Western juniper questions

[SixRabbit]

Hello has anyone used a trunk from a juniper tree with multiple trunks? I have a small trunk that I am reducing. The side with the compression wood had live branches and a few pin knots, the other side only a few pin knots. I want to use the compression wood side but is the other side better? I plan to make a California sinew backed short bow. Can I prune these trunks to make them grow without knots for the future? Thanks

[simson]

Don't know what exact species you mean. If it is western red cedar (thuja plicata, or gigantea) it is not a bow wood. maybe you can make a very light one.
Most sorts of junipers (juniperus ...) are best bow woods.

[High-Desert]

I've only use trunk wood from juniper, and it seems most of it had multiple trunks and typically the inside portion is cleaner.  I take what's straight. The ratio of tension to compression will depend on how much it's leaning. If it upright for the most part, even with a little lean, it's not so critical, just taken the better side. I've heard limb wood is better, but I don't have any complaints about my juniper trunk wood bows.

[loefflerchuck]

I'm sure your talking about Juniperus occidentalis. Grows mostly in California and Oregon. I've found both compression and tension wood work great with a sinew backing. Sometimes if you use the side of a straight limb it will warp sideways as the growth rings on one side are much more compressed than the other

[SixRabbit]

Thanks. It's 3" diameter at the base, 2.5" near the top. I might be able to get two bows out of it. Is there and way to split it without a bandsaw? I might try to cut it in half with a saw. Sometime when reducing I'll use a hatchet and hit the stave across its width along the stave to score it, then use my hatchet or brush axe and cut down the length of the stave to remove large rectangular chips. It's also not allowing me to post pics.

[SixRabbit]

I think it's much easier to find a good trunk than a good branch. The pics are here if you want to see(can't upload here, too large). Now I'm wondering if I should work it Green or let it dry, would that prevent warpage?

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2660&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2659&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2658&mode=view

[loefflerchuck]

You can work it green. I always peel off a strip of bark to make sure there is no twist in a branch or trunk before I cut it. Even though II have a band saw I always split by hand. You can get two bows if the stave is not twisted.

[SixRabbit]

Thanks. I split it today. I drilled pilot holes along the length to direct the split. I don't have wedges or anything. I also hit the pilot holes with the tip of my fiskars brush axe to start it splitting in sections before going to split it all the way. Also used a saw to make a shallow score along the middle line. I hope I can get two bows out of it. This is the outer side.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2718&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2717&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2716&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2715&mode=view

[SixRabbit]

This is the inner side of the trunk.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2723&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2722&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2721&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2720&mode=view
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paleoplanet69529/download/file.php?id=2719&mode=view

I hope they stay as straight as they are as they dry.

[SixRabbit]

My staves are bending. They are bending in toward the core side as they dry. Will this be a problem or not? I wanted the core of the tree to be the belly, or can I use the inner side of the tree as the back? Thanks

[DC]

I'm going to take a wild stab at this and say that it's bending toward the center because that wood is drying quicker(split surface). Once the whole thing starts drying it may straighten out some. Don't know for sure. I would hedge my bet by strapping it to a 2x4. Maybe even strap some reflex into it. Be ready to corral it if it starts to take too much reflex.
Oh, are both sides of the same log doing this?

[SixRabbit]

Both sides are bending in opposite directions like this () the center side of the tree in the middle of the parenthesis. I don't care if it's bending because i think sinew backing will help bend it back, but it's important that the bend is even. Strapping it down is a good idea. Correcting it with heat might work too. I might also recurve the tips.

[High-Desert]

It’s because just like DC said. The exposed surface is drying, so shrinks and deflexes. This is less if an issue the more splits you make. Halving it’s the worst, quartering usually doesn’t cause it, 6ths and 8ths are even better. I’ve only seen this with really soft woods