Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Wylden Freeborne on November 25, 2013, 05:31:55 pm
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Hey all. So, make sure your complaints aren't heard as prayers, cause last week I was complaining about not being as physically active since we got to Missouri when a storm comes through and takes a whole tree down in my in-laws back yard. After a day of bow sawing and limbing, I have what could be about 8 staves from the thing. It is a Bradford Pear tree. Any experience with this tree? I will probably give it a shot anyway, cause why not, but I want to hear what experience some of you fine bowyers of the world may have to guide this young Jedi...
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I made a mini-bow with it once. Seems like quite a brittle wood, so long and wide is what I'd go for. Better for carving than for bows in my opinion.
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Run a search for "Bradford".
Really, the search function works quite well here.
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Run a search for "Bradford".
Really, the search function works quite well here.
Or we could have a conversation about it because, it's, ya know a forum for discussion. Don't get me wrong, searching through the archives is helpful to get more information but if that's all people did then there wouldn't be any discussion on the boards and then no one would come here any more. Sorry to sound so peevish but I swear 90% of your responses are snippy reminders for people to search instead of discuss. If you don't want to contribute to a conversation then maybe you should just ignore it. There are plenty that I ignore.
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I couldn't agree more Weylin. As far as the search function working quite well...I believe that to be a shameful stretch of the truth. If you happen to find the magical combination of words to enter, you might get a couple useful hits. As far as the original question goes, sorry man never tried it. But I've been eyeballing one for a couple years waiting for a good ice storm to provide me with some nice limbs. So I'm interested in what answers you get as well. Josh
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...and back on track...Bradford Pear, even thought a landscape tree, is a true Pyrus(pear). The problem with them as landscape trees is their structure; the main branches pull away from the trunk under a load(wind, snow, ice)due to their steep angle. The wood itself should be as strong as any other pear. I have never made a bow from Bradford pear but I'd at last give it a try.
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yeah dude give it shot. pear is listed in TBB4 with .73 SG. Which should be pretty good bow wood. I really don't know anything about pear so I just quoting it from the book but I've wondered if it would make a good bow too. Would really like to see your results!
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Thanks guys! Hey Gun Doc, it seems that if the wind is much stronger than a fart, it will fall, so you'll be in luck soon enough, to be sure. I am gonna let it season out until this spring, maybe sooner for one or two >:D We'll see how it feels. Still yet to find that promised land of Osage groves with bows growing on each branch as prophesized from those folks that claim Missouri has "just as much good bow wood as Oregon". We'll see. Oh, we'll see.
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Nice segway Pat, well played, Bub :laugh:
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Do it and let's see it ;)
Cipriano
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Run a search for "Bradford".
Really, the search function works quite well here.
I think the search engine is broke, Darklord, cause I looked up smart ass and all I got was Squirrely. You didn't pop up at all! ;)
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I don't know what part of MO your at, but I can pretty safely say that whichever part your in, Osage is nearby. If you took I-70 across KS, all those long lines of trees bordering the fields and mile roads in the eastern half of KS were Osage. Miles and miles of it.
I'm hoping to get a limb or two off that pear, but so far everything that's broke off it has been worthless for bows. Maybe this year will be my lucky year. Josh
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Gun Doc, I am sure I will get my fill of that pretty yellow wood soon enough. I haven't really been out in the woods yet, and that needs to be remedied!
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Pear is a funny wood, as mentioned it can be brittle. That said I have just hafted a old axe with a pear handle and it "seems" to be holding up OK. Didn't find a bow stave or billet in my lot so its carving wood only. Interested in what you make of yours. You could add it to the archive, make that search button work better. 8)
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I would imagine it would depend on how clean the staves are. Some of the great woods can tolerate all sorts of nasties where some of the more fussy woods like to be very clean.
For those of you who have problems with the search engines in forums why not use google to search through a specific site only? Its very easy and much more powerful than a standard in-built forum based search engine.
Very simply in a standard google search box just enter the text you want to search for followed by "site:www.primitivearcher.com"
This "site:" tells google you are only interested in results from a specific website.
So for instance, and dont put the quotes in
"pear site:www.primitivearcher.com"
or
"bradford pear site:www.primitivearcher.com"
Simples ;)
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What's google :-[ ??? ;) :) Got a bunch of bradfords in my yard also,none down yet but if they do I will give it a try,let us know how it turns out. :)
Pappy
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What's google :-[ ??? ;) :) Got a bunch of bradfords in my yard also,none down yet but if they do I will give it a try,let us know how it turns out. :)
Pappy
Who is google?? ;)
I bet they know a lot about you >:D
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Run a search for "Bradford".
Really, the search function works quite well here.
I think the search engine is broke, Darklord, cause I looked up smart ass and all I got was Squirrely. You didn't pop up at all! ;)
You're right; the search function is broken. It was working some day, but not anymore.
Instead, you can try google: Link: Click (https://www.google.com/#q=site:primitivearcher.com+bradford)
Google is so much better for most searches.
A whole list of useful topics suddenly appears!
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,6930.0.html
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,16010.0.html
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=39755.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,43588.0.html
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=36736.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=37372.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=25123.0
@Weylin: I like discussion as well, but when I see the same discussion appearing over and over again, there's just no use anymore. What sense does it make to discuss the same in seven different topics? If there is new information to be added, please re-start the discussion, even if the topic is over 300 days old. As it stands now, all the information about a single wood species, Bradford pear, is completely scattered on this message board. No one is ever gonna be able to find it all. So people will start a new topic - again. Adding to the ever increasing list of topics (814 pages of 'Bows' and counting). If this were my forum, I would merge many of the Bradford pear topics. This would strongly increase the readability and searchability of the discussion board. But I'm not an admin or moderator, so my advise will probably be ignored.
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Thanks everyone for the ideas, and yep, I was thinking of many other items to carve with some of these less bow worthy candidates as well. Darksoul, thanks for your earnest reply, and while I can say that I was being a jokester in my last post, and meant no harm, I still apologize for dirtying up the forum with insults. One thing I love about PA is that it tends to lack trolls unlike other sites. That said, I am not sure why you are compelled to not only open the thread that is on a subject you have read a thousand times before, let alone comment on such threads, but what baffles me most is why it would upset you? I personally have talked about yew bows for hundreds of hours and I am just scratching the surface! There could be new threads everyday that I know I would learn from, even when it is on a subject I have already read about before. Now, why come with an entitled sense of instruction for anyone, just sit back, relax, and talk bows!
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Because he is a Dark Soul, that's why! Not a bright, happy soul! DARK!....;)
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Well played by all. Cracking me up. ;D ;D
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Darksoul, this is a discussion board, its not necessarily meant to be an encyclopedia where all the information is nicely organized and catalogued. That kind of thing is valuable, but only when you already know what you are looking for. I had never heard of a tree specifically called a Bradford pear tree, so I would never have thought to search for information about it. But due to the conversational nature of this site, I have discovered something new. Perhaps I will come across a Bradford pear tree in my travels, and then I will remember this conversation and the information discussed in it.
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Run a search for "Bradford".
Really, the search function works quite well here.
I think the search engine is broke, Darklord, cause I looked up smart ass and all I got was Squirrely. You didn't pop up at all! ;)
:o >:( >:D :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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I am glad there is enough interest in traditional bows that similar topics continue to be posted. Shows people are still open to learn and that there are, hopefully, always new members and visitors re-visiting old topics and maybe shining a new light on it somehow. Carry on folks!
and welcome to the discussion forum Wylden ;)
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Wylden, Looking for Osage "in the woods" in Missouri is an unlikely spot. Look in treelines and fencerows--there's a reason it's alternative name is 'hedge.' I've seen it growing in those places, along railroad tracks, next to glades, and in brushy fields, but never in the midst of actual forest land.
Happy hunting,
Tom
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Darksoul, this is a discussion board, its not necessarily meant to be an encyclopedia where all the information is nicely organized and catalogued. That kind of thing is valuable, but only when you already know what you are looking for. (...)
This unorganized, uncatagorized bunch of 814 pages about anything bow-related, does not help a beginner. No-one knows where to start looking for a piece of information. It is overwhelming to a beginner. I'm sure the lack of a clear beginners section has deterred quite a few.
The message board that I really liked, as far as structure goes, was the original The Bowyers Den, about ten to seven years ago. Anyone still remembers it? It had nicely organized sub-forums, with defined topics such as a bowyer's gallery, a wood forum, a design forum etc. Perhaps I have just too much experience with various international and local forums that I can get annoyed by this "discussion" board. Take a look at this topic: we can see posts about your privacy on Google, bright souls, osage and more. Not so much discussion at times, but just friendly chit-chatting. I dare to say that a better forum structure would assist in better discussions, because everyone can find his/her preferred topic more easily, without browsing through 814 pages of topics and missing the majority.
Wylden, I'm sorry for going so off topic in your topic. It's nothing personal to you. I just felt the need to explain my post, since I was accused of yelling "use the search function" all the time. It therefore felt appropriate to do so in this topic. I could have opened my own topic, which would probably have disappeared somewhere in the 814 pages of this forum, without much attention or discussion.
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Some people have a high noise to valuable input ratio. Wouldn't it be cool if we could just setup our own personal configuration so that certain people simply would disapear from our view.
...but then we might miss out on some pretty interesting stuff that way. Hmmm. I guess we'll just have to put up with the noise and apply our own internal filters. I think this forum has proved to be pretty useful and worthwhile just as it is. I mean, I guess it could be better, but I like it pretty much just like it is.
OneBow
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Sorry, I forgot the original question. I don't know anything about pear wood. :embarassed: :-\
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Sooooooo.............where do I post my band camp stories then?
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Sooooooo.............where do I post my band camp stories then?
LMBO!!!... Seriously hope that Bradford Pear is the new WONDER bow wood! That way we got a reason to cut them nasty smelling, invasive things to oblivion >:D
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Ok. I shall hold back my rant about pear for now.
Pear is a *&*@ when it comes to my uses.
However, it CAN and WILL make a decent bow- but make sure the piece you cut has straightish grain. it is also low in tension IMO.
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yeah dude give it shot. pear is listed in TBB4 with .73 SG. Which should be pretty good bow wood. I really don't know anything about pear so I just quoting it from the book but I've wondered if it would make a good bow too. Would really like to see your results!
The specific gravity does not determine wheather a wood is good or not for bows.
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I know nothing about it !
I would try the piece with the most sapwood since that seems to work better on the hard pear's
Who knows maybe you will be the one to open this wood up !
Go slow and study hard !!
Guy
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Wylden, Looking for Osage "in the woods" in Missouri is an unlikely spot. Look in treelines and fencerows--there's a reason it's alternative name is 'hedge.' I've seen it growing in those places, along railroad tracks, next to glades, and in brushy fields, but never in the midst of actual forest land.
Happy hunting,
Tom
Thanks for that Tom, and I will be looking, that is to be sure.
"However, it CAN and WILL make a decent bow- but make sure the piece you cut has straightish grain. it is also low in tension IMO. "
Squirrelslinger, I will consider backing it then. Maybe some of these fine Missouri Copperhead skins over some sinew layers would do it right.
I would also like to acknowledge Bowslayers sense of humor and ability to take the joke with class. Good on you man.
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Still going,and nice to boot. Ya Dark I remember the den,about 5 post a day from the same people. ??? as for beginners,hang around for a short while and you will figure it out and won't be a beginner anymore. ;) :)Wylden I hope you give this a try cause I have a yard full of them,I just for some reason always thought they would be to brittle,guess it because they are always breaking and falling over in someones yard. :) May be like PatB said,just the way they fork at the trunk that makes that happen like a multie trunk Maple. :)
Pappy
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Wylden.... Mo. is a hedge paradise... Its everywhere in rows and wild inda river bottoms... Brian
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Never made a Bow from Bradford Pear.
However, I have carved a few wooden spoons from it.
It would appear that all Bradford Pear is not created equal.
Wood from Small trunks that were was growing real fast is light weight, soft and brittle.
Wood from the outside rings of large trunks is much heaver and harder. It appears to still be somewhat brittle. I would compair the best Bradford Pear to "wild" Black Cherry. It is just a bit harder but not much.
Thanks
David
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Wylden, thanks for posting the question, because I had never considered bradford pear as a possible bow wood. We have lots of bradfords and callery pears here and the branches break off all the time. I am a novice to bowmaking and really don't know the questions to ask, so this is an interesting thread.