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Author Topic: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush  (Read 10335 times)

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Offline SLIMBOB

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Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« on: May 26, 2019, 11:04:08 am »
  I cut this stave about 6 1/2 years ago out of North Texas.  It's Texas Mulberry, a variety of Red Mulberry.  The ring I am on is about 1/2 inch thick  Taking the sap wood off was the toughest I have ever encountered on any wood.  I hope that is a good sign.  Gonna finish this one while my sinew dries on the static recurve.  Fairly clean stave.  No knots.  Not even any pin knots.  I will straighten the dog  leg out with dry heat.  The stave is 67 inches long and about 3 inches wide.  Working plan....66 inch long, 1 3/4 inch at the fade, parallel till mid limb then taper to the tips.  Stiff handle section 8 inches.  I'm gonna heat in some deflex in the handle and do another R/D.  Sweep the tips forward.  Any thoughts on Mulberry?  I've read up on it a bunch.  Some gentleman that went by the handle GMC on here was a big fan.  Pappy likes it a bunch as do others.  I'm looking forward to a straight up build for a change as the last 8 or 10 have been challenging staves.  Any thoughts or advice?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2019, 12:26:23 pm »
Mulberry is excellent bow wood. Your dimensions sound good. You could only go out parallel 6" to 8" and you'd still be good.
 I have left some sapwood on mulberry with good results but all heartwood is always your best bet.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2019, 01:06:32 pm »
Thanks Pat. I thought about leaving some sap wood and decided against it. As tough as that sap wood was to draw knife off...I may leave some on the next one. Lots of folks say it’s their favorite wood. You can tell it’s physically liter than Osage by a good bit. I have it drawn out and about to take the sander to it.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2019, 02:12:55 pm »
Mulberry can compete with osage because it is so much lighter. About 10% overbuilt over what an osage bow would be will give you a comparable bow.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2019, 02:15:07 pm »
Cool. That’s where I’m at I believe.
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2019, 03:36:36 pm »
looks nice,, enjoy (-P
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2019, 05:12:46 pm »
Thanks Brad...and I did enjoy.  Chased a ring on it this morn after breakfast, did some honey-do's, and then reduced it to a blank this afternoon.  Likin' this wood a lot so far.  The sap wood is horrible to work under a draw knife, but the heart wood is a dream.
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Offline burchett.donald

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2019, 05:35:56 pm »
  Nice work Bob...Way to get some shavings going...That is a really nice looking stave...
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2019, 05:53:00 pm »
Thanks Don. I spent a long time pretty much unable to pick up a draw knife. Making up for lost time a little. I have the sinew backed static drying, the elm blank is clamped to a form and now this mulberry. I will do heat corrections on it tomorrow after I floor tiller it. Likin this wood a lot!
« Last Edit: May 27, 2019, 03:45:46 pm by SLIMBOB »
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Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2019, 02:17:29 pm »
thats a great stave you got there bob! im glad your able to work with a draw knife now! ill be watching!  :OK (-P
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2019, 03:44:53 pm »
Thanks deerhunter. How was the gathering you went to?
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Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2019, 05:38:27 pm »
It was great! It was nice to see the people helping me for so long! I was given to blanks (HopHornBean and Hackberry) and Clint gave me 5 arrows. I bought a good osage stave from Clint and a hickory stave from someone (im not good with names) and a flintknapping kit (found a couple heads in some rocks!). I worked on the HHB blank that BJ gave me and it was a real treat to work with!  I made a flatbow (I Think) that pulled 45-47# at 26" and it is awesome! so many kind people. I won the bear across the pond shoot along with some rivercane! just so many kind people! alot more happened but i'll keep this short. It was awesome!
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2019, 08:16:54 pm »
Glad you enjoyed it.  Sounds like you had a big time. 
Did some heat straightening today.
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Offline simson

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2019, 02:44:04 am »
Quote from: Pat B on May 26, 2019, 12:26:23 pm
Mulberry is excellent bow wood. Your dimensions sound good. You could only go out parallel 6" to 8" and you'd still be good.
 I have left some sapwood on mulberry with good results but all heartwood is always your best bet.

What Pat said.
I make mine just a bit wider than an osage.
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Simon
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Offline leonwood

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Re: Goin' Round the Mulberry Bush
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2019, 05:18:06 am »
Really nice stave! You are building exactly what I would do with it ;D
I love mulberry, makes light and snappy bows.
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