Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Ricardovanleeuwen on December 11, 2019, 12:28:55 pm
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I got a question, how long can wood lay outside in rhe weather before its unuseable for bows? I have found a flace where they logged for " maintance" and its full of european oak, ash and hawrhorno
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I don't know the exact time. I guess it depends on where you live. But white woods like the oaks deteriorate rapidly. Black locust and osage do not Jawge
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I agree with George. How long, what type of wood, what season of he year, all make a difference. If I'm unsure I don't use it for bow wood. For bow wood I want the freshest wood I can find or at least know that the person that cut it know how to handle bow wood off the stump.
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Naast two weeks it was Rainy but also cold, like 10 degrees celcius wich is a bit above freezing
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I've been pulling slabs out of a lumber mill site for the last couple months. I've gotten 2 bows out of it so far with a 3rd in progress. That said this wood is all stacked and I haven't been taking any pieces that were laying directly on the ground. I'd say that collecting found wood just comes down to judgement. If it looks and feels solid it's probably fine. If its been laying in the mud or it's soggy or has signs of bug damage it's not worth the effort to carry it out of the woods.
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I'm not saying you can't make a bow from found wood. I'm saying it might not be worth the effort. If you are willing to take the chance, go for it. You asked folks with experience and you got the answer. Now it's up to you to decide if it's worth taking the chance.
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I have used Ash that had been cut down and sitting out in the open as a log for at least a week or two. I split it up into bowstaves, it had very slight blue stain fungus. Luckily it turned out to be just cosmetic and I made some nice bows out of it.
Oak like George said deteriorates rapidly, but mainly in the sapwood. The heartwood is much more durable than the sapwood(though nothing like locust or osage) so you will have more lee way with oak than you will with ash.