What type of wood is this?

NYArrow · January 07, 2011, 06:37:00 AM

I'm in the process of remodeling a very old home that will eventually be a "comfort home" for elders in the community. Given my recent interest in making a selfbow I notice wood very often now. In this house built in circa 1850 the wood is straight grained as anything I have ever seen. Grain count is roughly 17-20 per inch. Just not sure if it would be worthy of saving much of it. Any ideas on type and if it would be useful for bow making?

Roy Steele · January 07, 2011, 07:48:00 AM

This is very hard to do with out seeing and holding it. But being it's so old likely it was cut off the propery. Look around some at surounding wood lots. But likely its oak.

okie64 · January 07, 2011, 08:01:00 AM

Picture would help.Its funny how much you notice all the different kinds of wood trim and doors and cabinets when you start buildin bows. Everywhere I go I find myself lookin at how the grain runs on the floors or trim.

Pat B · January 07, 2011, 09:29:00 AM

If not bows it should make good arrows.

Pat B · January 07, 2011, 10:53:00 AM

Lots of other projects with that old wood like bow racks, boxes, frames, etc. Save what you can.

fish n chicks · January 07, 2011, 11:36:00 AM

Hell yeah Pat. I made this dog house out of a deck this guy was throwing out when building a new paver patio I designed for him. Gave me the wood, just wanted it out. It has since been sold, but only cost me $50 or so in extra material.

Also made a bridge on my bro's property up where we hunt out of wood a guy was throwing out (from a deck) on craig's list. I got enough wood, and (3) dbl 2 by beams that spanned 20' (bank to bank) and enough planking to make a 6' wide x 20' long bridge. With the help of some cedars from the property building up the bank for support. Wish I took a picture of that one. Came out sweet for free wood.

Point is, you're a bowyer. That wood has life still. You just have to find it.

hova · January 07, 2011, 03:26:00 PM

i look at anything as potential use wood. they knocked a house down across the street from my mothers , and in the process cut down a 60ft hickory. i got there just as they finished bucking it.damn thing had to be 5 or 6 feet around...

keep what you can , its not trash , its parts...

-hov

NYArrow · January 07, 2011, 05:02:00 PM

I know it didn't come off the property. This is in a relatively developed area. I'll see if I can get a pic uploaded in the near future. Any resources out there to investigate this a bit? I've searched the web with 0 luck.

hova · January 07, 2011, 05:12:00 PM

google images tab...

-hov

Tom Leemans · January 10, 2011, 10:56:00 AM

Back in the day, they used the premium Douglas Fir for wall studs; not this young growth pine crap we call 2X4's today. It stayed straight forever. You'll notice that it'll be harder to drive a nail into it, now that it has aged.

NYArrow · January 10, 2011, 08:52:00 PM

Tom,

After a bit of searching I found you are absolutely correct. Douglas fir it is. This particular wood is about 170yrs old! Straight and fine grained. Not sure its of much use for a bowyer aside from making a nice table though.

fujimo · January 10, 2011, 08:54:00 PM

d fir makes super tough arrows, yet still soft enough to run thru a shaft shooter with no problem

Pat B · January 10, 2011, 11:23:00 PM

It will make great arrows.

red hill · January 10, 2011, 11:49:00 PM

Sounds like you need to talk to some of the guys that make arrows to see what to do with the wood from this point.
I agree with everyone. Lots can be done with old wood. When I was a kid my daddy made me a couple of arrows out of black walnut shanks taken from an old run down farm house. He whittled'em into dowels with his pocket knive and drove a finish nail in the blunt end for weight.
Stan

NYArrow · January 13, 2011, 09:58:00 PM

I'm going to salvage as much of the wood as possible, but at this point have no means of actually turning into arrows.

Pat B · January 13, 2011, 11:18:00 PM

This is my arrow making stuff. A board with a groove down the center and a stop at one end and a thumb plane. The thumb plane costs about $10 at ACE hardware. Rip the wood to 3/8" by 3/8" square stock. Place the square stock in the groove in the board with a corner up. Remove the corner with the thumb plane and rotate so another corner is up. Remove that and repeat until the 4 corners are 8 corners. Then remove the 8 corners and you are almost there. With sand paper round off the shaft and also use sand paper to reduce spine where needed.

These are other tools I use for making arrows...

Mike Most · January 14, 2011, 02:11:00 PM

If it is indeed douglas fir with that old growth grain, keep in mind you want 1/2 square stock or 3/8 square stock 38" long or so, as they are spun into arrows, I bet they spine 60 or so....

Very good stuff.

Mike

NYArrow · January 14, 2011, 06:27:00 PM

Pat,

Really...thats what you do for arrows? Seems impossible! Do they fly well? Accurate out to 25/30 yards? Or more of a hobby? Thats amazing.

NYArrow · January 14, 2011, 06:32:00 PM

Also is the groove 3/8"?

Pat B · January 14, 2011, 11:43:00 PM

I generally make my arrows out of cane or hardwood shoots but I have made arrows with this set up that fly as well as any you can buy. You can also buy a dowel maker that you use a hand drill to spin the square stock as you push it through the dowel maker. Also makes very nice shafts.
I have an aspen arrow with 4 point nock and point end walnut footings that Art Butner made for me with all hand tools. That's the way the guys 60 or 70 years ago did it. That's good enough for me.