Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Goldmarble on May 09, 2015, 11:54:32 am
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Well, I guess I'll introduce myself: I'm Scott, I'm 31, and live on Vancouver Island, and have ready, and free access to pretty much all the broom I could ever hope to need, for free.
I've been interested in archery for a long time, but never did anything about that interest until now. After doing a bit of reading, wondering what could possibly be done with this invasive shrub, I came across a couple of gentlemen who have made scotch broom bows before.
Well, that gave me the idea to finally try doing something I've had interest in for so long, so I went out last night, and harvested a couple of staves:
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b271/dposcuro/DSC_4562_zpskgglphli.png)
Yes, broom usually is a short, very branchy, shrub of annoyance. Found these on a friend's property, after they had bushwhacked a path through a mountain of blackberry and broom. The longest stave is 84" long. The big fat one, is 2.5" in diameter, but unfortunately split at the top, a good 8 or so inches. It was half uprooted, and and the crwon split it when I was cutting it apart. Live and learn, will be wiser about it when I go back for more....
The one on the far right was already cut down, and has dried to some extent. It will make the first one to be mutilated in my efforts of learning.
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I sent you a PM. It's nice to have one more from the Island. :)
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Scotchbroom is great to start with and it sounds like you got plenty...seasons fast....easy to work....very forgiving..seal the ends with glue and let them season for a couple of weeks before you peel then let them sit a week or so without bark then rough out and by that time they'll dry fast as you work it....peel them now or rough them out and you'll end up with mass checks and crazy reflex because it gives up the water so fast....
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Thanks DC, got it!
Scotchbroom is great to start with and it sounds like you got plenty...seasons fast....easy to work....very forgiving..seal the ends with glue and let them season for a couple of weeks before you peel then let them sit a week or so without bark then rough out and by that time they'll dry fast as you work it....peel them now or rough them out and you'll end up with mass checks and crazy reflex because it gives up the water so fast....
Randman, thanks! You're obviously, part of the reason I thought of trying to make bows out of Broom! Seriously, google searching Scotch Broom brings up several posts by you :P
And yeah, going to seal it tonight with some white glue. Should I dry it in the shed, or the garage? Shed gets a good bit of afternoon sun, from about 12-5. Garage stays a cooler temperature, pretty much all the time.
Going to rough out the already dried out stave pretty soon. See if it is rotted, or checked severely. I think the 2.5" stave might just become a source for trying to make drumsticks for some friends. Those big knots, and that 8" split make me wary of it.
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Welcome to PA
And our great addiction!
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A steady temp is best.
Good luck.
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A steady temp is best.
Good luck.
Thank you for the advice, garage it is.
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Well, the stave on the far right of the picture, was an already dead piece I picked up when I was out. Already dried, so I am making it into my test-model, to see how well I can make a "bow shaped stick." I cut off the top, where it had started to rot, and debarked it completely. Probably got a bit overzealous on the debarking.
Currently trying to rough it out into shape via hatchet, and I found out something, either:
A; Broom is very, very hard wood,
or B; the axe head I rehafted, might as well have been made out of lead. Edge is blunted and rolled not even half way into shaping the one limb.
Thankfully, I have a really nice little hatchet, that while I have no idea who made it, does proudly proclaim to be made of swedish steel. So far, very minimal edge damage.
I might have to break out my grandfather's broad hatchet and cut down the haft I stuck it on to proper length. Hand forged head, and nicely hardened.
Will get pics of the damage and progress in the morning light.
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I'll have to try scotch broom out sometime. It grows on the mainland too and no one will mind you cutting it. Welcome to the site
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Thanks Wizard!
Quick question to those much more knowledgeable than I:
When should I attempt to straighten the stave? Before I rough it out? Or after?
The section I have roughed out already, had a single-plane kink in it, that worked well with the knot positions to give me a slight flip of the tip.
The section I haven't roughed out, has a double kink in it, in two different directions, neither of which are useful, thus needing to be straightened, and have a bend put in it to match the other limb.
Thank you in advance, for the knowledge, gentlemen!
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After, thinner wood straightens easier. BUT, I've never used Broom so ::) ::) ::)
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I like to wait till my wood is seasoned before I bend. I know guys out there bend green wood, I haven't tried it yet.
It's a pretty unknown wood, so you won't get too much advice for scotch broom.
If there's wiggles in it, I like to keep them in the front profile, not the side profile if that makes any sense. Much easier for tillering if your new to it.
You also live not far from yew a plenty, I'd go find some if I were you. Ocean spray too! It should be blooming soon
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Thanks, the stave I am working on is the the already dried/seasoned one. Found it already dead and dried.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b271/dposcuro/2f59e552-0746-4032-9199-b0d49bcc05b7_zpsln1wgecc.jpg)
The top is where I have already started roughing it out. The bottom has the odd, double kink to it.
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Looks like a cool piece. Not sure if it classifies as I white wood, I suppose it does. They don't ususlly do to well when they're dead and on the ground. It doesn't take long for them to get rot of some sorts. there's only one way to find out!
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Good luck. Only ones I've found that size were rotted out. looks like the 3rd one in from the left has some issues.
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You might be able to leave that kink. It's what we call character! As long as your tips line up with the handle. What happens between points a, b, and c don't really matter to much.
By the way, welcome to PA!
Patrick
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Looks like a cool piece. Not sure if it classifies as I white wood, I suppose it does. They don't ususlly do to well when they're dead and on the ground. It doesn't take long for them to get rot of some sorts. there's only one way to find out!
Well, definitely called it. As I was probably trying to "floor tiller" it as a complete first timer, top half of the stave snapped in half, and precisely where I thought the hinge was.
Lesson learned: I can see where the hinge is, BEFORE it snaps!
Course, it could have had a bit of rot, or anything else; but the end result is a learning experience, that I will be able to apply to the other staves.
Good luck. Only ones I've found that size were rotted out. looks like the 3rd one in from the left has some issues.
Yeah, third from the left is the 2.5" beefy one. Has an 8+" split at one end, and a big knot. Not intending that to be a stave. I know some drummers, going to see if Broom wood makes even half-way decent drumsticks. Never know until it is tried :D
You might be able to leave that kink. It's what we call character! As long as your tips line up with the handle. What happens between points a, b, and c don't really matter to much.
By the way, welcome to PA!
Patrick
Yeah, I've seen quite a few, very beautiful character bows in my research/studying. Unfortunately, this stave, even when it was whole, never lined up very well at all. The limbs were kinked in 2 different planes, and never re-centered. Course, it's broken now, but I am learning heat-bending in the meantime, as I try to straighten the broken limb into a drumstick.
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Well sorry it broke but the way you described it, I wasn't surprised to much.
When I'm trying to align a bow stave, I tale a small string with a little weight on both ends and put the string on my center line on each tip. Let the weights hang so the string is taught. The string acts like a temporary bow string. Then I will look down the stave and decide where to bend it so that the string will line up in the center of the handle. Hope this helps, Patrick
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Update on the drying of the other staves.
They are going slowly. Very slowly. To be honest, I'm not sure they've lost much moisture in these past 15 days. The smallest, thinnest stave, does feel a bit lighter, but the majority of them still have a lot of heft, also have an almost...damp feel to the bark. Not sure if this is typical or not.
The thickest stave did check at the end, opposite of the split, not surprised about that, and not worried about it. Didn't really anticipate getting a stave out of it anyways. The other staves seem to be alright otherwise. No visible checking.
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Drying takes it's time on the Island. The RH as I type is 78%. At 70 degrees F wood will never get dry enough. You have to collect wood faster than you make bows. Once you get a good stash you've got more drying than you're making. Then you start getting better bows. I think I'm about a year ahead so anything I cut has at least a year to season.