Mystery wood from TOJam

[Justin Snyder]

I'm afraid it was sitting in Marie's yard to long even if it was only a few days. It was raining nonstop at the time.  The walnut I got had a lot of fungus under the bark already.  If it is cottonwood it could make good arrows I guess.  It isn't anything like our cottonwood so I don't know.  Justin

[Pat B]

The bark is thick, corky and deeply furrowed and the wood is light weight and spongy under tension. I don't know what it is but it doesn't seem promising.
   If I keep discouraging ya'll  you won't want to be bothered building a bow from it and I'll be the winner of the Marie's ash cottonwood bow off.       Pat

[DanaM]

That bark does look like cottonwood

[Pappy]

I think it was some kind of ash,I have a lot of Cotton wood on my place and it don't look like that.
I will tell you one thing it cooks a mean brat.Most of the ones I got were kind of dotty so I cooked
food with them.I have some of the Walnut left and plan to use it for tips and handled. 
    Pappy

[Hillbilly]

Pat, I'll try to start hacking on mine soon. Maybe we could have a "bow with the most set" contest. I think I'm gonna soak mine in some saltwater for a few days before I start tillering it.  

[Pappy]

Ya that should do it Hillbilly.
    Pappy

[Dingleberry]

Pat and others, I haven't messed with mine yet.  Ridgerunner emailed a couple months after we aquired the staves and seemed to think it was box elder tree(ash leaf maple).  I havent the foggiest but trust what you tree experts think.

[Hillbilly]

I don't think it's boxelder-I've cut scads of them down and it don't look the same. It's something that doesn't grow here in western NC.

[RidgeRunner]

I have just started working on mine.  Hope to make a bow for "Mini".  Quite now.  If this thing has a come apart I don't wont her disappointed.
I stripped the bark off mine the day after I got it home.  The inner bark was 1/2" thick maybe thicker in some places.  The bark was still "green" when it was taken off.  So the log had not been cut for to long of a time. The grain is so crooked on the back of the stave that I have serious doughs as to wheather I can make a bow from it.  However, I popped a belly stave off mine.  Well, two billets anyway. Both broke right off as they were being split off.  These two billets have been spliced together.  I hope to make a bow that is linen backed 5' long and pulls 25pounds @ 24" .  I agree with Pat.  What ever this thing is it don't look to good.

David

   

[Auggie]

Soaking in salt water.....isnt that pickleing?? Maybe all its good for,and cookin.

[Pat B]

I took her off of the form after almost a week. I heat treated the belly and clamped her to the form last Sunday. Today she came out of the form with a bit more resistance but still week in the belly. I braced her and pulled to 26" about 6 times then unbraced her to find almost as much set as before. This wouldn't by my "go to" bow wood for sure.
   I would like to challenge all mystery wood recipients to a shoot off at the Tenn Classic. I'm curious to see what everyone comes up with...if anyone else is curious enough to try.       Pat

ps. server won't let me post pics.

[DanaM]

Dang I wish  I had some of Marie's mystery wood

[El Destructo]

Dont look like Cottonwood to me....and it grows all over Here....and in myYard....I have never seen it with such a pronounced dark heartwood....looks more like some member of the Ash Family..

[Hillbilly]

Pat, I'll try my best to have mine shootable by TOJAM. We'll shoot a round of the course with them or something. At least they shouldn't be hard to brace. 

[Badger]

Pat, I know you are not a big fan of the mass weight thing but if you happen to have a scale handy would you mind weighing the piece you are working on? Thanks Steve