Author Topic: live oak  (Read 7859 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DennisM

  • Member
  • Posts: 24
live oak
« on: September 17, 2011, 11:54:34 pm »
Has anyone tried to make a bow from live oak.  I live in Tampa Fl. and live oak is plentiful. I have been reading and they used it to build ships because of its strength

DennisM

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: live oak
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2011, 01:09:25 am »
I lived in Coastal SC when I first got interested in building wood bows. Live oak is one wood I wanted to try but never did. It sure is strong wood. Give it a try and let me know what I've been missing.  ;)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline fishfinder401

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,485
  • noel laflamme noellaf2@cox.net
Re: live oak
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2011, 02:41:50 am »
wait, live oak is a type of oak, i thought you just meant a non seasoned oak.......
warbows and fishing, what else is there to do?
modern technology only takes you so far, remove electricity and then what

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: live oak
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2011, 02:54:46 am »
Noel, Live oak(Quercus virginiana) grows in the Southeast US, along the Gulf coast and a different variety of live oak in California.  In movies when you see a southern back drop with the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees, the trees are usually live oak.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline fishfinder401

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,485
  • noel laflamme noellaf2@cox.net
Re: live oak
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2011, 03:02:45 am »
well, i keep learning new things here  ;D i might actually be learning more here than at school( especially with that large yew tree outside my math room ::))
thanks
noel
warbows and fishing, what else is there to do?
modern technology only takes you so far, remove electricity and then what

Offline kiwijim

  • Member
  • Posts: 111
Re: live oak
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2011, 07:41:50 am »
Old time bowyer James Duff stated in his 1928 book Bows and Arrows that only 4 North American woods would make a decent english long bow. They were Yew, Osage, Live Oak and Ironwood. In that order. I think ironwood may refer to hop hornbeam. If Duff thought it a decent wood, then it most likely was and still is.

James

Offline Matt S.

  • Member
  • Posts: 380
Re: live oak
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2011, 10:20:39 am »
Isn't that the stuff they made the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides", out of? I think it has a SG of .88
Would love to see a bow made from it!

Offline Eric Garza

  • Member
  • Posts: 589
Re: live oak
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2011, 11:12:32 am »
And for what it's worth, I'd love to get my hands on a short, straight stave. If you end up cutting a tree and have a short stave that you aren't using, send me a PM and we can try to work something out.

Offline crooketarrow

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,790
Re: live oak
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2011, 11:18:51 am »
  I've never built any but the old bowyer that was my friend talked of a INDAIN friend of his from FLORIDA that use to use live oak. But that all I know about it.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING

Offline ken75

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,886
  • crepe myrtle is my "yella wood"
Re: live oak
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2011, 12:34:40 pm »
im surounded by live oak but have never used it , theres something grand about those old trees and the atmosphere the create just couldnt cut them.

Noel this is what they look like

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: live oak
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2011, 12:39:29 pm »
Absolutely my favorite tree in the world. There is something majestic about an old live oak tree...plus they produce acorns almose every year(deer and duck food) and make easy to find, comfortable stands for hunting, without a portable stand!
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Parnell

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,556
Re: live oak
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2011, 12:52:39 pm »
I've passed them up for quite some time because of the same reasons.  Wouldn't feel right cutting em.  It's real tough to find a straight piece but I'm sure there around.  Dennis, I'm down in Naples and we've got a lot more swamp/scrub oak down here.  I have a hard time getting my hands on that stuff because they're either too young or too twisty.
Not sure if you're just getting started with this but if you haven't given Australian Pine a try yet don't pass it up!  It's invasive, easy to find, seasons fast, grows straight, and can have a specific gravity over 1.0. 
1’—>1’

Offline kiwijim

  • Member
  • Posts: 111
Re: live oak
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2011, 06:27:49 am »
Yeah, Aussie Pine is a Casurina. Pacific islanders used casurina as a prefered bow wood. Sounds like you boys are surrounded by bow wood!

Offline DennisM

  • Member
  • Posts: 24
Re: live oak
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2011, 09:55:52 pm »
Thanks for the replies guys
Yea, I would not cut one of these trees for a stave, but a lot of them are blown down in high winds and many of the large limbs are trimmed by the city and others. The limbs are where a stave would come from.
I have seen only i hickory this far south, but there are some pecans around. No osage. I lived in Springfield Mo. for three years  There was osage every where.
Thanks for the tip on the Australian Pine, I will keep my eyes open.

Offline beetlebailey1977

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,153
    • Bowhunters of South Carolina
Re: live oak
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2011, 10:25:04 pm »
We just cut a very large limb out of one about three weeks ago.  Didn't think about saving any of it.  I could go and salvage some of it because I drug it off with the tractor in big sections.  I will check it out and see.
Happy hunting to all!
Bowhunters of South Carolina Executive council member
Professional Bowhunters Society Associate member

Reevesville, SC     James V. Bailey II