Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: wvarcher on November 13, 2011, 12:22:32 am
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Can you make an all heartwood bow out of a 4'' Osage sapling?
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Absolutely!
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Thanks, Gordon. :)
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...and you can make an excellent bow with a 2" sapling with the sapwood and heartwood...or with just the sapwood if it was cut and seasoned properly.
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Pat I agree I really want to get my hands on one of the saplings you speak of ;D John Strunk made one recently and its his new number one bow and I will agree it is awsome!!
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Thanks everybody for responding. :) I had just reread the "Cutting and seasoning wood" chapter of my TBB and author seems to think the sapwood of Osage is worthless.
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Most folks think the sapwood is worthless. They are missing out on a lot of good bow wood. I have made hunting weight bows with only osage sapwood. One was a 3" diameter pole and only had a pencil thick heartwood. Not as snappy as an all heartwood bow but a good bow none the less. The sapwood is more susceptable to rot so care should be taken from the time the sapling is cut. For drying the wood I seal the ends with shellac then give the pole a few weeks to stabilize. Next I bandsaw the pole in half lengthwise. To prevent twisting and too much backset I bind the two halves back together with spacers between them. This allows for good air curculation and helps prevent twisting and uneven backset. I would rather add controlled reflex later than depend on the wood to draw up in even, untwisted reflex.
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Most folks think the sapwood is worthless. They are missing out on a lot of good bow wood. I have made hunting weight bows with only osage sapwood. One was a 3" diameter pole and only had a pencil thick heartwood. Not as snappy as an all heartwood bow but a good bow none the less. The sapwood is more susceptable to rot so care should be taken from the time the sapling is cut. For drying the wood I seal the ends with shellac then give the pole a few weeks to stabilize. Next I bandsaw the pole in half lengthwise. To prevent twisting and too much backset I bind the two halves back together with spacers between them. This allows for good air curculation and helps prevent twisting and uneven backset. I would rather add controlled reflex later than depend on the wood to draw up in even, untwisted reflex.
That's a lot of good info Pat. Thanks!