Rock Elm, Mulberry, Hickory, Red/White Oak

Now i know Mulberry is a close cousin of Osage, but im really having trouble hunting down any local Osage. So i want to start with these more accessible (to me) woods, until I get better at it.  Mulberry is somewhat available, Rock Elm is next, hickory is very common, and so are the Oaks.

Besides the Mulberry, what about these other woods?  I am only interested in selfbows, i have all i need to make one (hand tools), nothing fancy, so no spliced billets, two piece, ect... I just want to be sure im picking a wood that will have enough punch for whitetail.

from best overall performance to worst, how would you rate the above woods? assuming all things equal in the bow design and tillering? never see much talk of Rock Elm, just enough to cause me to ask more about it... If i have to back any of these woods to make them more viable, please point that out, also either sap wood/heart wood or both on respective woods.

i just want to start making some shavings...haha. Ran outta rattan pretty fast, want to try something more real!

-dale

HICKORY!
Osage is always #1
and I am not sure it is a "close" cousin to mullberry. VERY distant at best IMO.
Hickory would be my choice of the woods you listed.IF you can't get osage.
Get your hickory dry and it will be good.

Good luck and have fun.

CTT

Rock Elm, Mulberry, Hickory, Red/White Oak

Now i know Mulberry is a close cousin of Osage.

Are you sure? I think Osage is 10 times better than Mulberry.

I would choose Osage first, then Hickory.

hickory for a beginner. Osage is best

A very good bow can be made with any of these woods if the proper design and the proper tiller for that design is used. Cut some of each, make staves and store them properly. This will give you many years of bow building pleasure plus great trade items.

QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
A very good bow can be made with any of these woods if the proper design and the proper tiller for that design is used. Cut some of each, make staves and store them properly. This will give you many years of bow building pleasure plus great trade items.

what style gets most bang for the buck outta hickory?

we talking about different limb shape/width ect..?

different than osage i mean. Only template ive got to go by is Dean's book on osage selfbows, those measurements..

QuoteOriginally posted by Roy from Pa:

Are you sure? I think Osage is 10 times better than Mulberry.

I would choose Osage first, then Hickory.

well...i'd agree, just from reading,  and history,  that osage is better, but im sure i got an aunt out there that thinks him her favorite nephew! But a cousin is still a cousin...  and mulberry is in the same family as Osage.

Hickory is definitely easier to get for me...

QuoteOriginally posted by DVSHUNTER:
hickory for a beginner. Osage is best

yep, thats what i need beginner materials...

Dogbyte I know there have been a few hickory bows built on here just search it and you will find on or two. Plus all white woods use about the same measurements. Heck Pat just did an elm bow.

QuoteOriginally posted by KellyG:
Dogbyte I know there have been a few hickory bows built on here just search it and you will find on or two. Plus all white woods use about the same measurements. Heck Pat just did an elm bow.

yep ive been reading through a few hickory builds. that may in fact be the one i try first. if i had room, i'd try every single one, but my hot box wont have room for it all!

well as long as you get them split and ends sealed and up out of the weather you dont need a hot box, I have 2 in my shed for when I get home. One is a hickory I traded for.

QuoteOriginally posted by KellyG:
well as long as you get them split and ends sealed and up out of the weather you dont need a hot box, I have 2 in my shed for when I get home. One is a hickory I traded for.

well thats just it, i dont have a lot of space to store staves inside out of the weather. not yet anyway. maybe one day.

would most all white woods tend to make better bows following the flat bow profile or wider limbs?

does rock elm make a heavier bow, with the same dimensions as hickory?

Whitewood limbs need to be wider or longer(either/or) than an osage bow. I dont have any experience with rock elm but I've heard that all elms make good bows. The elms have interlocking grain which makes them very tension-strong and hard to break. All the woods you mentioned will make good bows but I would go with hickory if it were me.

Have you had a look at volume 1 of the Traditional Bowyers Bible? It has a chapter on white woods and designs for them. Really worth the read before cutting.

Cheers
Rob.

QuoteOriginally posted by okie64:
Whitewood limbs need to be wider or longer(either/or) than an osage bow. I dont have any experience with rock elm but I've heard that all elms make good bows. The elms have interlocking grain which makes them very tension-strong and hard to break. All the woods you mentioned will make good bows but I would go with hickory if it were me.

any particular hickory over another?

QuoteOriginally posted by rmcpb:
Have you had a look at volume 1 of the Traditional Bowyers Bible? It has a chapter on white woods and designs for them. Really worth the read before cutting.

Cheers
Rob.

i googled the name, i see its a book, i'll have to find me a copy. thanks    

You may be able to inter-library loan it through your local library but if you are into making self bows then your own copy is really worthwhile. I have read the whole series a few times and pick up bits each time.

Rabies, Pignut hickory seems to be best, we have butternut here also that would probably be good, too.

Personally though, I would try to hunt up some osage, or black locust for your first, MHE!

Being in Arkansas, you should have no problem finding it. Check with local tree trimmers, sawmills and farmers. Try listing in the classifieds, too!

If you have rock elm, give it a go. Have seen some fine bows from elm! A good read for white wood bows, is The Bent Stick, by Paul Comstock. Cherokee Bows and Arrows, by Al Herrin, is also good on hedge bows. And Gary Davis's dvd , Rattlestick, a Selfbow Tutorial.

Oh, and awhole lot of good advice and experience here, too!  

If you have a garage you can store your staves in the rafters. That's where I put mine and they do just fine up there. Bugs don't bother them and they aren't under foot to trip over. I've also got some stored over in our barn and I built a nice rack to lay them on, but I have to go check on em every so often to make sure the bugs haven't been working on them. So far so good.

If you have to store them outdoors just make sure they don't make contact with the ground and it might be a good idea to spray them ever so often with a pesticide. Ground contact is how termites get to them because termites don't like sunlight so they will tunnel toward any wood, if they can't tunnel they will build one out of dirt so they aren't exposed while traveling to and from the groceries.

You could lay some card board down and put them under a bed, in the closet, attic, basement, or even under the sofa. Inside is always better than outside, throw some furniture out if you need to make room inside your house I'm sure the misses won't mind.