Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ohiocountryboy on May 08, 2013, 06:46:14 pm
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Any good? I always see it at the hardware stores and like the look of it and wonder if it can make a decent bow. Thanks for your help. Mike
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No
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makes great arrows though!
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Pretty good for Atlatl darts as well if you need a heavy MASTADON CLASS Atlatl rig. (...and who doesn't need such!?!?!?) >:D ;D :laugh:
OneBow
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Talk to Ryoon. He has a thing for the stuff. >:D >:D >:D
Jon
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Maybe google ...potenial bow woods ..by tim baker. Think he stated to look for wood with a specfic gravity of .50 and over as a base line. Basically any hardwood with proper design and good grain can be fashioned into a bow.I think popular is about .40 sg so not the best chioce for a durabile bow imho.
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yeah poplar is 37 or lower based on type, ryoon did make one I think it was 4" wide
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Best wood around! ;D Not really but you can definitely make bows with it. Just make it wide and long to give yourself plenty to work with. The downside is how soft it is since it gets dinged up really easily. Should make a good shooting bow if designed well though.
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Any wood can make a bow just with the right design. I think poplar works ok for light weight bows
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I think I saw it on a bow handle here somewhere. If I remember right, it looked pretty good.
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Wide and long. Or light weight. Plus its diffuse porus ring... makes it useless to chase a ring.
But it DOES make amazing arrows... Its light.
find a red oak, maple, hickory, or other HEAVY strong hardwood 1x2 and you can make a good bow from it:P
I have a half-tillered red oak bow, 70" NTN, it currently draws #95@10"... One limb is pretty stiff. Tips are only 1" wide :o
Red oak seems to take set easy, but it doesn't rise over time. Is there a simple reason for this?
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It's a good arrow wood but a marginal bow wood. Red oak is a much better choice. Yiogo
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Guys, Poplar will make heavier bows if wide enough. The bow I made was built to the extreme and only took 1" of set. As for ring chasing, I've chased rings on just about everything (yew included) so I don't see why poplar would be different. Maybe if I can find time I'll build one that you can shoot an arrow with.
Thesquirrelslinger, I haven't seen red oak behave any differently than other bows if designed well. If you're pulling bows to 95# and only want a 50# bow then that's probably why they're taking set because you're stressing them way more than they ever will be.
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its with a long string. Plus I want it around 75-80 pounds. I want to make a RO longbow....
Ryoon, Poplar is diffuse porous. It is LESS LIKELY to splinter if you DON't chase a ring. Speaking from experiance.
I mean like it takes 1" of set when tillering to only 5 inches or so, but then it stays that way when you get it to 27". i find it very wierd.
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Gotcha. 1" of set a 5" of bend sounds like a broken bow to me. ???
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Gotcha. 1" of set a 5" of bend sounds like a broken bow to me. ???
Same. But it doesn't go up at all. Thats what puzzles me. It takes most of the set early on, but then it doesn't increase....
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Gotcha. 1" of set a 5" of bend sounds like a broken bow to me. ???
Same. But it doesn't go up at all. Thats what puzzles me. It takes most of the set early on, but then it doesn't increase....
I've never heard of anything like that. Have you pulled the same bow to 27"?? :o :o The set should increase. Pics would help to tell whats wrong.
Jon
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The op asked if it could make a " decent bow"....by my definition and opinion...no it won't...you will have to make it long and so wide for it to actually be a long lasting durable SHOOTABLE bow that I would not want to carry something like that into the woods...and I'd never fully trust it and have 200% confidence in it
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The op asked if it could make a " decent bow"....by my definition and opinion...no it won't...you will have to make it long and so wide for it to actually be a long lasting durable SHOOTABLE bow that I would not want to carry something like that into the woods...and I'd never fully trust it and have 200% confidence in it
+1
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Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years
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Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years
I liable to come unscrewed if I read another post about soaking bows in water or oil to make them stronger. Its silly and does nothing to teach new people. Rawhide adds ZERO tension to the back, you cant overpower a fart with rawhide.
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Build it wide ( 2.5 - 3 inches at grip and mid limb ) and long ( over 60" ) and keep the handle semi bending , AND possibly back it with rawhide ( just dont over power the belly ) AND FINALLY belly soak for 72 hours in grease and im pretty darn sure poplar will make a hunting weight bow thatll last years
OK...let's see it...show me....but only after you've spent thousands of arrows thru it,hunted with it multiple times being strung for hours on end,thrown from trees,used as a crutch to get ya out of the woods with a hurt ankle,banged on rocks galore, etc....and let's still see if its a "decent bow" ;) :laugh:...
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If I lived where the op lived and only made a couple bows in an area with osage,hickory,elm,hophornbeam,oaks,dogwood,ash...etc...poplar would be the last on my list to use...always use the best available wood to you when first starting out and learning how to make bows...<--------thats a big period ;)
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Because someone like me walks Into the conversation to stir the pot and says you can't do that..lmao.. :laugh:....right Ryan ;) :laugh:
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.
Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.
Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time
:laugh: Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.
Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time
:laugh: Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!
That's right Jeremiah ...switch sides and come to the dark side...the right side...and get on your knees and bow down to the king osage and swear your loyalty and allegiance to him as your lord ;) lol... :laugh: :laugh:
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the only time I would make a bow out of poplar , is if I was stranded in a forest of nothing but poplar and was starving . even then I would not be happy about it !!!
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Youd have a better chance making a boomerang or a club with the stuff Paul!
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Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.
Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time
:laugh: Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!
That's right Jeremiah ...switch sides and come to the dark side...the right side...and get on your knees and bow down to the king osage and swear your loyalty and allegiance to him as your lord ;) lol... :laugh: :laugh:
Hahaha! Gladly! Just send me a log >:D
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As soon as ya send and trade me for some ...ehemm...green papers ..I will >:D ;D
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And God made hickory.
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Youd have a better chance making a boomerang or a club with the stuff Paul!
you're right about that !
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Im not saying belly soaking a bow in grease will make it stronger YOU GUYS ( blackhawk , pearl ) , but I have an Ironwood bow that has lasted almost 5 years with poor tiller and a huge vertical belly crack . I religiously layer on a huge warm coat of deer fat once a weak . Your permeate the fibers of the bow in oil , they become more elastic . It just gives a bow that " edge " . Now making a 40# bow pull 65# or a 150 arrow FPS into a 180 FPS arrow speed , just by applying grease ? Aint gunna happen >:D ;D
Also , a tightly stretched thick rawhide of Elk or Cow CAN over power the belly on a soft wood like Poplar . CAN !! If you stretch rawhide tight while placing it down on a back , it can put the bow into a tiny reflex . I saw this magic happen on a 57" cedar bow . But it broke , its cedar .
I agree though -- making a bow from poplar is a fun experiment or will produce what I call a meat bow . However , making a bow from poplar is like finding a penny and a dollar on the ground , and you only pick up the penny . Dont go for something that aint worth a darn 8)
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your something else my friend.
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I'm no poplar lover, but I do get confused when guys talk about their "criteria" for a good bow is one you can bang on rocks, throw out of a stand, or friggin sword fight with. I've trucked bows through some thick brush, and I've spent some time in the woods, and I've yet had to use my bow as a club, crutch or spear. I spend too much time making the damn things to bang them around like that, and I imagine our ancestors where a bit more careful with their weapons as well.
In my opinion I shouldn't have to baby a bow, but I should also be a good enough woodsman not to beat the crap out of it every time you go hunting.
Gabe
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I'd rather turn poplar into paper and wipe my butt with it, rather than try to make a bow from it. There are better woods that grow right next to it and that are sold right next to it.
-Pinecone
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As soon as ya send and trade me for some ...ehemm...green papers ..I will >:D ;D
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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So ,we have gone full circle once again.@ B/H so if 99 stave bows would out perform and out last only 1 board bow in a semi controlled experiment ,what would make the decrowned bow special?lol.
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THATS IT! Expect a poplar bow by 8pm! >:D Kidding of course although I have been itching to make one. Poplar will make a great shooting bow if designed correctly. The problem is that a poplar bow will most likely be too wide or long for most people to shoot comfortably in a hunting situation. Even just building my poplar bow it got dented very easily just getting bumped in my work area. Not a good trait if you want a bow to last a long time. If you need wood to work on tillering a bow and considering design then poplar would work fine. But even I have to admit that I wouldn't trust taking a poplar bow into the brush year after year of accumulated dents and scratches. Not sure how well a thick finish would help that.
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That's when a backing or two comes into play . I'd sure put a layer of rawhide from a deer on the BELLY and maybe slap on a snakeskin for the backing . Give it some protection from dents and scratches . Sure it's adding more mass blah blah blah . Poplar is light wood to begin with
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How do you keep that rawhide on the belly from pulling all the reflex out and overpowering the snakekins?
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Rawhide on the belly? Dude, I think that is some non-working mass you want to avoid, IMHO.
Gabe
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That's when a backing or two comes into play . I'd sure put a layer of rawhide from a deer on the BELLY and maybe slap on a snakeskin for the backing . Give it some protection from dents and scratches . Sure it's adding more mass blah blah blah . Poplar is light wood to begin with
???????? :o :o :o :o :o
Jon
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Jon - ::) ::) ;D . Ok maybe I went a bit to far with my imagintion , but regardless a snakeskin will help prevent the back from getting scratched , and the rawhide acts like armor for the belly . That's right , backing for the belly . 8)
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Here's a poplar bow I found on Paleoplanet
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/53416
But I want to know if it's still intact since it's creation. :P
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Here's a poplar bow I found on Paleoplanet
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/53416
But I want to know if it's still intact since it's creation. :P
Still intact! Do you really think I could shoot that thing enough to break it? ;)
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What is this sorcery and where can I learn it from
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Ryoon - I think your poplar bow needs to lay off the mcdonalds
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Hey, anyone tried balsa yet?
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Does that thing cause hurricanes?
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Does that thing cause hurricanes?
No, its a type of wood that is called the lightest commercial wood... as light as 2.5 pounds to the cubic foot... Osage is only 48.2 pounds to the CF. :P
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Im pretty sure I could jump off a cliff with that bow and glide saftley to the ground ;D
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Does that thing cause hurricanes?
No, its a type of wood that is called the lightest commercial wood... as light as 2.5 pounds to the cubic foot... Osage is only 48.2 pounds to the CF. :P
Yes I know, the joke was the amount of wind the limbs push when it's shot
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Hay ohiocountryboy..! There must be some wild wood growing in your parts.? :o Wild wood that is much better than Poplar. Not my fave for sanding and finishing the grain seems to get fuzzy when sanding. Oh and so soft, very soft.
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Glue a nice strip of good ole pine to the back of poplar and you got your self an indestructible bow :laugh: 8) haha
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So, ...just for those that might be confused, can a decent bow be made from Poplar? >:D >:D >:D
OneBow
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Sometimes I believe we get a piece of wood bending and not breaking confused with a great shooting bow. I think there is a stark contrast between the two.
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Sometimes I believe we get a piece of wood bending and not breaking confused with a great shooting bow. I think there is a stark contrast between the two.
+1000
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I made a kids bow, 48" recurve from poplar. 1.5" wide at the handle. Only a 10# draw but has held up well.
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Sometimes I believe we get a piece of wood bending and not breaking confused with a great shooting bow. I think there is a stark contrast between the two.
Sometimes I think we get a shootable bow confused with a masterpiece :P
I am certianly guilty of that.
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You would then have to explain why a poplar bow with low set, good tiller, and normal outer limb mass would not be a good shooter. 8) I'll build one one of these days and change minds.
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Define "great shooting" bow......speed? / cast? / pencil thin tips? / Osage? / heat bent into a pretzel? / twisted? / knot holes? / snake skins? / sinew? / all of the above? What differentiates a good bow from a fine bow from a great bow?
Don't believe everybody's got to make the same kinds of bows, dont believe they all got to be skin/sinew backed character bows or take a couple months to make to be "great shooting". Maybe ya ought to just build yer bow and see how it turns out compared to your personal expectations and decide for your self if it suits your purpose? If it turns out to be a dog you will know, if it meets expectations then it's all good. Only you know what you want it to do.
rich