SELFBOW

[cave_canem]

Hi All

I've been carting this bow stave around for the last ten years or so. I found it in the shed tied to some bamboo. (Yes, I forgot it was even there) Should be dried out by now I'd reckon. I was planing on making a start over the xmas break to make some kind of selfbow from it. Not sure what wood it is. I was thinking maybe Ash of some type. Anyone have any idea's on the wood species.

Mick

[Gringa Bows]

maybe osage,going by the colour....

[cave_canem]

I think the late arvo sun has saturated the colour of the wood. It didn't look that yellow/orange when I'd taken the pics. Maybe I'd better check the camera settings next time.

Mick

[Stickbow Hunter]

It's very hard to tell but from the close-up side shot it looked like it might be from an Acacia - a Wattle of some sort???

Jeff

[Gilly]

I also thought Osage, the grain looks right, I'm sure one of the bowyers on here will know.

[KellyG]

It does not look like Osage to me. That long drying it would be a lot darker, heck might even be almost black. I could be wrong.

[Hamish]

I'd say it could be an acacia of some sort as well. Hard to tell from the photos. The thing that
makes me say its not osage or another northern hemisphere wood, is I can't see any spring/ summer wood in the grain.

How did you get a hold of the stave Mick?

All I can say is it looks like one hell of a nice stave, with the back set and even grain. If it is of a suitable species, it will make a lovely bow(I wish all my staves were like that one). Go slowly, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Hamish.

[stringnstik]

ahh beautiful wood whatever it is

[Keith Lee]

Maybe it's Red Ash coming from the Gympie area.

[Dennis La Varenne]

Mick,

Almost impossible to tell from the pics. There is something about it which reminds me of Queensland soapwood or Red Ash (Alphitona excelsa) from which I have made many bows, but the protectant coating makes it difficult to see the real colours of the wood.

One thing I am pretty sure of is that it is NOT Osage Orange. I have made most of my bows from Osage and that is NOT what that wood is. The colour is all wrong even allowing for the reddish protectant coating and the grain structure is nothing like that from which I have made my bows.

Until you can find out for certain from the person who cut the stave, you may just have to be satisfied if you can make a decent bow from it and it shoots well. You can call it 'Mystery' perhaps.