Wood choices for a beginner

[Comalforge]

I have shot bows since I was a little shaver (am now 59) but never really got interested in building until recently (we now have grandchildren).  I live on a small piece of property and have quite a few types of trees here in a variety of sizes.  In order of greatest number, I have Arizona ash, Texas juniper (mountain cedar), mesquite, hack berry, china berry, osage and elm.  There are some with straight trunks and some that are pretty gnarly.  The straighter osage runs from 2" in diameter up to about 6" but the only old growth osage tree looks like something out of "The Headless Horseman"...I also have access to a large stand of bamboo with bases up to 2" and 15' or more in height.

Most of the commercial bows I've used were either bamboo longbows or fiberglass backed recurves.  I am pretty handy with tools and have crafted a lot of arrows but never made a bow as an adult.  The bows and arrows I made as a kid were all from what we called white brush (I don't know the scientific name) but it grew wild along the rivers here.  The trees would rise up and fall over then send out a bunch of shoots.  The big shoots became bows and the little ones were arrows.  I remember the bows pulled hard and stacked pretty badly but I still was able to shoot small game with them.

I felled a large ash several years ago and had it cut up on a saw mill - the boards are now well seasoned and 3" thick but nothing over 55" long.  Is 55" too short for a whitewood bow or should I just cut all of that up for arrows?

Any ideas on where to start?

Thanks,

HW

[willie]

you could check out different two piece bow designs to utilize the ash, at least just to get some tillering experience in while the staves you going to cut are drying. Juniper, hackberry, osage, and elm all make good bows. Maybe if you don't have the nice stave you are looking for on your place, it might be found not too far away?

[osage outlaw]

Cut a tree or two of each tree.  Once you get started making bows you will be glad to have a supply of staves on hand.  I've never worked ash or juniper.  Hackberry, osage, and elm would all be good choices to start with. 

[George Tsoukalas]

Of the ones you mentioned I've used osage and elm. More on my site. Jawge
http://traditionalarchery101.com

[Comalforge]

I have some large hackberry trees, which is considered a trash tree here - so I may cut some staves from one of those.  I've read they can make good bows if backed with something.

[osage outlaw]

They don't need backed.  It helps to heat treat the belly.  Do some research on here.  There are some great hackberry bows posted.

[Morgan]

I love hackberry. It is the most easily available and obtainable bow wood where I live. If I was you, I’d cut the hackberry and Osage. I’d make some bows out of hackberry and save the Osage for when you have your layout and tillering down. It isn’t as heartbreaking to break a bow from a tree that is everywhere and grows like a weed.

[Springbuck]

  I think the best wood for a beginner is the best piece of whatever you have in front of you.

  It's hard to beat osage, but straight, clean, smaller diameter elm, ash, hackberry, or chinaberry would be excellent to start with.  I think making flatbows of those woods is very straightforward.

But, you got a lot of good options.   If it was me, I'd want to be working on a bow right now, instead of working on learning backings and chasing rings.   But, I'd be doing those NEXT week, honestly. 

[Yellarwoodfellar]

I like the 'sage. The color differentiates between the spring wood and summer wood. Easy to chase a ring. Plus it's much more forgiving to subtle ring violations ( not all the way through just houges into the summer wood.) And it's such a golden yeller just makes the purdiest wood only yew and erc come close to it's beauty in my opinion. It's also able to take some serious abuse and still put food on the table

[bushboy]

Good white\american elm is bullet proof!

[JW_Halverson]

I just love the hackberry.  Cut and split into 6 foot staves that are about 4 inches across the outside curve of the bark.  Now strip the bark off the same day as you cut and split.  Seal that with cheap urathane finish, shellac, lacquer, latex paint, or even paint it with wood glue. 

Try not to mark up the wood peeling off the bark.  You can even use a pressure washer to blow it off and that won't harm it a bit...if the sap has begun to come up in the trees yet. 

Best of all, if you cut a boat load of it and decide you don't like it, I will take it off your hands in trade!!!

[Comalforge]

I just love the hackberry.  Cut and split into 6 foot staves that are about 4 inches across the outside curve of the bark.  Now strip the bark off the same day as you cut and split.  Seal that with cheap urathane finish, shellac, lacquer, latex paint, or even paint it with wood glue. 

Try not to mark up the wood peeling off the bark.  You can even use a pressure washer to blow it off and that won't harm it a bit...if the sap has begun to come up in the trees yet. 

Best of all, if you cut a boat load of it and decide you don't like it, I will take it off your hands in trade!!!

Thanks for all of the responses - we have boatloads of hack berry - nice straight trees too, for the most part.  I definitely will try that first and that let's the osage grow a few seasons longer.

[JW_Halverson]

Another positive feature of hackberry, it generally grows pretty danged pipe straight.

[Springbuck]

Good white\american elm is bullet proof!

Plus one.  Really GOOD elm is really good bow wood.