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Post by ironfistcanada on Feb 11, 2006 22:15:55 GMT -4
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 11, 2006 22:36:25 GMT -4
Great looking bow IFC. Gotta love the HHB.
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Post by ironfistcanada on Feb 12, 2006 7:20:43 GMT -4
Yes AM its a great wood to build bows from. And you can work this wood at 6% M.C. I heard. I have never done this . Have you worked HHB at this low a Moisture content AM 57??.
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 12, 2006 9:18:17 GMT -4
Without a reliable moisture meter it is only my guesstimation on mc. Very seldom is the mc that low in my neck of the woods.(6%) Ten or twelve is my guess. When have we the climate to shoot a bow with a low mc? I actually like to work HHB while it is dripping with sap. (Seems to lubricate the draw knife)
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Post by alpo47 on Feb 13, 2006 15:17:22 GMT -4
That yellw birch i mentioned earleir in the thread is very dry, and i have had a couple of very long "stringy" tear outs from trying to drawknife a bit too deep or aggressively i am guessing.
But last year i made a couple of HHB kids bows from a freshly cut tree & it seemed very easy to work with, denser than the ash , but very predictable & stable.
Is most wood easier to work while still green ? i know they took alot of set, but that was not a problem i worried about on them li'l ones, but when i taclke the bigger staves, that are now seasoned a full year, will they be harder to work with ?
What problem could i expect from taking a green stave down to bow dimensions, & then put it away for seasoning (4-6 months ?) before taking it back to the tillering tree.
I suspect some would simply crack or check in the wrong place, making any of that work wasted time.
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Post by huntwisely guest on Feb 13, 2006 17:43:16 GMT -4
It is best to leave the bark on while drying - and the drying process should be slow with hornbeam and yellow birch, They can crack and twist a lot if dried too fast.
The last ones I obtained, I slpit in halve and dried once dry I'll hopefully be able to split or band saw as they are quite wide.
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Post by huntwisely guest on Feb 13, 2006 17:48:33 GMT -4
IronFist - the last HH bow (finished 3 weeks ago) and the black cherry I'm working on now show 8 when the humidity is high and do not show on my meter which has a lowest reading of 8 %.
The Hop Hornbeam one turned out well, shoots the best of the bows I've made made so far. I'll let you know how the cherry turned out - and hopefully not via video showing it exploding in 7 pieces. I expect this one to either be a shooter or at least break into 12 pieces. One has to steadily improve at these things.
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 13, 2006 18:07:48 GMT -4
I cut a yellow birch stave close to the final dimensns while the sap was dripping from it. After it had hung in front of my furnace for one month I tillered and shot it.
By taking the bark off it allowed it to dry much quicker. If there are side checks they are usually aren't a problem.
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Post by biggame on Feb 15, 2006 9:02:36 GMT -4
How does everyone finish thier bows? I have mine sanded down and ready for sealing and finishing. What do you guys use to seal it and what do you use to finish? Is there any products I should stay away from? What works best? Any ideas/ suggestions?
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 15, 2006 9:18:52 GMT -4
I use tung oil. It soaks in to the wood well. Put on 6 coats. Stuff like varathane will crack on the back when it is drawn. It can be unnerving when you are drawing the bow and hearing cracks. Tung oil is sold at most hardware stores. You can put any stain that you want on before the finish. try mixing koolade with methol hydrate.
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Post by biggame on Feb 15, 2006 10:31:07 GMT -4
I like the natural look of the ash I have now. So would I just put 6 thin coats of tung oil on it or should I really load it on?
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 15, 2006 10:46:53 GMT -4
When it is good you will know. keep rubbing it on. if you want to add a couple of coats later after shooting in the rain, go ahead and put more on.
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alpo
Full Member
Posts: 157
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Post by alpo on Feb 15, 2006 12:09:12 GMT -4
"try mixing koolade with methol hydrate. " ??
just a pack or 2 of the powder ? or do you also add water, then the anti freeze ?
or would water simply dillute the mix & make the colour less bold?
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Post by archeryman57 on Feb 15, 2006 16:13:32 GMT -4
If you want to use water with the koolade then you will have to wait for the water to dry from the wood. Methol hydrate is not like regular antifreeze as it dries without leaving a film. Antifreeze does not evaporate very well. I keep a jug of clear methol for many uses like cleaning and gluing. Acetone eats too many brain cells, so it is not cost productive.
Try a sample stick of wood before putting anything on your bow. Other woods that are high in resins like osage or shedua and paduke can give stain colors when washed in alcohol. Have fun with it and wear gloves. (blue berries, carrots,etc.)
I have water based stain from candan tire, and it takes about three coats to get a good color on my arrows.
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Post by ironfistcanada on Feb 15, 2006 18:44:46 GMT -4
I used Birchwood casey Tru Oil on my bows and arrows five coats on a bow and 3 on arrows light steel wool in between coats. Never had any problems except yellowing. I have heard recently thet spray cans of Tru Oil ( Walmart) do not yellow. John.
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