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Author Topic: poplar as bow wood  (Read 32939 times)

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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #30 on: May 09, 2013, 12:19:41 pm »
Youd have a better chance making a boomerang or a club with the stuff Paul!
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Offline JeremiahVires

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #31 on: May 09, 2013, 12:38:58 pm »
Quote from: blackhawk on May 09, 2013, 12:12:35 pm
Quote from: JeremiahVires on May 09, 2013, 11:58:33 am
Quote from: blackhawk on May 09, 2013, 11:49:42 am
Quote from: JeremiahVires on May 09, 2013, 11:32:48 am
Quote from: adb on May 09, 2013, 11:06:03 am
Yah... you can build a bow outta poplar, but why would you want to?
Its cheap and has a nice grain usually.

Most any other trees/better bow wood is free when ya cut it(especially if you live in Ohio)..and cheaper than a "unknown" bought board from a store. And did I mention most any other wood from stave form is gonna be better 99% of the time
:laugh: Some people will pay you to get Osage off their property!

That's right Jeremiah ...switch sides and come to the dark side...the right side...and get on your knees and bow down to the king osage and swear your loyalty and allegiance to him as your lord ;) lol...  :laugh: :laugh:

Hahaha!  Gladly!  Just send me a log  >:D
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blackhawk

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #32 on: May 09, 2013, 12:42:05 pm »
As soon as ya send and trade me for some ...ehemm...green papers ..I will  >:D  ;D
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Offline wildman

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #33 on: May 09, 2013, 12:48:42 pm »
And God made hickory.
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Offline paulsemp

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #34 on: May 09, 2013, 12:50:41 pm »
Quote from: PEARL DRUMS on May 09, 2013, 12:19:41 pm
Youd have a better chance making a boomerang or a club with the stuff Paul!
you're right about that !
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Offline TatankaOhitika

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #35 on: May 09, 2013, 01:18:27 pm »
Im not saying belly soaking a bow in grease will make it stronger YOU GUYS ( blackhawk , pearl ) , but I have an Ironwood bow that has lasted almost 5 years with poor tiller and a huge vertical belly crack . I religiously layer on a huge warm coat of deer fat once a weak . Your permeate the fibers of the bow in oil , they become more elastic . It just gives a bow that " edge " . Now making a 40# bow pull 65# or a 150 arrow FPS into a 180 FPS arrow speed , just by applying grease ? Aint gunna happen >:D  ;D

Also , a tightly stretched thick rawhide of Elk or Cow CAN over power the belly on a soft wood like Poplar . CAN !! If you stretch rawhide tight while placing it down on a back , it can put the bow into a tiny reflex . I saw this magic happen on a 57" cedar bow . But it broke , its cedar .

I agree though -- making a bow from poplar is a fun experiment or will produce what I call a meat bow . However , making a bow from poplar is like finding a penny and a dollar on the ground , and you only pick up the penny . Dont go for something that aint worth a darn  8)
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #36 on: May 09, 2013, 01:25:13 pm »
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your something else my friend.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline rossfactor

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #37 on: May 09, 2013, 01:30:12 pm »
I'm no poplar lover, but I do get confused when guys talk about their "criteria" for a good bow is one you can bang on rocks, throw out of a stand, or friggin sword fight with.  I've trucked bows through some thick brush, and I've spent some time in the woods, and I've yet had to use my bow as a club, crutch or spear. I spend too much time making the damn things to bang them around like that, and I imagine our ancestors where a bit more careful with their weapons as well. 

In my opinion I shouldn't have to baby a bow, but I should also be a good enough woodsman not to beat the crap out of it every time you go hunting.

Gabe

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Humboldt County CA.

Offline Bryce

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #38 on: May 09, 2013, 02:10:55 pm »
I'd rather turn poplar into paper and wipe my butt with it, rather than try to make a bow from it. There are better woods that grow right next to it and that are sold right next to it.

-Pinecone
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Offline JeremiahVires

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #39 on: May 09, 2013, 02:17:52 pm »
Quote from: blackhawk on May 09, 2013, 12:42:05 pm
As soon as ya send and trade me for some ...ehemm...green papers ..I will  >:D  ;D

  :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:
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Offline bushboy

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #40 on: May 09, 2013, 02:40:14 pm »
So ,we have gone full circle once again.@ B/H so if 99 stave bows would out perform and out last only 1 board bow in a semi controlled experiment ,what would make the decrowned bow special?lol.
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Offline RyanY

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #41 on: May 09, 2013, 02:51:42 pm »
THATS IT! Expect a poplar bow by 8pm!  >:D Kidding of course although I have been itching to make one. Poplar will make a great shooting bow if designed correctly. The problem is that a poplar bow will most likely be too wide or long for most people to shoot comfortably in a hunting situation. Even just building my poplar bow it got dented very easily just getting bumped in my work area. Not a good trait if you want a bow to last a long time. If you need wood to work on tillering a bow and considering design then poplar would work fine. But even I have to admit that I wouldn't trust taking a poplar bow into the brush year after year of accumulated dents and scratches. Not sure how well a thick finish would help that.
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Offline TatankaOhitika

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #42 on: May 09, 2013, 03:01:49 pm »
That's when a backing or two comes into play . I'd sure put a layer of rawhide from a deer on the BELLY and maybe slap on a snakeskin for the backing . Give it some protection from dents and scratches . Sure it's adding more mass blah blah blah . Poplar is light wood to begin with
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #43 on: May 09, 2013, 03:37:44 pm »
How do you keep that rawhide on the belly from pulling all the reflex out and overpowering the snakekins?
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline rossfactor

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Re: poplar as bow wood
« Reply #44 on: May 09, 2013, 04:03:03 pm »
Rawhide on the belly?   Dude, I think that is some non-working mass you want to avoid, IMHO.

Gabe
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Humboldt County CA.
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