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Offline Blacktail

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lets talk juniper
« on: July 13, 2008, 12:02:33 pm »
WHEN i was at the cenrtal OR gathering i think keenan was talking about differant kind of juniper.and i was wondering what the foldage looked like.i think bryan b got a tree but wasnt the right species not too sure on that.so,is all westeran juniper good for bows or is there a certain tree species in westeran juniper.when billy burger wrote on these trees i thought it was more of an elevation thing than species type.just want a little help understanding what to look for and if i could get some good photos that would be great.thanks john
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2008, 12:27:36 pm »
this is what the high elevation Juniper looks like....we have it all over out in the Canyons here....but too me it's too much of a Challenge with all of the Branches and knots!!!

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Offline Dano

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2008, 01:45:27 pm »
Juniper can be a challenge when making selfbows, but if de-crowned and backed with either hickory of bamboo, it is no worse than any other wood.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2008, 02:22:30 pm »
I believe that Juniper is an excellent candidate for sinew backing. I haven't tried it yet but I do have a short ERC(Juniperus virginiana) stave that I plan to sinew back in the future.      Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Blacktail

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2008, 07:10:51 pm »
thanks guys for the info.i am hoping to do what pat said for a short bow.i just figure if the indians can do it so can i.I just have to figure out what they was looking for in juniper for good bow wood.thanks john
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Rich Saffold

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2008, 08:19:42 pm »
Good Juniper and bamboo can make a very fast bow, plus it smells good when working on it ;D Keep the bamboo on the thin side.
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Offline Keenan

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Re: lets talk juniper
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2008, 02:22:46 am »
 John, There are many types of juniper.There is everything from Alligator,Oneseed,Utah,Western,California and Rocky Mountain just to name a few.  The variences can be very different in quallity and strengths and but physical apearence is often very subtle. Often just the needle like twigs being 1/32 or 1/16 difference.  One tree can have wood like balsa wood and the next as strong as yew.  Rocky Mountain is generally the strongest but also is often the most distorted with knots everywhere.
  Common juniper can be good or bad depending on location.  I have found the trees with more of a pale yellow heartwood to be weaker and the trees with darker orange or reddish heartwod to be stronger.  I also believe the top side of the branches to be better then the trunks of a tree.
 BTW I did make a bow out of the branch from the rondevous.  Had it near finished and tillered, even shot several hundred times but I kept taking the tips narrower and narrower to try to get those extream needle tips and finally had a tip let go at 26" on a 48" bow. It snapped back so hard that it broke the belly of the handle section.
  I have a good book giving the types and what to look for but it's teadious reading. I'll try to narrow it down for you tomarrow
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