Mullberry Sap Wood ???

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Do You need to take off sapwood on Mullberry..to make selfbow ? Thanks ..Jeff

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, I would and have. I think that is true of osage and black locust too. Jawge

[Pat B]

I've made some pretty good bows with all sapwood mulberry, 50/50 sap/heart wood, a few sapwood rings on a heartwood belly and all heartwood. The more sapwood the thicker the bow will be.
 I only use sapwood if I am certain it was handled properly from the start(from the stump).  Your best bet and best performing bows will be all heartwood with mulberry.

[okie64]

Watch out for that sap in mulberry trees. My son helped me cut some around a month ago and he had some kind of allergic reaction to it. He broke out in a pretty bad rash everywhere it touched him. After I researched it a little bit turns out it is fairly common and that happens to a lot of people.

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Thanks guys

[frank bullitt]

No! If its is sound, with out checks, use it!

My only Mulberry bow, from a sound and clean stave, had the toughest sapwood of any I have taken a drawknife too!

The color contrast would be sweet looking, too!

I have seen in over 20 years of selfbow building and shooting, osage and black locust bows with sapwood, that worked great!

Treat every stave, as an individual!

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Thanks ...Frank.. should I take a few rings down into sapewood or just take bark off !

[Pat B]

The more sapwood you leave on the bow the thicker the limbs will be for a specific draw weight. I think the closer you get to the heartwood the stronger the sapwood is because it is maturing more and more each year. Sapwood is not just sapwood just as heartwood is not just heartwood. Each year each one matures more and more so each yearly ring is more mature than it was the year before.

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Thanks Pat B