Harvesting Red Mulberry

Living_waters · February 02, 2011, 06:37:00 PM

Had a storm take down a 10" red mulberry last night and was wondering if anyone had some suggestions or advice on how to harvest some good bow wood out of it. I have mixed results with turning blocks, some have done better leaving the bark on some have done better blocking it up. But have had some develop some major checks either way.

hova · February 02, 2011, 06:45:00 PM

id split it and shellac the whole kit. of courese im lying , i would shape one split , down to floor tiller , then shellac it.

as far as bark , i have removed the bark off of both trees/saplings i have cut down...nott sure if i mucked em up or not though.

-hov

Living_waters · February 02, 2011, 07:09:00 PM

I have some people say if you remove the bark to take it down below the sap wood, some say to just take the bark off, some say leave it on.
I was hoping that at least one stave I could have a good strip of heart wood left on, have some duck calls I split the heart wood and sap wood and they are absolutely beautiful.
I have learned to not stack cedar blocks with the bark on it close to mulberry with the bark, bugs love the combination.

Dan Landis · February 02, 2011, 08:08:00 PM

I've done it both ways, had problems with bugs when I left the bark on, even after treating with insecticide. If you have the time, split into staves, then I'd take one down to heart wood, seal back and ends with shellac. It will dry much faster that way. I've never had any problems with checking doing it this way. Keep an eye on any that you leave the bark on for dust, if you see any remove the bark right away. I've learned this lesson the hard way.

John Scifres · February 02, 2011, 10:50:00 PM

I have moved to completely removing the bark and sapwood off of my osage before storage and would do the same with mulberry.

I have made a few with some sapwood and they do fine. If this is your intent, the best and safest way is to chase a sapwood ring a couple rings above the transition to heartwood and rough out the bow. Then shellac it and let it dry like that. An alternative proposed by Dean Torges in his book "Hunting the Osage Bow" is to steam the stave to kill the critters that like to eat sapwood fast.

Here's what mine look like before I store them.

Living_waters · February 03, 2011, 01:02:00 AM

Tree still has most of the root system in the ground, I think I will wait until I have a full day to work them up and maybe the weather will get above 20 degrees.
Thanks everyone

Sidewinder · February 03, 2011, 11:31:00 AM

Nice find on the Mulberry

I would treat Mulberry just like osage. Harvest it and seal the ends and then split it into staves. The more mass there is to the log the harder it will be to stop checking so I like to get mine split into at least quaarters as soon as possible. Then I will begin to debark them and take them down to heartwood and seal the backs with shellac. If a guy isn't working with 20 staves to be prepped he could probabley rought them out to 2"x2" dimensions and that would help speed up the drying preocess as there is less wood for the moisture to have to escape from. I like taking it down to the heartwood because as we all know the sap wood is holding more moisture and since I don't like using sapwood on osage there is no since in leaving wood on that a) I'm not going to use anyway and B) that is holding more moisture. I ahve been thinking about taking it to the next level like Dean Torges recommends but have'nt set up the steam tube rig or a drying caul yet, but I'm thinking about it. Danny

Knawbone · February 03, 2011, 09:57:00 PM

Im with you on the Torges thing Sidewinder.Straihgten and debug them while there wet. Youl have a better bow

Living_waters · February 04, 2011, 05:38:00 PM

Might have to do the steam thing also. I had some time this afternoon and decide to get the tree cut up. After I had the brush cleaned up turning blocks loaded and staves split and sealed, they will have to wait to be finished. Made 2 really nice straight staves 70+ inches long with some good reflex and 15 of the most crooked warped up things you ever seen,A steam tube is definitely my next addition.

shamus · February 06, 2011, 01:36:00 PM

Ditto to John Scrifres and Sidwewinder.

Treat red mulberry like osage (they are cousins after all).

Either leave the bark on, or de-bark them AND work them down to one ring. debarking and leaving the back as sapwood is risky. Shellac or glue the ends, and also seal the back of the stave worked to one ring.

More thoughts on drying wood. Hope it helps.