Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: BigWapiti on May 25, 2008, 04:05:53 pm

Title: Russian Olive??
Post by: BigWapiti on May 25, 2008, 04:05:53 pm

Anyone tried and successfully built a bow from Russian Olive?  Anyone tried and failed?  Suggestions either way?

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: El Destructo on May 25, 2008, 04:08:36 pm

Quote from: BigWapiti on May 25, 2008, 04:05:53 pm

Anyone tried and successfully built a bow from Russian Olive?  Anyone tried and failed?  Suggestions either way?

I don't know Mike...but try it and let me Know....I have a Friend that has a Dozen of them...and He wants Me to cut them all down and haul them off.....look pretty gnarly....and thorny like Honey Locust....but I am wanting to try to make one from it also.......

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: BigWapiti on May 25, 2008, 04:35:54 pm

yeah, I'm willing to give it a run, but interested first if anyone has and found it to be subpar.

I'll be cutting a few today, along with some hawthorn and oak.

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: stiknstring on May 26, 2008, 01:52:23 am

Yup definitely keep us posted on this one. In the TBB 4 they have it listed as a possible bow wood but no real description of its properties such as SG or anything.  Here in Montana the river bottoms are LOADED with the stuff and people are usually pretty willing to part with it off of their land.

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: bcbull on May 26, 2008, 02:02:28 am

 YEP I HAVE MADE 3  AND IT WILL MAKE A BOW !!!!  VERY HARD WOOD ,, FINDING THE RIGHT PIECE  IS THE CHALLANGE ! :-X

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: BigWapiti on May 26, 2008, 02:49:54 am

BCBull, what were your bows' dimensions?  Length, limb width, type, etc?  Too, what was your final limb thickness, say, near grip, mid-limb and at the tips?  What diam tree / limb did you use?

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: bcbull on May 26, 2008, 01:00:13 pm

 morning  ok   what i did is work this very much the same as you would a hickory stave  or a hornbeam piece   i made  mine into d flatbows  one pulls 68 @28  the other 2 are 55 and 49 pounders   when you cut ur staves  treat it very much the same as hornbeam  this stuff relley likes to chek and split  the logs i had were about 6 to 7 in dimater   i cut my staves about a foot over &7 ft    cuz i did have to trim them befor i made the bows what i did  was cut it seal the ends  let em set in my shop for about 3 months then debarked em and split em sealed  the backs with poly  i started the limbs at 2 inch  wide i think my finished deminsons were about 1 3 / 4 and my tips went to  7/ 16  if i rember i gave all of them away to my nephews   they say they relley shoot  iv got tons of the stuff around here and im going to cut some more and mess with it  good luck

Title: Re: Russian Olive??
Post by: stiknstring on May 26, 2008, 04:09:51 pm

thank you for the information....I guess I better go get my hands on some.  There is a Bow In The Hat going on over on another site and this might fit the bill for my primitive designee