Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Ippus on September 16, 2015, 02:06:25 pm
-
So, I still haven't got my hands on full-length wood yet that I can work with for an adult-sized bow, but when I went to pick up some apple wood for a friend of mine's smoker last weekend, there was some other stuff that we picked up as firewood. There were a couple of pieces that looked pretty straight and solid, so I decided to get in a little practice splitting and tillering. They're a little short, but if I'm not too ham-handed, I figured I might manage a bow for my six-year-old. I haven't had a chance to take the bark off yet, but I covered the ends in wood glue.
What I'm wondering is whether any of you have an idea what the wood is. To look at, I was thinking maybe black locust.
There's a lot of sapwood and thin, dark bark; and when I had freshly split it (it's very wet still) it had a sort of greenish, weedy, musty scent - elm has that odor thing going on, right?
What do you think?
(https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12004084_10153123984480382_8916830054733079058_n.jpg?oh=3ba62e2a4cfe70266d695f9f724289da&oe=569F90FE)
(https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xla1/v/t1.0-9/11988441_10153123984570382_7744468650659936247_n.jpg?oh=ac17915d7f03684af2ff2c408fe15f76&oe=56645126)
-
Hard to tell from just these pics. Give it a try and see how it performs, but test it good before making a bow for your daughter.
-
It looks like it could be elm from here; it does not look like black locust. Definitely test it before making a bow!
-
Definitely test it before making a bow!
Give it a try and see how it performs, but test it good before making a bow for your daughter.
I hear that! The last thing I want it to be digging shards of wood out of my little girl's face. Any recommendations on specific tests to put it through (other than shooting it in thoroughly)?
-
Hard to tell, but I have some black locust sapling splits that look like that
-
If I am curious about a particular stave or wood type, I usually make a rough mini bow (like a foot long) and try to figure out how easily it wants to take set and/or break. I never get around to stringing it, more like floor tillering (table tillering?). If you are a thorough type, there is a Standard Bending Test in TBB vol. 1 (the Performance chapter I think).
-
For safety sake I'd suggest backing it with silk, linen or raw hide. You can get neck ties from thrift stores for a dollar or so and some have pretty cool patterns on them, maybe even something your daughter would like.
-
That looks a lot like post oak by the bark. I would raw hide it.
-
Definitely not locust, so I'm lost ;D
-
looks a bit like black walnut? maybe ??? hard to tell.
-
looks like elm to me.what your thinkin is sapwood could be the cambium layer.or like was also mentioned, could be hickory.
Tony
-
Well, I lived next door to a black walnut, and this seems way too light for that, but I guess the bark might be about the right pattern for elm if the limb continued to grow.
Interesting... I hadn't really been thinking of backing at this point, since I kinda don't know what I'm doing yet; are you suggesting a backing more for safety's sake, so that if it does fail, the failure is contained by the backing?
If I am curious about a particular stave or wood type, I usually make a rough mini bow (like a foot long) and try to figure out how easily it wants to take set and/or break. I never get around to stringing it, more like floor tillering (table tillering?). If you are a thorough type, there is a Standard Bending Test in TBB vol. 1 (the Performance chapter I think).
Thanks, TimBo, I believe I recall the chapter/test you're talking about. You basically suspend a given length/thickness off the edge of a surface and add weight until it fails, right?
-
If it has little partitions in the pith area than likely black walnut.
-
The bark looks a bit like White Ash. A close up of the wood and bark might help identify the wood
-
The wood looks a lot like english walnut, but the bark looks like elm, ash, or maple. E walnut bark is that color but not as textured.
For future reference, Black locust glows under UV light. So does osage, sumac, and a few others.
-
can you post a up close look at that bark and the edge of one of the logs ,cut off flush , with bark on it ? thanks Tony
-
Can you get a better close-up photo of the bark? Take that photo with you and go walking around your city parks and any woodlots where you are welcome. Match bark and then get a shot of the leaves. From the bark close-up and a leaf photo, identification is pretty likely.
-
Im 99 percent sure thats hickory.
-
I zoomed in on the picture and I am with Cody,looks like Pignut Hickory to me. :)
Pappy
-
Im 99 percent sure thats hickory.
As am I, so that means 198% it's hickory.
-
Hickory? That's really cool. I didn't think we had any growing in this area, so that would be a neat find.
I'll have to see if I can get some more pics tonight. I have a larger piece that I cut these from; it wasn't as straight, but you might be able to see the cross-section better.
-
Okay, so I did manage to get some additional close-up pictures. The outdoor shots are from a larger chunk of the same log.
Indoor bark close up
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12003008_10153127203780382_2048500408342489786_n.jpg?oh=cf33fbfd373bee7b726233b5f36e8de6&oe=569B1C0D)
Outdoor bark close ups, full sun
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11140045_10153127204000382_8278406116540866598_n.jpg?oh=38c41ea3df6957b1b120bf6eb6b8d4fc&oe=56A20B9E)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/12038091_10153127204120382_8040115597676088289_n.jpg?oh=489737428a5abd81551549df327046ca&oe=566EC098)
Indoor cross-section, w/glue
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11219339_10153127203835382_6855521244676621798_n.jpg?oh=572eda807c73e9838961e8a26a5093e0&oe=56A317F9)
Outdoor cross-sections
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11150961_10153127203905382_1610353533804508314_n.jpg?oh=47b381f492e43f23a37ab210aad7eecf&oe=566517FA)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12042814_10153127204155382_423049843657659044_n.jpg?oh=528966fcffec61df85dcb4203e9fcdb8&oe=56A23386)
-
hickory , its not elm or walnut.Tony
-
How about a picture of clean (not rough) end grain and edge grain as close as you can get the camera to focus.
FWIW it's much easier to I'd if you look at the leaves too.
-
Sadly there weren't any leaves left by the time it came to me. I was originally just going to use it for firewood, or I probably would have asked more questions when I got it. :)
I've started peeling it, taking off the outer bark, which seems fairly thin, and the spongy inner layer, and I have some additional attempts at close-up grain shots.
Also, I'm becoming suspicious that there may be some kind of irritant in the bark/tissue I'm removing. That, or I'm getting a cold, which wouldn't be that surprising, either.
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12004878_10153127474965382_4069813108712751425_n.jpg?oh=f5dd1bb4c5b1a729908b4ab4dd9e83e9&oe=56696647)(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11999013_10153127475075382_4261456585675248188_n.jpg?oh=5b27b8b265f4f2c7e6044610c74d51fb&oe=569C4E98)(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12002192_10153127475230382_5398001116156149387_n.jpg?oh=af59b64b8a3db8da5f57ea0433d48a66&oe=5699556E)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/11988473_10153127492755382_8869161125418376364_n.jpg?oh=339a20d6d037d717b4021afcc896c485&oe=56A5A940)(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12038286_10153127492860382_6467367225070932552_n.jpg?oh=d8cd6c121867541d3a986dc246a1e646&oe=56A2BFB7)(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/12003127_10153127492985382_1941347110165565893_n.jpg?oh=d92a2cd518301e59e05f0d1f903390ca&oe=56A2FDD5)
-
Sorry I pretty sure the 198% is wrong, including me, don't think it's Hickory now, looks like some kind of maple maybe. :-\ Pappy
-
Sycamore?
-
Aint a sycamore steve...
Looks like either red or silver maple to me...but either way its a maple for sure. I dont think its hard/sugar/rock maple..which means its one of the "soft" maples. Itll work for a bow,but its not great or even average bow wood. Go long and wide and keep the weight low-ish.
And whats the discoloration on the sapwood where you removed the bark? Did this wood sit outside for a bit before ya got it? It just looks like it has unhealthy dark streaks on it from here...
-
:D The black stuff is where a little paint or something rubbed off the wedge when I was splitting.
-
I feel like the bark is vaguely reminiscent of Manitoba maple. Kind of a weed tree. It looks like in the original pictures there is a pretty massive pith channel in those logs, unless I'm not seeing it right.
-
Sorry I pretty sure the 198% is wrong, including me, don't think it's Hickory now, looks like some kind of maple maybe. :-\ Pappy
Pappy I think you're dead on. That's why I asked for edge grain because I suspected it was a diffuse porous wood from he end grain shot.
Only maple (and maybe sycamore) looks like that in edge grain.
-
Couple more shots in bright light, in case it makes a difference, since I peeled off the outer and inner bark.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11221449_10153130260040382_3041738651937590378_n.jpg?oh=30f2927a999d60931d3372640a5361c9&oe=566869EF)
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12046863_10153130260075382_4183885427114515432_n.jpg?oh=1b4248287f6c4b9b2515999e1d1f9170&oe=5663F95F)
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12036755_10153130260115382_4269104010946727979_n.jpg?oh=1fd7429122396e0cf2978f2b08f80f2c&oe=566083F3)
-
I'm thinking a maple also, now. In the last pic it looks powdery on the back. If that is the case it means fungi has infected it.
-
On more, and then I'll stop cluttering the board with pics, for now. After I finished peeling all of the pieces, I noticed an interesting rippled pattern on the back.
Sorry about the lighting. I'm afraid it made the picture a little... grainy. :laugh:
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12006230_10153130541910382_4705771223721544226_n.jpg?oh=eecee390cebca0cbbd5d8643d7c61b04&oe=56656BF7)
-
In the last pic it looks powdery on the back. If that is the case it means fungi has infected it.
I did use some 240 grit sandpaper to get the last little bits of inner bark off, so that may just be sandpaper dust.