Author Topic: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)  (Read 2408 times)

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Offline Julian

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So I've found a thicket of what I think are birch trees, which I've heard can make bows.

This is a somewhat big deal for me, because I've never had access to staves before. I don't feel bad about cutting these either because they're an introduced/invasive species here in aus, and they're growing in what is supposed to be a native reserve.




Is this birch? If not, what is it?
Thanks
« Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 04:43:09 am by Julian »

Offline Ryan Jacob

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows?
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2018, 12:50:19 am »
I don’t know why but the pics wont load for me

Offline Julian

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows?
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2018, 04:43:23 am »
I don’t know why but the pics wont load for me

my bad, forgot to include the link

Offline PatM

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I'd be more inclined to say some type of Poplar.

Offline Julian

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I'd be more inclined to say some type of Poplar.

Guess I'll make spoons from it instead

EDIT:

I think it's white poplar

Offline Hawkdancer

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You might be able to check with a forester or naturalist.  Or just give it a go!  I think the bowyers here would say wide and long!  I'm a newbie at bow making, though.  Pics of the leaves would help with id, I think.
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline willie

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you could run some tests on a piece of your sample. can you cut a longish piece out that is fairly consistent in width and thickness?

Offline turmoiler

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It's poplar for sure

Offline bushboy

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Ryoon made a poplar bow a few years back!just gotta make it super long and wide a guess?
Some like motorboats,I like kayaks,some like guns,I like bows,but not the wheelie type.

Offline PatM

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Ryan's bow was not real poplar though.

Offline DC

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2018, 06:57:01 pm »
Why wasn't it Poplar? not enough people vote for it ;D ;D ;D ;D

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2018, 07:54:30 pm »
Why wasn't it Poplar? not enough people vote for it ;D ;D ;D ;D

omg DC  ;D
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline Julian

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2018, 08:39:09 pm »
Ryoon made a poplar bow a few years back!just gotta make it super long and wide a guess?

not really interested in a super long, super wide bow, tbh

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2018, 07:11:49 am »
It is definitely not the kind of poplar we have in the south, what we have here has slick barked saplings.

Offline Julian

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Re: Tree ID: Is this birch? Is it any good for bows? (UPDATE: fixed pic)
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2018, 07:20:43 am »
If I get bored, I'll make a bow from it. I think I'll cut a stave to season. I looked up some more and I'm pretty sure it's White Poplar or Silver Poplar.