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Robinia pseudoacacia, & wild apple, for wooden core?

16 posts2011live thread
Vonegelut
Hi, Everybody! I live in Kazakhstan in a Almaty & I interested in archery & bow making. I live near the mountains & have a lot of sorts of trees growing there. So, my friends-bowyers I have some questions for you - Is the Robinia pseudoacacia ("White acacia") , Wild Apple, Ulmus parvifolia(Karaagac), wild pear, wild hawthorn, blackthorn are good for composite bow making?
Thanx for any help!
Zoran Pavlovic
Vonegelut,
You live in the country where bowmaking had long tradition. I hope you can get permission from some museum and to know what wood for bowmaking was common in Kazakhstan.
On Robinia pseudoacacia, i think it wasn't native wood there so if you work on some replica it wouldn't be traditional;-)
Wish you good luck friend.
Vonegelut

Zoran Pavlovic wrote:

Vonegelut,
You live in the country where bowmaking had long tradition. I hope you can get permission from some museum and to know what wood for bowmaking was common in Kazakhstan.
On Robinia pseudoacacia, i think it wasn't native wood there so if you work on some replica it wouldn't be traditional;-)
Wish you good luck friend.

But you know we lost our traditional of bowmaking, & archery is undeveloped in my country. it's a pity thing. I wanna draw peoples attention & revive archery in Kazakhstan. But first - I must learn to make any asiatic composite bows! 8)
Uli
S?lem,
Robinia was used by some native americans for bow making
(its an invasive species, we also have a lot here in Germany)
Sure it will work .. but don't you have the famous tatar maple ?
8)
Uli
tatar maple pics..
redhawk
Hi, welcome to the AtarNet,

robinia(black locust) is to heavy for a wooden core. Go for maple, it?s the best wood for a core of a hornbow: it?s not to heavy and above all it?s wood with the best glueing capablities.

Good luck, Michael
Vonegelut

Uli wrote:

S?lem,
Robinia was used by some native americans for bow making
(its an invasive species, we also have a lot here in Germany)
Sure it will work .. but don't you have the famous tatar maple ?
8)

Alleikum Salam Uli ! And thanks a lot for you pictures !
I think I saw this bush in a wood, in the mountains not far from my house ,looks like this one on your pictures. Today I shall check it.
Vonegelut

redhawk wrote:

Hi, welcome to the AtarNet,

robinia(black locust) is to heavy for a wooden core. Go for maple, it?s the best wood for a core of a hornbow: it?s not to heavy and above all it?s wood with the best glueing capablities.

Good luck, Michael

Danke shon Michael for your opinion!
scemdonmez
Selam,

I think you can find Yellow Birch( Betula Alleghaniensis) in your country, it is traditional hornbow stave in C. Asia. In İn add. heavy maples are the best.
Acacia, karaağa?, wild pear, wild apple are good for selfbows.

Cem
jiao
many years ago i got a twist grain Yellow Birch(the tree look very straight), i need in spring cut a few bark for know it is straight or twist grain, it is very hard to bend and a few flexibility and very thin layer also heavy, in my hometown has lot's Yellow Birch but too many node on the tree

http://www.flickr.com/photos/perodictic ... otostream/
it seem this tatar maple has 2-3 branch can use for the bow, so many branch!
Uli
I have only seen very few tatar maple so far.
Some are trees (see pic), others bushes.
:-)
Vonegelut

Uli wrote:

I have only seen very few tatar maple so far.
Some are trees (see pic), others bushes.
:-)

So I founded it. But I'm not sure, is it Tatar Maple?. here is some photos
Vonegelut

Vonegelut wrote:

Uli wrote:

I have only seen very few tatar maple so far.
Some are trees (see pic), others bushes.
:-)

So I founded it. But I'm not sure, is it Tatar Maple?. here is some photos

Uli
:shock: Congratulations ! you got it :D

PS: there is several subspecies of tatar maple, but therefore you ll have to ask a specialist
Uli
For example this one is:
ACTAG Acer tataricum L. ssp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesmael
Synonyms: Acer ginnala Maxim.
Amur maple