Quick question

[Afgos]

Good day gentlemen has anyone used tibouchina urvilleana or species from the same family or Melaleuca bracteata  as a bow wood? Just curious as they both grow down here. Thanks in advance.

[Flem]

I think we are going to need the street names for those trees and maybe some pics of the wood.

[Mad Max]

Pruning requirement: needed for strong structure

Breakage: susceptible to breakage

Wood specific gravity: unknow

[Roy from Pa]

Tibouchina urvilleana is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Brazil. Growing to 3–6 m (10–20 ft) tall by 2–3 m (7–10 ft) wide, it is a sprawling evergreen shrub with longitudinally veined, dark green hairy leaves.

Evergreen shrub, " pine ".

No good for bows.

[Flem]

Yeah that first one you listed, does not sound like a good prospect, but it looks like a pretty shrub. The second one is in the Myrtle family, which is used often in the states for risers. Don't know if anyone has made a bow or milled lams from Myrtle?

[Afgos]

Thanks. The first one I didn't think it would work. The second one is also known a Black Tea Tree. Thanks again.

[KenH]

Roy -- remember that "evergreen" does not necessarily mean "needle trees" like North American pine or juniper or spruce or fir.  In the subtropics and tropics, broadleaved evergreens are VERY common -- rosewood, ipe, and bubinga are just a couple of examples.   

[Roy from Pa]

 

[bigbob2]

We have species of Melaleuca here in Australia, and I have not used any in a bow but the one I had some of , it was quite heavy and close grained. Not a lot of feature.

[Flem]

When I was looking up the woods that Ryan was asking about, I was surprised how many hardwoods you have in Australia, Bob. Especially all the Acacia's. I picked up a chunk of domestic (US) grown Blackwood Acacia, it's really nice to work with and beautiful too!

[KenH]

LOTS of good hardwood timbers down in OZ.  I've had a chance to work with a few building musical instruments.