Hey guys. So after making a few laminated bows I want to give selfbows a try. I was given a half of a log about 5 years ago from a bowyer and he told me that it was locust. For those of you that have used locust, is there anything special I need to take into consideration? I have a friend in town who makes selfbows so between him and you guys I'm hoping to learn as much as I can. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Do you know what kind of locust?  Many guys use black locust with very good results, I have never tried it.

I did cut some honey locust one year.  It warped so badly that I ended up burning it in the stove.

He didn't say. After looking online though and comparing the bark, I'm pretty sure that it's black locust.

Black locust will make a very good bow. It is tough like osage but if your tillering isn't perfect it can fret(compression fractures). Make the bow longer and a little wider and that will serve you well. Black locust takes belly tempering well and it can help with the fretting.

Thanks Pat. I'll make it as long as I can. It looks like the most I can get is 66 inches.

Well make it 2" wide if you can. Keeping most of the working limb wide will help reduce the stresses.

Jawge is your black locust expert.... he sent me my first bl locust stave and that bow is still shooting 17 years later...

Good to know. The weird thing is I saw another topic on here today about hickory that looked much more similar to my stave than the images of locust bark I found on the internet. The guy who gave it to me said locust, but it doesn't look like it as much. Now I have more investigating to do lol

Black locust has a kind of cat piss smell to it. Not strong but sill there.The heartwood is a greenish color and a light cream colored sapwood. Hickory wood is mostly sapwood and quite white with a brownish heartwood if any at all.

Cat piss, hmm, never noticed that!

Love black locust! Have a lot on my property, and cut many, too!

Mature trees have a thick, furrowed bark.
Young growth, saplings, are smooth, with rose type, thorns.

Can you post a pic?

if you have a blacklight shine it on the wood in a dark room.
Locust species (not just the black) will shine a pretty bright yellow-green color.

My girlfriend's property is loaded with them !!! Might hafta use my best sweet-talk....  

QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
if you have a blacklight shine it on the wood in a dark room.
Locust species (not just the black) will shine a pretty bright yellow-green color.

Just tested this. And yes it does!!! Feel like a CSI person.  I can tell every place I was sitting to sand on my locust riser block. There are patches of glowing yellow dust.

lol..cool!

I haven't noticed any smell yet, but I haven't really payed attention. I'll try and get some pics up once I'm back from Kalamazoo.