« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Box elder for a bow?  (Read 6515 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

bearbowman

  • Guest
Box elder for a bow?
« on: August 24, 2009, 02:30:04 pm »
I had part of a box elder tree come down in my yard during a storm. I took one stave from it. It has a load of prop twist. Has anyone ever made a bow from this type of wood? I would assume a wide prfoile would be in order.
Logged

Offline JustAim

  • Member
  • Posts: 353
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2009, 02:49:38 pm »
Boxer Elder is considered a borderline bow wood according to Tim Baker. Keep it wide and long and tiller it for a low draw weight. You might also consider backing it as well.
Logged

Offline Hillbilly

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,248
  • I like tater tots.
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2009, 04:42:21 pm »
I would back it with a thick piece of some other wood and then rasp all the belly wood off before tillering it. :)
Logged
Smoky Mountains, NC

NeolithicHillbilly@gmail.com

Progress might have been all right once but it's gone on for far too long.

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2009, 04:45:38 pm »
Box elder (Acer negundo) is a maple, and maples can make good bows from time to time. 

I would say "go for it", keep it wide and a little extra long.  If anything, it will teach you more about tillering.
Logged
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Dano

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,349
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2009, 04:48:44 pm »
Hillbilly's advice is good. ;D
Logged
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."


Nevada

Offline Josh

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,367
  • Silence is golden but duct tape is silver.
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2009, 05:36:31 pm »
LOL Hillbilly!!!   Mind if I steal that one?    ;D
Logged
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

Offline richpierce

  • Member
  • Posts: 278
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2009, 07:54:28 pm »
You can use boxelder for a fire for heating wood to bend it or for belly tempering, but in addition to it being soft and punky it doesn't burn any better than willow or cottonwood.  It is about the most useless wood in the world.  An expert bowyer might be able to get a 30 pound bow out of it that would last, but it would be a slow overbuilt 30 pound bow.  A frog-killer.

It's just not worth it working with bad wood.
Logged

bearbowman

  • Guest
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2009, 12:27:10 pm »
Thanks for all the replies. Hillbilly, you gave me a great laugh today. Well I guess I'll pull it out of my garage and put it in my wood stack for the next weekend fire we have. Sounds like fuel for the kids hot dogs and marshmellows.
Logged

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2009, 03:13:03 pm »
The peoples in the Missouri River Valley did tap it for sap in the spring and make a sweet syrup from it, being a maple.  Someone mentioned to me that it also has a bitter aftertaste. 
Logged
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline youngbowyer33

  • Member
  • Posts: 606
Re: Box elder for a bow?
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2009, 01:43:16 pm »
where i live it is known as manitoba maple and it makes garbage bows.well i suppose someone could make a decent bow but i couldnt
Logged
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
Pages: [1]
« previous next »