Finally got some tools for christmas...what can I practice on? Also, bow wood

[CDunlap]

So after 15+ years of playing with the idea of building bows, I finally moved from fantasy to reality and asked for some tools for Christmas, which I received. Now that I have them, I'm anxious to start peeling some wood. However, I have no staves, and as I am not willing to spend $100+ on a seasoned stave, I'm curious as to what I can do in the here and now to start practicing, while I cut some staves and get them seasoning. To that end, I bring up my second question: today I was walking around my hunting lease, and came across what I am 99% sure is Swamp Chestnut Oak. I have several of these trees lying about, just waiting to be turned into staves, if they are suitable for bows. Anyone have any opinions on using chestnut for making bows? I'm looking at making English Longbows to start before moving into Native American shortbows, etc. Any thoughts?

[Hawkdancer]

More experienced Bowyer's will weigh in, but you can find a nice red oak board at the big box places sometimes.  If you have a wood store near by, they could help you, too. You make try to work a trade through the Trading Post thread, that's how I got mine.  What is Swamp Chestnut Oak?  Never heard of it before.  Any way, welcome aboard, these folks are very willing to. Help and have a wealth of bow building experience.
Hawkdancer

[Del the cat]

You can practice on anything, it may not be ideal, but almost any wood will make a bow of sorts. Just cut some and get it seasoning, the worst that can happen is you get to burn it later. Part of the fun is trying new types of wood, you can still keep looking for something better!
You'll soon find you accumulate a stock of staves.
I can't be more specific as I'm in UK and have Hazel and Ash in abundance and other stuff too like Elder. I even tried a garden shrub Buddleia which exploded rather well
Del

[stuckinthemud]

Finding staves is my favourite part of this hobby; don't forget that shorter lengths can be spliced together to make decent sized staves.

[Eric Krewson]

I second the suggestion of starting with a red oak board from Lowe's, $6, already dry, if you goof up it is no big deal. Study board bow making closely before you select a board to buy.

http://poorfolkbows.com/oak.htm

Stave collecting is part of the fun, any wood already on the ground is not bow wood unless it is osage. You probably have hickory, as soon as the leaves start to bud out it's a good time to cut some because you can peel the bark off easily and have the back of your bow done.

PM me your address and I will send you a free tillering gizmo with instructions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqvwUqn-EFQ&t=1

[George Tsoukalas]

My site has some info. too.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge

[Pat B]

Where is your lease? Maybe we can tell you other woods that might be available in your area.
 Like Eric said, if the wood is on the ground it's probably not worth messing with for bows.

[CDunlap]

Wow I didn't expect such quick and helpful replies so soon! Let me try and answer as much as possible:

Fist, I think I misspoke because some think I am asking about wood I found already on the ground. The wood I was asking about, specifically the Chestnut, are live trees that have yet to be cut. Second, someone asked what swamp chestnut oak is: answer: heck if I know. I live on the gulf coast, and the Mississippi Forestry Commission has graciously put out a free app identifying most trees in the state. From looking at photos of leaves and bark and comparing them to a tree I was looking directly at, I narrowed it down to a Swamp Chestnut Oak (95% sure). A quick google search didn't give me any hits as to whether or not Chestnut wood has been used by anyone for bow making so I wasn't sure. Hickory wood is my first choice to play around with as I've heard it's pretty forgiving for new bowyers, but believe it or not I have yet to run across one Hickory tree down here. I am still obviously very new to tree identification, but the vast majority of what I have available to me without much hassle is, I believe, softer wood trees (sweetgum?), a few oaks, etc. There's a sycamore tree on my property I been eyeing and we have a few Crepe Myrtles with branches straight enough to turn into a decent stave without much trouble I think. I'm just trying to gather some extra ideas.

[EdwardS]

Where do you live?  I may or may not be close by.  I'm up for helping if you're close.  I'm in Brewton AL.

[upstatenybowyer]

Okay, I just googled "swamp chestnut oak specific gravity" and the wood database has the SG listed at .6, .72 which strongly indicates that it'll make a bow. It's an oak, not a chestnut and I've never heard of an oak that won't make a bow.

I believe it's time to 

 

[Scyth]

The Bowyers Best Friend :

https://www.wood-database.com/

regards,

Scyth