pecan for bows???

adam · February 22, 2007, 10:46:00 PM

My dad is having some trees cut in out yard and they are trmming a pecan tree now. I was wondering if you could make a bow of it?? Its a really old tree and the limbs are huge and i was wondering if i could get a limb and make a bow out of it??

Bpaul · February 22, 2007, 10:51:00 PM

Get the wood now and ask questions later! :-)

I bet pecanwood is good, I'll see if I can dig something up.

Bpaul · February 22, 2007, 10:53:00 PM

According to Tim Baker (who really does know about these things, Pecan is a True Bow Wood.

PECANS: nutmeg .60; water .62; bitternut, pecan .66. All in the hickory family. Pecan and hickory are often sold under the same label in yards.

Fantastic post that has this type of info on Bow woods:

http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm52.showMessage?topicID=1.topic

Get as much as you can :-)

Brandon

JBiorn · February 22, 2007, 11:35:00 PM

ANY NUT WOOD IS GOOD!!!
I hope you know how to cut staves.

Jeff

adam · February 23, 2007, 12:05:00 AM

Thanks for the info guys! I'll get up early in the morning and talk to the guys before they start hacking at the tree more. I went outside this afternoon to get a limb that he cut earlier today. It was about 8 ft long and plenty big to make a bow out of. But he had already came back and gotten it. I'll just get some wood tomorrow when they come back.

Bpaul · February 23, 2007, 05:32:00 AM

Make sure to coat the cut ends with something, either some kind of paint or wood glue or something, helps to keep it from checking at the tips.

LoneWolf · February 23, 2007, 07:39:00 AM

Made a bow or two out of peasn, good bowwood. Cousin to Hickory.

Pat B · February 23, 2007, 01:18:00 PM

Pecan is a hickory(carya sp.). It isn't the strongest hickory but stronger than some other white woods.
If you are useing limbs for your bows, you'll want the side of the limb that faces up(on the tree). That is the tention side and the best wood for bows.
Split the limb into staves and seal the ends. If you remove the bark now, seal the back also. Pat

WildmanSC · February 23, 2007, 02:18:00 PM

The only possible negative about pecan wood is it can cause some people to get sick when they breathe the dust. Mike Palmer used to make his Palmer T/D Legend risers out of pecan and mesquite. He went to dymondwood for the risers because he was getting deathly sick from breathing the dust of the woods he was using. As I recall, pecan was the one really causing his problem.

Bill