger]

    I thought I would give a little report on my opinion of Massaranduba as a bow wood. I recently bought two large boards and I think I got about 7 bows out of it. Two hickory backed r/d bows, one self recurve,  one self 35# slightly reflexed flatbow and about 3 backed ELBS. The stuff is bullet proof as far as breaking goes but every bow except the 35# took too much set and all seemed sluggish. I only took the 35# out to 25# where it started to take set and it seems to shoot good at that draw length. I worked some about 2 years ago and had an entirely different opinion, funny what experience does to our perspective.

    I had very little luck trying to reflex it with dry heat, I was able to get recurves after steaming for an hour. The dry heat reflex mostly pulled right out. The recurve started taking set so early in the tillering process I never bothered to finish it. One good thing is that it won't chrysal.

   I would recommend it highly for tool handles, xylophone keys, overlays and other projects but will not waste any more time on it making bows.

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks. I think one of my friends had arrows made from bulletwood. Not sure. Jawge

[Bob Barnes]

great information... thanks.  It seems like JD Jones and John S. used it for some bamboo backed D/R bows a few years back, but I never shot one of them.

[Badger]

great information... thanks.  It seems like JD Jones and John S. used it for some bamboo backed D/R bows a few years back, but I never shot one of them.

  It might be like a lot of wood where it varies from tree to tree. I tried to pick my two boards from what I was pretty sure was different trees and they both acted the same. It stays together nicely and very little chance of breaking but it doesn't hold the string pressure at brace the way ipe or osage does.

[BowEd]

Think you made some effiel towered narrowed needle tipped styles out of this wood once though that shot outstanding right?Think they were bamboo backed.

[Badger]

Think you made some effiel towered narrowed needle tipped styles out of this wood once though that shot outstanding right?Think they were bamboo backed.

   I thought so to, now I am starting to wonder if it was the same wood. My 35# that worked out good is 1 1/2" wide and the density is higher than ipe. I would have expected maybe 1 1/8" wide should have been plenty. I had long considered this wood tops on my list for laminated bows until this last experience. I have never seen a wood take so much set so easily. I even cut some up for arrow wood and it has no useful spine.

[DC]

When you go to the store, how sure are you that you are getting what you think you're getting? I read somewhere that half of the hickory you buy is actually pecan. How sure can you be that the Masawhatever is actually that. It's gone through a lot of hands to get to you.

[Badger]

When you go to the store, how sure are you that you are getting what you think you're getting? I read somewhere that half of the hickory you buy is actually pecan. How sure can you be that the Masawhatever is actually that. It's gone through a lot of hands to get to you.

  This particular wood is easy to identify, looks like rare roast beef. Kind of unique in its appearance.

[DC]

So much for that idea

[Hamish]

I absolutely love the stuff, but then again I can't get any ipe boards.
 I don't bother making selfbows from it anymore. I made a test self bow about 80" long 50lbs @28", never overstrained it yet it still took 3" of set and shoots like a strung up crowbar.

Back it and glue it up with an 1" or so reflex and it makes a dream bow. I usually make elb's, 1"wide down to about 3/4" wide for a lighter bow.

Maybe it was just those individual boards that weren't up to scratch Badger.

[Badger]

I absolutely love the stuff, but then again I can't get any ipe boards.
 I don't bother making selfbows from it anymore. I made a test self bow about 80" long 50lbs @28", never overstrained it yet it still took 3" of set and shoots like a strung up crowbar.

Back it and glue it up with an 1" or so reflex and it makes a dream bow. I usually make elb's, 1"wide down to about 3/4" wide for a lighter bow.

Maybe it was just those individual boards that weren't up to scratch Badger.

  I did have a little better luck with the boo backed than I did the self bows. I am building up a bunch of Elbs for the flight shoot next month and I may be a little more critical than normal. If I glue them up with 2" reflex I want 1 1/2 when I am finished. I was coming out about even on the backed elbs. For normal shooting they would have been fine but for these I just don't want any set at all to speak of. The one I finished yesterday had exaclty 4 fingers when I started and 4 fingers when I finished. I was tickled pink. That was boo backed ipe. One good thing is that if the bow doesn't come out the way I like I simply saw off the boo and make another bow using the same backing.

[leonwood]

I work with both ipe and massuranduba a lot. Mostly bamboo backed longbows and rd's and I noticed the same thing. Massuranduba will take set where ipe won't.
I also noticed that when scraping massuramduba it will washboard vere soon so I started using sanding blocks with 60 grit for tillering the last bits.
I like the massuranduba for bows I make for customers because they seem pretty hard to break. Actually never broke a massuranduba bow but did break several ipe bows.
Performance wise all my ipe bows do better than the massuranduba.

[Badger]

I work with both ipe and massuranduba a lot. Mostly bamboo backed longbows and rd's and I noticed the same thing. Massuranduba will take set where ipe won't.
I also noticed that when scraping massuramduba it will washboard vere soon so I started using sanding blocks with 60 grit for tillering the last bits.
I like the massuranduba for bows I make for customers because they seem pretty hard to break. Actually never broke a massuranduba bow but did break several ipe bows.
Performance wise all my ipe bows do better than the massuranduba.

  It is bullet proof, I tried to break one yesterday, I pulled it past 34" took a lot of set is all.

[leonwood]

I have a 62 inch molly I shot 32 inch arrows with just to destroy it. Bow still shoots;-) like a dog of course but still. I gave up builing performance bows with it but it makes real smooth shooting target elb's

[Marc St Louis]

I don't know if you remember Steve but you sent me a couple backing strips of Massaranduba many years ago.  I tried them, can't remember what I backed with it, but the bow broke.  I was not impressed with the wood