Brigalow Bow From OZ

[Rich Saffold]

Thanks again Graeme! Ya there's some of those trees at the local university, an downtown near the wood shop I work at..Our area has almost every Australian tree species..Over 200 or so, and there's over 1000 non-native species here.  I actually thought this tree was a eucalyptus, and I haven't had the best luck with this species so far. But I know this is going to change..

I can understand why you did all that driving.

Rich

[GraemeK]

Hi Rich
The trees near you may be Brigalow but there are 960 Acacia's and I can think of a dozen or more that are had to distinguish from Brigalow except  by careful study of both the flowers and seeds and comparison to a field guide.
If you cut an Acacia that is one of the larger tree species there is a good chance that the timber will be dark heart wood and light sap wood as this is common in the Acacia's but they vary greatly in physical  properties. A good example is Acacia melanoxylon ( Tasmanian Black Wood ) which has similar shaped leaves and general appearance and typical two tone timber but only has an S.G of about .6. I have tried it as a bow timber because it is common but it is only marginal as it takes a lot of set and splits badly.
Still if what you have available has a good S.G it should work to make a good bow.

It is interesting the experience you have had with the Eucalypts.
I am not surprised -- even in Australia people have difficulty and the main reason is that there are 700 species which often grow intermixed rather than in defined forests. This means that cut timber is rarely correctly identified and even if people cut it themselves  it is often incorrectly identified. The problem that this causes is that the suitability for bow timber varies from complete rubbish to some of the best woods in the world.
This would be difficult enough but is further complicated by the fact that within any species the physical properties vary greatly with the conditions and location of their growth.

The Eucalypt that I think is by far the best is Eucalyptus paniculata ( Grey Iron Bark ) but I have found that it can vary in strength by as much as 50%. This is not as terrible as it seems since even at its worst it is still a strong and resilient bow wood but it means if you use the same dimensions that work for the stronger material on the weaker wood it will probably fail and in Eucalypt this will be a catastrophic failure not a case of excess excess string follow.

Graeme 

[kiwijim]

Hi Graeme,
After trying spotted gum and finding it disappointing, I have often wondered about brigalow. John Clark from Ausbow Industries has been selling brigalow logs for about ten years now and if fussy old John considers it to be worth making a bow out, then it must be good!
Another wood I have heard whispered about is Red Almond; Alphitionia excelsa. I know that some aussies were making some hard shooting high draw weight elb's out of this wood a while back. To find out more about it, try tracking down Glen Newell, sometimes he posts on the Ozbow forum.
Also, I have read that in queensland grows a small vinelike shrub called 'Cocksthorn spur', genus; Maclura. Like its brother, osage, it has yellow timber that has been used as a dyewood, large inedible friut and thorns. Could be promising.

Reagrds James

[GraemeK]

Hi James
I am familiar with Alphitonia excelsa -- it is often called Red Ash locally. I cut a large tree about a year ago that gave me three logs 2m long and 300mm in diameter.  I have tried one stave that so far has not impressed  me, it has a low S.G and does not work nicely.It is going to have to have exceptional elastic properties to live up to its reputation. Also you need a nice straight stave because it does not like to be heat straightened since it likes to form cracks.
Below is a photo of the timber -- it is about the best log you are ever going to get so I figure it should be representative.

Graeme

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[Pappy]

Nice haul,that some beautiful looking wood.Looks like the bow is coming along nicely also.
Keep us posted.
   Pappy

[kiwijim]

Thats a good looking shed you got there!!
Disapointed to hear about the red Ash, I found one here in NZ and was looking foward to poaching a piece. That'll teach me for trusting Aussie stories
That brigalow bow is looking good

James

[Dingleberry]

Great haul.  That stuff is sharp lookin.  Good luck.

[kiwijim]

also, thats a nice looking osage log you cut as well.

[GraemeK]

Hi James
I would not say I had given up on the Red Ash ---  I am just reserving my judgment till I have a working bow that I can try.
I am probably a bit biased towards denser timber but obviously there are a lot of advantages to low limb mass if the wood is also highly elastic.
I will persist till I have a nicely shooting bow since I have seen a couple made from Red Ash that I was impressed by.

The Osage Log is nice but I did not cut it myself. A guy from the OZ Bow site found it while hunting along the NSW /QLD border and I picked it up from him during the same trip.  I have put It aside till I feel inspired enough to try a all wood static recurve.

Graeme

[Rich Saffold]

Graeme, I'm meeting the  arborist tomorrow at the local Botanical gardens to ask him a few questions, and this will be one of them..Like you mention a lot of them are very similar, and he will help me get the right ones..

Rich

[wpranch]

 Gosh darn it my wife saw that bow , now she wants me to build one because thats pretty , you guys are killing me .
   sean

[GraemeK]

Hey Sean
I wish the only jobs I needed to do to stay in the good books was make a bow or two.
Sounds like my kind of wife.

Graeme

[GraemeK]

Hi Pappy

Yep I am real pleased with the timber and the bow is turning out nicely. I think this may the best bow from Australian wood that I have worked on.

It is good to be making some wooden bows again. I have been busy setting up the equipment for a guy who is starting a bow manufacturing business -- mainly take- down recurves  and laminated long bows --- it has been interesting since I got to combine my bowmaking experience and my engineering background but it is a bit much like any other manufacturing process rather than bow making.

Still it has kept me busy long enough for some of the interesting wood that I have cut to dry enough to work on.


Graeme

[Pappy]

Looking good to me,good to see ya back at it,hadn't seen you on in a while.Did your
health problem turn out OK.hope so.
   Pappy