Avocado

[coaster500]

I had dinner with a friend last night who has a very large Avocado orchard... I was wondering if anybody here has tried a bow from it?

The specific gravity is about .59 similar to red maple and American elm?

[Pat B]

Never tried it but i would if I had some. You won't know until you try. SG has a lot to do with good bow wood but matching a design to the specifics of the wood is more important and more productive.

[coaster500]

Pat it looks to be a white wood but I haven't split any of it yet. I've seen knife scales, bowls, furniture, etc but never a bow. It is everywhere here on the central coast of California. I guess I'll have to take a crack at it? As far as design I'll start wide and long and see where it takes me I guess?

[Pat B]

Good starting point!

[Diamondback59]

kip it cant be any worsen that wolly buckthorn u n me have lol go for it i say and by the way i took that sister stave to ur osage to floor tiller today that wood s dry go for it no sense lookin at it for a year  brock

[coaster500]

I went out and shot that "wolly buckthorn" at the 3d range today. It's lumpy, bumpy but shoot real well. It's going to be a week or so before I can go hide in the shed and hack up some wood. To many promises and so little time. I'll get after that Osage and see if we can make an agreement    

It's about to floor tiller...

[Sal]

Avocado is known for being brittle, at least as a standing tree.

[Pat B]

Sal, is it the wood of avacado that is brittle or the structure of the tree, like Bradford pear, that is brittle?

[Sal]

I'm not sure, but the branches fall easily. It could be the structure.  

There are many chinese elms planted as street trees, they drop branches now and then, and that wood is super tough.