Ive been splitting logs for years. I sometimes run a chainsaw cut to guide me. I don't have a bench. Good to see old craft skills still being used . I might get around to making a bow. I use them fencing or building verandahs as in Australia we need shade.
Do you think there's any disadvantage of using a black locust tree that has already fallen down instead of one that's alive? I have some lying around in the woods and the heartwood still looks good and free from rot.
Fiskarjaz not really but it depends. You won’t have to wait on dry time if it’s already dead, however you will run into more rot and bug damage than cutting them live. Sometimes you won’t find an issue until your hours into your bow. Since the ends are not sealed on the already dead stuff you need to check them over for cracks extra well. You will also want to grab a much longer log to use because your checking in the ends will be feet instead of inches since again you weren’t able to seal them. Also with already dead ones depending if they have fallen or not don’t use the stump end if it has fallen. Cut that off because there will most likely be many minute little checks within the wood due to the stress and breaking when she fell over. If the stump came out with the tree it should be ok. But as far as a good short term bow that could last a lifetime if everything is ok with the wood I would say grab all the dead logs you can and try them.
Fiskarjaz personally if it was me and the heartwood looks good I would try them. Strip the bark off and split them out. Just make sure you cut off any checking on the ends. And I would seal them anyways, even if they are dead. It will keep the moisture out of the ends while you work the wood until you can seal and finish the bow. Or whatever it is your making with the wood. They used animal fats, greases, and tallows before the modern age. Even used those to seal the whole bow and the rawhide strings. I remember reading some old accounts of an old Indian bow maker that said they used bear grease on the rawhide strings, when finishing the bow, and between the changing seasons. So I’m guessing twice a year since they went by solstice.
@@ashcraftoutdoorswithchrisd1451 Thanks so much for the info. Good point about the stump. These are tough trees, and most of the fallen locusts still have their stump intact. I've started working on one black locust stave and it's not completely dry. I've only ever made an oak board bow, so this is my first 'real' stave to work with. As a beginner, it's difficult for me to follow the growth ring but this is good practice even if the bow fails. Also I'm enjoying your other traditional archery videos as well. There's some good stuff on this channel.
Don't mean to tell you your business, but if you don't take that sapwood off down to the heartwood you're going to have cracks running every which ways running clear through the heartwood and a bunch of worthless wood fit only for fence posts, if they're big enough. Black locust is the next thing to boisd'arc and acts just like it. Split your staves , leave the bark on and seal the ends. Either that or shave clear down to the heartwood and rough out the bow, leaving it long and seal the ends. I've learned the hard way and lost some extra good staves by taking the bark off and leaving the soft wood on. It'll dry quicker alright but you won't like the outcome. If you make the bow green hang the tips across a couple rafters, hang a little weight from the handle area. It'll give it some backset as it drys. Harder to finish tiller but less string follow if you do it right. Thinner the wood, quicker the drying time, fewer checks and you might be able to finish your bow after one good hot summer. Luck to you.
Jason W. Perkins good question. So all you do sealing the ends is keep the wood checking minimal. If you had let’s say a 8 foot log you split into staves and decide to not seal them. After a years dry time you may have to cut a foot off each end of the stave due to checking(cracking or splitting). Where as a sealed stave will only have a loss in inches after a 5 years time. So if you didn’t seal your log and it is long enough that after cutting off the checking you still have a lengthy piece it would be no different in longevity or flexibility than a stave that was sealed.
Very nice 🙂👍
Ive been splitting logs for years. I sometimes run a chainsaw cut to guide me. I don't have a bench. Good to see old craft skills still being used . I might get around to making a bow. I use them fencing or building verandahs as in Australia we need shade.
Damn you're lucky i they grow here on the Navajo reservation
Thank you. I’ve always wondered
What wood can I use?
can you use a mill to saw in half?
Do you think there's any disadvantage of using a black locust tree that has already fallen down instead of one that's alive? I have some lying around in the woods and the heartwood still looks good and free from rot.
Fiskarjaz not really but it depends. You won’t have to wait on dry time if it’s already dead, however you will run into more rot and bug damage than cutting them live. Sometimes you won’t find an issue until your hours into your bow. Since the ends are not sealed on the already dead stuff you need to check them over for cracks extra well. You will also want to grab a much longer log to use because your checking in the ends will be feet instead of inches since again you weren’t able to seal them. Also with already dead ones depending if they have fallen or not don’t use the stump end if it has fallen. Cut that off because there will most likely be many minute little checks within the wood due to the stress and breaking when she fell over. If the stump came out with the tree it should be ok. But as far as a good short term bow that could last a lifetime if everything is ok with the wood I would say grab all the dead logs you can and try them.
Fiskarjaz personally if it was me and the heartwood looks good I would try them. Strip the bark off and split them out. Just make sure you cut off any checking on the ends. And I would seal them anyways, even if they are dead. It will keep the moisture out of the ends while you work the wood until you can seal and finish the bow. Or whatever it is your making with the wood. They used animal fats, greases, and tallows before the modern age. Even used those to seal the whole bow and the rawhide strings. I remember reading some old accounts of an old Indian bow maker that said they used bear grease on the rawhide strings, when finishing the bow, and between the changing seasons. So I’m guessing twice a year since they went by solstice.
@@ashcraftoutdoorswithchrisd1451 Thanks so much for the info. Good point about the stump. These are tough trees, and most of the fallen locusts still have their stump intact. I've started working on one black locust stave and it's not completely dry. I've only ever made an oak board bow, so this is my first 'real' stave to work with. As a beginner, it's difficult for me to follow the growth ring but this is good practice even if the bow fails.
Also I'm enjoying your other traditional archery videos as well. There's some good stuff on this channel.
Which is the best for bow wood or bamboo?
Don't mean to tell you your business, but if you don't take that sapwood off down to the heartwood you're going to have cracks running every which ways running clear through the heartwood and a bunch of worthless wood fit only for fence posts, if they're big enough. Black locust is the next thing to boisd'arc and acts just like it. Split your staves , leave the bark on and seal the ends. Either that or shave clear down to the heartwood and rough out the bow, leaving it long and seal the ends. I've learned the hard way and lost some extra good staves by taking the bark off and leaving the soft wood on. It'll dry quicker alright but you won't like the outcome. If you make the bow green hang the tips across a couple rafters, hang a little weight from the handle area. It'll give it some backset as it drys. Harder to finish tiller but less string follow if you do it right. Thinner the wood, quicker the drying time, fewer checks and you might be able to finish your bow after one good hot summer. Luck to you.
How does the sealed staves compare in quality to the unsealed? As far as longevity and flexibility.
Jason W. Perkins good question. So all you do sealing the ends is keep the wood checking minimal. If you had let’s say a 8 foot log you split into staves and decide to not seal them. After a years dry time you may have to cut a foot off each end of the stave due to checking(cracking or splitting). Where as a sealed stave will only have a loss in inches after a 5 years time. So if you didn’t seal your log and it is long enough that after cutting off the checking you still have a lengthy piece it would be no different in longevity or flexibility than a stave that was sealed.
just subbed, love bow making, stop by my channel, look forward to more vids
from what i have seen black locust sapwood is ok to leave on. Am I wrong?
how long does it take for them to dry if you don't split them?