I posted this on a different site just wanted to see what comments you guys have on Russian Olive.
I was shooting this R.Olive bow 64 1/2"ntn the other day. I was aiming for 40lbs at 28 . When I finished sanding out all my tool marks and the amount of set it took (5") it came in at 36lbs. Was super fun shooting but I couldn't stand all that set. So I put the heat gun to it and this is what I ended up with this morning. Really cool color, the back is a real light yellow/green and the belly wood is a rich tobacco with a tinge of yellow, stripped with dark brown early growth rings. My friend said he had cut this about a year ago may be a bit more.
Question , Now that I have taken the set out can I aim for a higher weight say 45lbs or a bit more? and would it help to heat treat the belly? and maybe flip the tips. Might be good sinew back??
I also made out of the same Olive stave a 52"ntn flat slat bow. I don't know what you call this type of bow , its 30# at 28" bend in the handle flipped the the tips slightly The Russian Olive seems to take the heat good was so easy to work some stiff flat spots where the knots are but now I can work on them a little more. I diffidently will be making more Olive bows if this one holds up the trees around here grow like weeds.
Thanks for looking, Chuck
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0042.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0037.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0036.jpg)
That is some perty wood.
it is a lovely bow.
Nice looking wood.
that is lovely wood. Where did you buy it from?
UnderControl16 Thanks for looking, I got it from a friend cut approx one ago 4 1/2" round sapling, tree, stave or ever you want to call it.
Take care, Chuck
Definitely a pretty piece of wood, Chuck. Can't say about the wt. increase. I'm too much of a novice.
I made one from russian olive one but made it too narrow and too thick and it exploded 6 ways from Sunday.
I've gained as much as 10# by heat-treating and adding in a couple of inches of reflex on hickory bows, cant speak for russian olive as I've never worked with it.
UpDate,
Added the heat to the handle and fades that was suggested and ended up with 2" top limb and 2 1/2" reflex on the bottom. Only heated did not blacken the belly should I? or is it good now? The back looks good no checks. How long should I wait till I re-tiller?
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0063X.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0061X.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0064X.jpg)
Thanks for Looking, Chuck
I usually try to wait at least 3-4 days. Store the bow somewhere where the humidity is around 50% and wait 3-4 days and it should be ok. Longer would be better but it depends on how much patience you have. I heat my bows till the belly is a dark brown color but not quite black.
So here it is after a lot of heat tweek'en,
Heated up the fades and flipped the tips slightly. Remember this bow was only shooting 36# @ 28" and took 5" of set. So I retillered. I was shooting and hoping for a target weight of 45# at 28".. Tillered high to 48# thinking after finale sanding and if it took any set it would come in at 45# will so far its holding at 50# at 28".
Added lots of pix at full draw or very close to it, seems to shoot dead on at 17.5 18 paces. It has a little twist upper tip,and has a little string vibration think cause of the recurved tips, its better at a higher brace, pix show bow at 5 1/4" brace but string still stretching.
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0113-1.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0106.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0102.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0121.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0120.jpg)
(http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff371/enterprise401/IMG_0121.jpg)
Thanks for looking, Crg
well that turned out very nice now didn't it.
Great looking bow, I've been looking for a piece of russian olive to try, but cannot find a piece straight enough to work with so far. Did the knots give you any problems?....Dan
Hi Dan thanks for looking,
The knots were a little tricky but not to bad. the stave was petty clean top limb has one knot out towards the tip and the lower limb had a few more and not to close together so I made it the bottom and a litter stiffer.
Take Care, Chuck
Chuck,
Thanks for posting for us.
is this olive tree mate?
i did not know if olive tree makes a good bow. here, where i live, millions of olive trees. hurraay :)
edit:
i just checked the values of it and
---------------MOE---MOR---
120|Olive Tree|2.53|25.3
very good values actually.
inksoup if they were some lager ones here just south of you I would have found out. In one of the post here on woods olive and some good number, and it is a fruit tree and most fruit trees make good bows. There is only one way to really find out so we all will know. That is if you get some shavings going.
Good luck,
kelly
...very nice !
Thanks for looking Kpeat,Inksoup,getstonedprimitivebowhunt and my Bud Kelly G,
Russian Olive, elaeagnus angustifolia L
I'm not one for giving out much advice still in the novice stage, But I to never thought of using Olive wood it grows all over here in the Okanagan Lake area BC, Only tried it cause a friend give it to me and it looked dry, It had only been cut for one year maybe a little longer in a log shaped stave approx 5-6" bark on and never had the ends sealed, Seemed a little green when working it on the shave horse.. Was aiming for a 40# bow started shooting and after sanding out some tool marks it dropped down to 36lbs and took 5" of set.. It was said the wood more likely bent,and wasn't considered set cause it had not seasoned long enough. So make sure you season it good. Left the sap wood on with no problem with checking one post said they remove sap wood because it checked, I must have lucked out.Also it took dry heat good for me Got it back to flat the first time asked a few more?? on this site and one other, was suggested by P.Drums add heat just outside the fades IT WORKED SUPER GOOD, then I flipped the tips slightly let it re-hydrate for 4 or 5 days tweaked the tiller a little and gained 14# still holding 50# bang on at 28" I never did heat treat only used dry heat and olive oil for limb corrections and tips
During an hour or so of shooting it takes approx 1/2" of set, even on both limbs but recovers after unstrung, cool never had one do that before.
This may be really cool also about the Russian Olive tree the bark it strips off so easy in long strips knots no problem, May be good for baskets, woven quivers, and it may make a string if you know how I did make a little paint brush the other day to spread some glue lots of fibers when pounded and shredded.
So thanks all for looking and comments. Would love to hear back with some other R.Olive wood bow experiences
So was just putting on a handle wrap and rest so I will post the finished bow soon Thanks,Chuck