Apple Stave

[Bullitt]

Found a real nice apple wood stave about 4" in dia. last fall at work, county recycling center.

Anyone used apple and what type of bow?

Thanks for any help or info!

Steve

[IdahoMatt]

One of my clients Hans a few apple trees that I just got back from checking out.  There is a lot of great wood from 3" diameter all the way up to about 7-8".  From what I have read apple is a good wood for bows.  While drying it wants to check badly so seal it up and let it set for a year or two.  That's just what I have read, it would be nice to hear what others have to say, that have tried it though

Matt

[Stoker]

I could be wrong but here goes... Didn't Bryce(pinecone) do one from pacific crabapple not to long ago...
Thanks leroy

[Wiley]

All I know is that its miserable to split, usually very twisted. Real hard stuff. Give it a shot, if it fails hack it up for smoking wood. Really excellent smoking wood if you've never tried it.

[Slackbunny]

I have never made a bow from it, but I have cut it, split it and dried it. It twisted all to heck after splitting it and checked horribly. But to be honest, after it twisted so bad after being split I didn't bother to seal it up, so you may have better luck with checking if you get it sealed right away. Like someone else said, worse case scenario you've got some good smoking stock.

[DavidV]

Malus Domestica

SG 0.83
Weight 52 lbs/ft^3
compression 6,030 lbs/in^2
Modulus of Elasticity 1,270,000 lbs/in^2
Modulus of Rupture 12,800 lbs/in^2

That puts it about like winged elm but I bet it'd be closer to plum if I had the numbers for it. I can't remember who... may have been Saxton Pope or Maurice Thomson... mentioned it as being a good bow wood and they were making Longbows. If it were me (take with a grain of salt) I'd go 62 to 66" long and 1.5" at the fades for a flatbow and see where that got me.

[rossfactor]

The apple I've used is kinda like plum, but quite a bit weaker in compression. Try to keep it wide,

Gabe

[Bryce]

The apple I've used is kinda like plum, but quite a bit weaker in compression. Try to keep it wide,

Gabe

Bingo! 1.5"+ seems to be the ticket:)

[mikekeswick]

I've got some beautifully straight, untwisted billets of apple. Enough for about 5 bows  Mine have been drying slowly after being split, bark left on and they are completely unchecked. I'm looking forward to using them in a few years.

[Carson (CMB)]

I have in my possession that crab apple bow that Bryce made and I can say it sure shoots like a great bow wood.  The limbs are wide, the tips are skinny, and it shoots!

[Bullitt]

Thanks for all comments! I hope to put up a pic or 2 of the apple limb, stave. This one came in after the bad storm we had back in November here in the Midwest. A lot of apples were with it and other limbs and logs, too.

Not sure on the variety of apple, but we called 'em old fashion apples when I was a kid. She's pretty straight and sucker limb and knot free. Pretty uncommon you know for apple, or any other fruit tree!

[Bullitt]

Hey Carson, can you post any pics of the bow, please? I remember a few years back, Timo had a bow, I think from crabapple, too. It was sweet!

Jim Fetro wrote an article in the Traditional Archery digest about bow woods back in the '80s. In it, apple wood was listed as a good one.

This stave is very dense for its size!

[BOWMAN53]

check it out.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4575.msg63250.html#msg63250

[Pat B]

Josh(DuffOnTap) is one of those guys that can make an incredible bow from just about anything he could find. I remember this crabapple bow he made back then. He was in to war bows mostly but he sure could build beautiful bows. Too bad he doesn't hang out here anymore.
  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, Bullitt.

[Bullitt]

Thanks Pat, and Bowman53! Yeah Pat, there is for sure  folks who can build them all!