Author Topic: Bending black walnut... (Read 5570 times)

Primitive1 · « **on:** January 05, 2010, 11:13:22 am »

Neighbor calls me a couple of years ago to help him fell a dead tree on his property. My first cut with the chain saw and I see the brown chips fly everywhere...black walnut! So, I help him down it and keep the wood...most of which will be used for 'in house' stuff but I've saved a nujmber of quartered out sections for some bow attempts. However, the staves are not even close to 'tip to tip' alignment and I'm going to have to straighten them. Any advice? I tried a BW bow from 'store bought' wood some years ago with an 1/8" hickory backing strip and during the first 'off tillering tree' intial stringing...the belly collapsed...that was horrid. I figured it was because the wood was too dry or brittle from incorrect drying...dunno...in any case, I would love to make some 'D' bows with these 'natural' staves for my son and I for a winter project and want to do it right. Thanks, P1.

Pat B · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:35:00 am »

I consider BW a whitewood when it comes to bow making so I would not use standing dead BW for bow wood. It doesn't take long for rot to get into wood.

coyote pup · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:55:41 am »

I would listen to Pat. I won't touch dead wood expect for firewood. I have personally come to extend this rule as applicable to blown trees and leaning trees.

half eye · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:06:07 pm »

For what ever it's worth I built 3 bows so far from black walnut two native styles for friends and a Mollegabet for myself....they are all unbacked self bows and all are very sweet shooting bows....they ranged from 45# to mine which is 58#...Personally I like the wood and the finished bows seem to be real resistant to "field conditions" including the late archery season this year which averaged between 6 and 21 degrees F. w/ freezing rain and snow; here's a couple pics of mine, I shot the close ups so you can see there is no problems with the limbs at all.
half eye

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Primitive1 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:16:43 pm »

Half eye, that's some sweet work there! I plan on using that shape/style on my osage branch bow! Looks like from what I've read that since the tree was felled as 'dead', the wood is then suspect and prone to failure...rats, well, I might try to knock one out in a 'D' style bow and see if she holds anyway...or perhaps as the 'meat' in a sandwich lam between boo...hmmm...btw, those carved bows you've been working on are just flat out beautiful...great job! Cheers, P1.

half eye · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:25:09 pm »

dont know how big your "quarters" are but if you can re-plit to to a vertical grain "board" you might have a good chance of the wood working ...even if it is maginal. Just a thought since I dont know what size you have.
half eye

HoBow · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:27:00 pm »

Half eye- could you post pics and specs please? I'm really interested in the mollegabet! Thanks.

half eye · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2010, 04:40:03 pm »

dont mean to be stupid but do you want specs etc on the quartersawn board or the mollegabet pattern? I think you want the bow specs...correct?
half eye

HoBow · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2010, 05:05:30 pm »

Yes sir- bow specs please. I will be working with a stave. Thanks.

half eye · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2010, 05:15:52 pm »

Will have that posted to you this evening maybe about 8ish pm...Michigan time. I do it proportionally so you can make the boww about any length you want and still have it look right....it's real easy.
half eye

half eye · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2010, 09:51:12 pm »

This is how I lay out a Mollegabet type bow....by using a "proportional approach you can fit the layout to any bow length you choose to make. Please, if it is not clear let me know...
half eye

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HoBow · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2010, 10:18:20 pm »

Great- Thanks! Do you think this is the optimal layout for black walnut. My dad has a few large black walnuts he's wanting me to down for him when I get time, but most seam to think that black walnut is sub par selfbow wood so I've been hesitant to drop the trees until I know what I want to do with them.

half eye · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2010, 10:42:17 pm »

Jeff,
I use this layout regardless of the wood species. As for black walnut I had to work my butt off to get that bugger DOWN to 58# it was pulling really smooth at some weight that scared me. One other thing about the design is if your at all concerned you can allways go 2" on width of the working limbs....but as you make limbs wider the more critical the limb thickness becomes with less room for error. My walnut mollegabet is 1.5" wide.....what is really cool though is that you have less limb length to tiller since your only doing half the limb (assuming you want stiff levers)thats how I make all of mine.

half eye

ken75 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:31:13 pm »

half eye wish i could trade u out of one of those .. i could give say... an arm and a leg !! jk i 'll make one soon enough , awesome bows though ..do you need an adopted son by the way ?

Primitive Archer