Author Topic: When to cut bow wood (Read 1527 times)

WhistlingBadger · « **on:** February 07, 2020, 10:12:12 pm »

Quick question: Can bow wood be successfully cut in the summer/fall, when the tree is leafed out? I assume that bow wood is best cut in the winter, but I know of a good patch of mountain ash that is completely inaccessible until the snow is gone. I'm hoping to build a board bow or two this coming spring/summer to get my head around the process. But eventually I hope to make a bow out of local, native woods. That doesn't leave that many options.

Just thinking ahead a bit.

Hawkdancer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2020, 10:53:54 pm »

Just guessing, but I think you could cut it as soon as you can get to it and maybe the sap will just be starting. But I am about 150 - 200 miles south of you. Then follow your peeling sealing and drying method. Save me a stave!

Hawkdancer

Bryce · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2020, 11:30:05 pm »

Depends on the species for me. Some I cut I. The spring, fall there’s in the dead of winter.

bownarra · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2020, 01:10:50 am »

If you are making boards then it doesn't matter one jot (as long as you know how to dry wood

).

Pat B · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2020, 07:38:58 am »

Bow wood can be cut anytime. For whitewood like mountain ash cutting during the growing season is good because the bark peels off cleanly and easily exposing a pristine back for your bow.

WhistlingBadger · « **Reply #5 on:** February 08, 2020, 08:26:17 am »

Quote from: Pat B on February 08, 2020, 07:38:58 am

Bow wood can be cut anytime. For whitewood like mountain ash cutting during the growing season is good because the bark peels off cleanly and easily exposing a pristine back for your bow.

OK, that's what I was hoping. It's a long shot whether I'll find a long enough stave, and if I do it will be pretty small diameter (but I'll save Jerry one if I hit paydirt). I figure if I can find a long enough piece, even if it's knotty and/or has to be decrowned, I can back it with rawhide. At least, I think that's how it works.

Like I said, that's all a ways off--there are about four feet of snow in the canyon right now, and it will probably be May or June before I have any hope of getting up there. Just thinking ahead. Thanks as always for the info, gents. If I do ever manage to harvest a stave, brace yourselves for many more questions...

Bubbabowyer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 08, 2020, 08:54:37 am »

I cut whenever I get the chance. I often go four or five rings down in my osage. About wherever the deeper reddish color starts. To me ,that wood has more polymerization than the younger outer rings anyway. Of course it does bring the chance of exposing a pin or wind shake or the occasional bullet wound but I like to know these things beforehand anyway to adjust the bows design accordingly

Pat B · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2020, 10:27:57 am »

WB, even shorter lengths are usable if you splice them in the handle.

Hamish · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2020, 05:30:28 pm »

I will cut anytime I have the need and opportunity. Saying that, its not good to cut in prolonged periods of wet weather(in Summer), because whitewood and sapwood develops fungal decay. It means you have to process it into staves quickly, so they can start drying.

Providing you deal with the staves quickly and don't let the cut trunk sit around in the rain for weeks, any fungal staining will just be cosmetic "blue stain", and not wreck the staves strength.

Hawkdancer · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2020, 11:27:54 pm »

Hamish,

out here a prolonged period of wet weather is maybe 2 days, anything longer is a 500 year flood!

. Proper are of the staves is important anywhere, though!
Hawkdancer

Hamish · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2020, 06:07:53 pm »

Hawkie, Just had 16" of rain over the last 4 days. Today is overcast and more rain is forecast for the rest of the week. Sounds bad but Sydney, and all of Australia has had a really bad drought, so all this rain is the best thing we've had in a while. Bush fires are well and truly out.

WhistlingBadger · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2020, 07:06:28 pm »

Good to hear, Hamish. Those fires have been awful this year. I'm a few hundred miles north of Jerry, but same precip zone. Multi-week wet periods just don't happen.

Hamish · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2020, 07:19:14 pm »

WB, The fires were crazy. Hopefully all this rain means we'll be safe for the rest of Summer (Autumn can be bad for fires too).

Hamish · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2020, 07:24:11 pm »

I also want to thank America for sending guys out to help with the fires. Sadly a crew of ex US Airforce, bombing the fires with retardant crashed and all lives were lost. My Condolences to their family and friends. We have a great brotherhood with the USA, and mourn their loss as if they were our own.

WhistlingBadger · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2020, 07:33:10 pm »

Yeah, I hope everything gets good and soaked for you guys. We had a pretty bad five-year-long drought that ended about ten years ago. The fires were awful. Those water bomber pilots are amazing people. We watched a DC-10 VLAT tanker skimming the edge of Sinks Canyon a few years ago. Absolutely phenomenal flying, and the amount of retardant those things can lay down is mind-blowing. ANG C-130s are more common. I hadn't heard about the crash. That's sad. I agree, the friendship between the USA and Australia is pretty solid.

Thanks for the advice, everybody. I feel pretty good about cutting wood whenever I can get to it. Once the snow is down in the spring I'll be out looking for chokecherry and mtn ash staves. I know where to get some good juniper branches, too, and I might cut a few just in case I ever get around to learning how to sinew back.

Thomas

Primitive Archer