Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: turtle on March 22, 2012, 04:31:30 pm

Title: Persimmon question.
Post by: turtle on March 22, 2012, 04:31:30 pm

 I was blundering around on the far corner of my property today and found two perimmon trees. One is 10 ins fairly strait for 7 or 8 ft. Other one is 14 ins strait as arrow for 10 ft before first limb. I have never used persimmon and was wondering which would be best to harvest and best way to treat staves while drying?

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: artcher1 on March 22, 2012, 05:43:17 pm

Treat the wood just like any other whitewood. Wait until the saps is up so you can peel the bark. You'll have a pristine back right under the bark. All the persimmon staves I've seen had some twist to them. So the straighter the tree the better perhaps. Good luck...........Art

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: okie64 on March 22, 2012, 05:46:14 pm

Might just be me but every persimmon I've ever cut ended up having serious propellor twist to it when split. Even the ones that the bark looked perfectly straight still had twist to them. Treat em like whitewood if you cut em down, I've seen persimmon bows on this site before. Do a search and see what comes up.

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on March 22, 2012, 11:21:14 pm

Yeah be very carefull the ones I have cut have a lot of propeller twist to them.  I have got billits and short staves from them but nothing over 54" so far. 

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: turtle on March 23, 2012, 09:13:55 am

Thanks guys, i think i will cut one of em in a couple weeks when im sure the sap is flowin good. Split in half seal and see what happens. Wost i could end up with is twistwd firewood. Aint never had twist hurt that.

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive on March 23, 2012, 10:02:29 am

persimmon loves to twist after split as well. I have cut a buuunnnnchhh.     also peel the bark off fast b\c the borers love it, just about like any fruit wood. reseal the back and ends.  if you peel it very gently and dont scrape the wood at all, as it cures the back with turn a very uniform black color, which if you leave alone will stay but its only paper thin, and if you nick the back you will see the the nick, you dont have to worry about it unless you reeaaallly like that natural black color on the back..... i always seal mine with paraffin wax, the wax may be what brings out the colorr...im not sure

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: Pappy on March 23, 2012, 10:58:44 am

Great wood but will tend to cork screw when splitting,also like others have said peel the bark quick but be sure and seal really really good all over,it will check really bad.Keep in in a cool area for a while until it stabilizes. :)
   Pappy

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: cracker on March 23, 2012, 12:25:45 pm

I always strap my parsimmon to a steel post in my shop with ratchet straps that will make it dry straight.Ron

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: gutpile on March 23, 2012, 12:40:38 pm

much better wood out there..leave them and hunt them suckers ....even the males I leave for pollination of the females..gut

Title: Re: Persimmon question.
Post by: crooketarrow on March 23, 2012, 12:51:34 pm

  I cut them and sealed the ends and left long unsealed and leave them it log fourm from a good year to 2 before spliting. No stwist then.  Perrissiom make a good bow.