Wild Rose Bow

[markinengland]

Allen,
Can I ask my question again?
I like your bow and have some Wild Rose drying I want to make into a bow.
What are your thoughts on wild rose? Any idea what it is good or bad at? Any knowledge to pass on?
I have seen that mine has split badly where rabbits had removed the bark close to the ground, so drying looks like an issue.
Any tips you have on Wild Rose as a bow wood would be much appreciated.
In the pic of the tips is looks as though you have the pith groove showing? Is that right? Any problems at all with that central pith section?
Mark in England

[Allen7]

Mark: I couldn't see the photo you posted.  Any checking is not good.  However, it might work if checking is kept in the middle and doesn't run out on the side or ends.   I had a little checking on one end but had enough length to cut it off.  Yes, I did remove the central pith where it was exposed.  It is weak and I figured it would crack and fall off anyway.  Don't worry about the pith that is buried inside the bow.   I kept the belly of the bow fairly flat and haven't seen any sign of compression problems.  I carefully scraped the dried bark off, till I was just to the first white woody layer.  Also I carefully smoothed the back of the bow with light sandpaper and burnished with piece of bone.   This is the very first Rose bow I've made also.

Allen

[sumpitan]

Nice bow!

Rose is up there among the very densest woods here. I still haven't gotten my hands on a bow-sized specimen, but preliminary tests indicate it'll make a great bow. Swedes have been making rose bows for quite a while, especially quickie survival bows. Seasoning large-diameter rose stock without excessive checking is a chore, IME.

Tuukka

[1/2primitive]

Very nice bow, neat idea, too!
   Sean

[Marc St Louis]

That's a really nice bow Allen

[Allen7]

After a lot more shooting - the wild rose bow is still intact.   I've lost track of how many arrows shot, but certainly in excess of 500.   It is showing some signs of stress, with a few frets/lines near the knots on the belly.   However, it is still performing well, and with minimal set.

I will have it with me at the Cascade Locks Rendezvous (Columbia River Gorge, OR) this weekend 6/27-6/29.


Allen  - Happy Knapper

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

Very impressive! its funny cause i was out walking with my wife the other day and i saw a wild rose bush almost big enough for a bow. i said to her, "man wouldnt it be cool to make a bow and a set of arrows from wild rose!" she just rolled her eyes...

Phil

[waterlogged]

Mark: I made a little short bow of wild rose a while ago. Don't have the photo with me right now, but I can give you the stats: about 36-40 inches long, drew to about 30lbs at 24 inches, with the limbs bending almost entirely out of the fades. Little to no set. I don't know if I just got an amazing piece, but from what I saw the wood is amazing. Will try to post photos when my computer starts behaving again.

[recurve shooter]

 :'(why the heck do yall do this to me?

i caint even get a bow out of a piece of oak now im determined to make one out of:

silver maple
ceder
ironwood
sourwood

and recently added, wild rose.