Dogwood (Cornus sp.) Siyahs heat bent

you seem to be following the one growth ring on the belly side, does it make a difference which side has the one growth ring on it?

Kind Regards
David

Rebel, if protecting the siyah in tension is the goal, one would leave an intact ring on the back (inside curve) side of the siyah. Since they are stiff and virtually non-bending, it may not be necessary, but it sure couldn't hurt either.

Hi Iktomi,

Thats what I thought might be the case but JJ appears to have put the one growth ring (Bark side) on the belly side of the bow. Does this mean the siyahs will be better protected in compression? I guess this might help if the siyah if it feels stress from slight loss of boiled in reflex but not sure.

Kind Regards
David

Hi Iktomi,

Thats what I thought might be the case but JJ appears to have put the one growth ring (Bark side) on the belly side of the bow. Does this mean the siyahs will be better protected in compression? I guess this might help if the siyah if it feels stress from slight loss of boiled in reflex but not sure.

Kind Regards
David

Hello Iktomi , Rebel,

I have the undamaged growth ring on the belly side in order to prevent the wood breaking in the bending process. It was a small trunk (5 cm diameter) that I cut in two halyes. If I had put it the other way round, there would have been cut through wood fibers on top which very certainly would have broken. Was just a test, I don?t know if it was done so by horn bowyers.

JJ

Koreans use Black Locust from a large tree. The wood is split with an ax right off of log sections and put in boiling water green. These are soon bent over forms and left for "two years". I saw some and they were quite patinated.

We discussed grain alignment and I noticed that those shown me were opposite what was considered ideal. The master seemed surprised. I can't remember but the usual alignment for a self bow rings true.

A contractor provided the siyahs to the workshop.

That pen is 14 cm, 5 1/2 inches; about 20" overall. -j-

JJ, that makes sense to prevent splitting during the bending. Rebel, violated rings are perfectly fine in compression, we have them in virtually every selfbow. As long as a section of wood is not bending at all, violated rings can hold together on the tension side as well.

I bent a new Dogwood Siyah for the 2nd turkish bow I?m going to make, because I realized that the angle of the former one was too wide.

Tis time I cooked it fore 2 hours and had no problem bending it.

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@ Adam Karpowicz: Do you think the Angle is correct right now?

Another question: In another post you mentioned that cornus would be too heavy for siyahs unless you?ve got a 200 lb bow. As I see it, the main characteristics of a suitable wood would be:

1. good heat bending properties
2. toughness, so it doesn?t split inside the nock
3. weight

I hope that 1 and 2 are ok when using dogwood, the weight is for sure higher than a softer wood, but what would be the ideal wood for the siyahs and, what was actually used by the turks?

Thanks for replying. JJ

(I have ordered your book but it didn?t arrive yet...)

What i know dogwood was used in gabza-grip. I made mi bash-kasan from mulberry. But i mean that maple is no bad bash wood too..?

Ah yes, Mulberry is also what the Koreans used for the siyah.

Is Mulberry of lighter weight than dogwood? I know that Mulberry belomgs to the same family as Osage. Osage is quite heavy... and can be heat-bent very good.

Does maple stand the stress in the nocking point?

JJ

Mulberry is i mean first wood for korean bowyears. Akacia is new in this. Yes , mulbery is heavy like osage. But bash-kasan section in every type of composite bows must by work up to maximum thiny and light form (obvious vith planing poundage). Goal is maximum lightening vith maximum firmness. From this point is dogwood or akacia maybe good too. From mi knowledges is maple strong -hard wood too , and if anybody have choice and have good piece of maple , you can work up whole bow from one piece wood. But this happen rarely. I try working vith black locust wood like bash -kasan wood too. Another super material - but no historical correct is bamboo. Gloing layers from bamboo can be very strong and lightweight bash. Mi new korean hornbow surprised me , that his syah is not from mulbery or akacia -but from bamboo ! If its gluid vith V shape or from one piece slat i dont know , but its new for me .

I had Mulberry from one tree only (so not a big experience), but in this case, it was significat lighter than Osage (approx 20 -25%)

Dusan and Alex, thanks for your answers. So I will have to find mulberrywood for the next one... I think a friend once told me that he has got a piece of that wood. How did it bend, Axel??

JJ

Why you dont going the old traditional (i mean right and simply ) way- natural curved wood from branch ? Mulberry have many this curvature branches and maybe this is one reason why old masters use him (+ hard wood and relatively current ).