Mulberry Laminations

KenH · July 21, 2021, 07:21:21 PM

Looking for a couple Mulberry laminations to make a replica of a Chinese Tang Dynasty "longbow" which strangely enough closely resembles the Danish Mollegabet bow we were talking about a couple weeks back.

According to ancient documents these Tang era bows (618-907 AD) were made from 5 pieces of Mulberry -- handle, inner limbs, outer limbs; plus one piece of skin-on bamboo for the backing. I need 2 lams about 3/8" thick x 1.75 wide x 36" long, plus the skin-on bamboo slat.

Barring a source for Mulberry, the wood gurus say that a person is hard pressed to tell the difference between Mulberry and either Black Locust or Osage -- both of which make great bows, of course.

Pat B · July 21, 2021, 07:38:45 PM

I'd say there was a pretty big difference between mulberry, locust and osage even though once they all age out they do have a similar appearance. Mulberry is physically lighter than the other two but with similar performance results.

Roy from Pa · July 21, 2021, 08:53:38 PM

QuoteI need 2 lams about 3/8" thick x 1.75 wide x 36" long

Ken it's your lucky day...

I have 4 or 5 mulberry staves in the barn and they are a good 4 years old...

Give me a day or two to get to them, or can ya wait a tad longer?

You want flat sawn or 1/4 sawn?

Pine hollow longbows sells bamboo slats.

KenH · July 21, 2021, 10:02:11 PM

Roy -- you da Man!! I got time! It's full-on summer here in the South Florida swamps... Take you're time. Quarter-sawn would be best.

Thanks for the bamboo source, but I may that covered from my stash of local bamboo.

My email: kenhulme@gmail.com.

Roy from Pa · July 22, 2021, 04:17:48 AM

Ok I'll let ya know when they are done.

Bowjunkie · July 22, 2021, 06:04:25 AM

Roy if you'd rather not cut up good selfbow staves, I have mulberry boards that will work. They've been under roof and drying for 20 years.

Roy from Pa · July 22, 2021, 06:32:00 AM

That's better yet and would be easier than getting lams out of staves, Jeff.

Can you cut out two 1/4 sawn lams, 36" x 1.75" x 3/8th" thick?

Thanks Bro..

Bowjunkie · July 22, 2021, 08:00:28 AM

No problem. I'll get into that pile when I get home and let you guys know what I find. I've been grabbing a piece out of that pile on occasion but never inspected every piece to see if they were flat, rift, or quartersawn, so I'll have to look and see what's there.

Ken, do you need any additional mulberry for the handle?

Roy from Pa · July 22, 2021, 08:05:04 AM

zhangkeyang · July 22, 2021, 10:38:23 AM

KenH · July 22, 2021, 01:59:28 PM

Jeff -- if you have a scrap of 1x2x6 that would make a great handle build-out. Thanks. Thanks both of you!

Bowjunkie · July 22, 2021, 05:00:50 PM

Ken, I found a piece of quartersawn mulberry. I'll grind a pair of lams out of it 3/8 x 1 3/4 x 36. Do you want them tapered or parallel? There's a tiny knot near an edge that we should be able to eliminate or work around, but other than that, it's pretty clear. Send me a pm with your address.

Roy from Pa · July 22, 2021, 07:03:29 PM

Yer ok Jeff,

Thanks bro.

KenH · July 22, 2021, 10:44:15 PM

Yep -- You're good, Jeff! Parallel rather than tapered, please. Will send address in message

Crooked Stic · July 23, 2021, 03:44:03 PM

Well I have some mulberry drying but its cut for riser blocks

KenH · July 29, 2021, 05:35:48 PM

Bowjunkie -- the lams arrived today. BEAUTIFUL!!! Now all I have to do is try and do them justice in the build!! Many, many Thanx, Jeff!

Roy from Pa · July 29, 2021, 05:40:02 PM

Jeff Freeman · July 29, 2021, 06:08:29 PM

Pictures or it didn't happen let's see them. I'm curious. JF

KenH · July 29, 2021, 07:22:20 PM

Sheesh, the lams haven't even adjusted to Florida-standard humidity yet!

Gimmie a while!

Mad Max · July 29, 2021, 08:15:26 PM

Quote from: Jeff Freeman on July 29, 2021, 06:08:29 PM
Pictures or it didn't happen let's see them. I'm curious. JF

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