Hawthorn as a bow wood

[Brumbies Country]

We've got a few ancient hawrthorns originally planted as windbreaks/hedges many years ago by early farmers here. They are around 20' high and some branches that are reasonably long and straight. Just wondered if anybody had ever tried hawthorn of heard of its use.

Cheers

Simon

[danceswithdingoes]

here ya go Simon
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/inde ... ic=5062.15

[Brumbies Country]

Thanks Jason

That was a really interesting bow, he'd done a great job with it and I'm grateful for you sending me the link. I did a bit of googling and reading re hawthorn yesterday and am going to give it a go for a selfbow. The land round here has been settled since 1827, we have two varieties of hawthorn and I read yesterday a hawthorn bush can last for more that 100 years.

We seem to have two varieties, a shorter one, currently flowering with white flowers, and a taller variety and one we have here is close to 30'. The latter variety has longer limbs. I cut a stave yesterday of 81" length and a pretty uniform diameter of 21'4". Just amazed how heavy that stave is compared with a couple of elm staves of greater diameter that I cut last autumn, one of which I've just started working on.

This stave has a few minor bends and I'm going to have to learn how to use a heat source, but there is potential for a bow of character. By the way the timber has some magical properties in folk law-I could do with a bit of magic .

Cheers

Simon

[danceswithdingoes]

yeah but its bad luck to whoever cuts it The Fairies will get ya Simon

[Brumbies Country]

yeah but its bad luck to however cuts it The Fairies will get ya Simon

It's OK Jason. I never did have much truck (actually no truck at all) with fairies . The Goddess Diana, now that's another thing altogether.

[ichiban]

mate from whati know of it its a awsom self bow wood but i would have to try astave or 2 to know

[Brumbies Country]

Hi Dave

I've now cut two staves. One is 21/4 " in diameter, very dense, bending in about three different directions and would make a bow of 72-74" of great character if I can get it to work. The second is straight 23/4"-3" in diameter and 68" long. This second stave is not as relatively heavy. Both have a small defined central heartwood and plenty of sapwood. I will have to heat bend the first one a little, and that is something I haven't done before. I do have a good feeling about this wood.

Cheers

Simon

[longbowinfected]

I bend timber by placing it in a length of metal downpipe. Plug/seal with rags. Run a hose off a pressure cooker relief valve stem.

By the way, the greater majority of stave mass is likely to be water.

Takes a while.

Kevin

[alaninoz]

Simon:

Any chance of getting a shorter section of hawthorn? About a metre or maybe a bit longer. I've been thinking of making a walking stick for a while and hawthorn might be a good wood to use in one.

[Brumbies Country]

Thanks Kevin

I'd been wondering how I might best bend this and I'm grateful for your suggestion here. Sounds eminently doable .

Cheers

Simon

[Brumbies Country]

Simon:

Any chance of getting a shorter section of hawthorn? About a metre or maybe a bit longer. I've been thinking of making a walking stick for a while and hawthorn might be a good wood to use in one.

Alan

You might have just retired but I didn't see you as needing a walking stick for some time to come . I've seen hawthorn used effectively for walking sticks in the UK and happy to oblige. Bits of that length are a bit easier to harvest than the minimum of 68" I'm considering for a bow.

Simon

[alaninoz]

Simon:

Thanks for the offer of the wood. I'm in no hurry for it. I'm not old and decrepit yet, but the walking stick will allow me to try some different woodworking skills.

[ichiban]

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