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Author Topic: ash longbow?  (Read 25511 times)

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Offline billmac

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ash longbow?
« on: January 31, 2007, 08:54:29 am »
What's the thinking on ash as a longbow wood?  I've been seeing ash flatbows everywhere but have also read that besides yew, ash was the wood of choice by the english for their longbows.  Ash is by far the most common tree I have on my property and I wouldn't mind trying to make some longbows along with the flatbows I plan on making. (right now I have lots of plans.  ;)).  Also, has anyone made a longbow from hop-hornbeam or hornbeam?
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2007, 09:07:32 am »
The reason you see lots of ash flatbows is that ash is well-suited to that design. I've seen some ash longbows made by mostly European guys, but I think the European ash may be a bit different from ours. Our ashes are pretty variable, with white ash being much better bow wood than green, black, blue, or other species. Ash makes a good flattish-bellied bend-through-the-handle-longbow. I don't know how it would stand up to a stacked cross section. If you have plenty, try it and see.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2007, 09:09:53 am by Hillbilly »
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Offline Skeaterbait

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2007, 09:27:17 am »
I have done a couple ELB's from ash with good results. They took a bit of set but shoot nice.
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Offline Titan_Bow

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2007, 02:48:36 pm »
 Does anyone have any experience with Mountain Ash?  I'm in Colorado, and I have seen a few places just outside of town that had a lot of this growing.  Growing up in the south, I thought at first it was black locust. But after further investigation, discovered it was actually ash.   Any one ever used this stuff?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2007, 04:18:22 pm »
Mountain is not actually an ash but it makes good bows. Roan is another name for it and in Europe it is used quite a bit and with good results. Around here it's hard to find a piece of Mt Ash that is straight enough to make a bow.   Pat
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neanderthal

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2007, 11:05:21 pm »
Hey billmac, I've made a half dozen Hornbeam bows. They range in weight from 50# to 65#.  The longest one is 60".  I'm in the process of finishing up a 66" one, but am not sure how it's gonna turn out.  If you've hunted much hornbeam you know how difficult it is to find a good straight tree for a good stave.  I live where there's alot of hornbeam and really lucked-up and found one last Dec. 3.5" in dia. 11feet tall and very straight.  It made the sweetest bow I have ever shot.  At 60" and torqing 65# it's cast is 200 yds with a 350 gr carbon arrow. If you would like to trade more info on this give me a hollar.  Thanx
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Offline Kviljo

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2007, 07:40:28 am »
Recently I made a 80" board Ash ELB, which is 37mm wide at the handle, and drawing 92# @ 32". It's got 1,5" stringfollow.

Give it a near-rectangular cross-section, and use a piece that has large growthrings. I guess careful tillering is a necessity though ;)

Great wood! - and splits real easily ;D
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Offline DanaM

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2007, 05:57:24 am »
Mtn Ash is good wood eh, there sweet lookin one growin in the neighbors yard.
Hmmm now how can I get it without her knowing  :o LOL

DanaM
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davkt

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2007, 08:45:03 am »
Yep, here in the UK ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is easy to get hold of and makes very nice ELBs
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Offline mox1968

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2009, 08:19:31 pm »
im surrounded by ash trees here in ireland but find there aint a lot of straight staves to be had from them.I hunt the hedgerows all day with my saw even for a single stave.Have cut a few down to the stump to see if I can coppice straight staves,dont know how long thatll take though?
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Offline jakeas

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2012, 02:04:58 pm »
just a suggestion, but would a mountain ash sapling trunk work as a good saithe? i am currently curing a 70' by 3' diameter trunk ready for a flat bow. in some of the more "youthful" forests of east anglia (UK) there are plenty of young ash trees.
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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2012, 02:56:00 pm »
I have some river bottom oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia) that has been exposed to seasonal high waters I am wondering if the upriver side of the tree (these are 4-8" diam) would have exceptional tension strength from facing the winter current of the Willamette river.  Other ash i have worked with seemed quite variable.  And yes, it does split real nice.
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Offline cornus

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2012, 03:51:27 pm »
I made lots of ash bows (Fraxinus excelsior)
properties are highly variable ranging from very good to poor
 buddy made a good longbow ​​of ash hearwood
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Offline lostarrow

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2012, 05:13:34 pm »
Isn't HHB what  Marc St.Louis built his warbow out of a couple of issues back? Personally I find HHB to be good for just about anything you want to make.
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: ash longbow?
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2012, 01:45:39 am »
Quote from: skeaterbait on January 31, 2007, 09:27:17 am
I have done a couple ELB's from ash with good results. They took a bit of set but shoot nice.

This is my experience as well. I used an oval cross section on a couple, kinda like a mix between flatbow and d bow cross section.
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 the part that has too little is increased."

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