Author Topic: Wild Plum  (Read 4531 times)

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wvfknapper

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Wild Plum
« on: December 28, 2007, 09:56:19 pm »
Anyone ever work wild Plum,, I cut a couple pieces the other day and the wood looks really dense, Nice purple color , Should I use the heart wood or leave the sapwood on?

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Offline Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2007, 10:09:28 pm »
i dunno, but i am jealous
Formerly "twistedlimbs"
Gill's Primitive Archery and HuntPrimitive

Offline GregB

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  • Greg Bagwell
Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2007, 10:13:51 pm »
My guess would be to remove the sap wood and draw knife down to a selected grain as with osage.
Greg

A rich person can be poor monetarily, the best things in life are free...

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2007, 10:34:42 pm »
As thick as the sapwood is on one side I would make at least one stave with the sapwood still on just for comparison.  I think it would make a beautiful bow with 50/50. Justin
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

duffontap

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2007, 10:39:30 pm »
If it were me I would leave the sapwood intact if you could still show the heartwood down the length of the limbs--like Justin said.

         J. D.

330bull

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2007, 10:39:49 pm »
And back it with Cherry Bark!  Purple on purple with the sapwood in between...very nice!  You could call it "Barney"...   ??? ???

Offline Sidewinder

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2007, 11:47:27 am »
That would be very unique combination. Don't believe there are many bows around like that. I would think it would a worthwhile endeavor. Danny
"You know a tree by the fruit it bears"   God

Eric Kol

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2007, 01:34:06 pm »
I have worked with wild plum in non bow applivcations....whistles, flyboxes etc. When that stuff seasons it is rock hard! the colors fade somewhat, but it glows with tung oil, very rich. I have had wrsit thick branches check pretty badly, but think for a stave I would season much more carefully. My only surviving wild plum tree looks like an overgrown bonsai, not on remotly straight branch on the thing. I'm going to cut some suckers of with part of the root and transplant them to other spots in the yard, crowded with other plants so they'll grow straight!
I can't wait to see it....I hope to build a plum bow in the next few years (once I actually learn to make a bow!).

Offline Badger

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Re: Wild Plum
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2007, 03:06:08 pm »
      I have made a few from domestic plum, I left the sap wood on. Plum is very strong and will make high draw weight bows from small branches. Season carefully as it likes to check badly and twist. Steve