Unidentified wood UPDATE: And the winner is

[razorback]

UPDATE!!!
After consultation with the local Forestry service office and a local cabinet maker, the best guess is Yellow Birch, probably heartwood. the bow is coming along nicely and will have more updates for it in my other thread "pleaase check my longstring tiller."

Ok. Digging around today looking for some 2*10" to make a caul for another bow, and found a piece of timber 2"*10" and about 7' long. Is very heavy and straight. First thought was I could use it as the caul. Second thought was I could make a bow out of it. Took it to the workshop and cut a 2"*2" piece. As you can see from the photos it is nearly quarter sawn and I was thinking of having the grain run vertical through the bow. Is this a problem, I don't think it should be as the grain runs straight the length of the stave.

I also do not know what type of wood it is. It is from a rough cut board that has been sitting around in the barn for years. Very dry and out of the weather. Little punky on one end but cut that out and wood seems very solid. Thought it might be Cherry but no deep coloring of the board. It has been in the dark attic of the barn for most of its time but even that should have caused some darkening.

 

 

Also any thoughts on design for a bow out of this wood, would be appreciated.

[No-sage]

With unknown lumber, it's always best to test the specific gravity of the wood.  This will give you a good basis of it's stength and will help lead you to a sound design.

To test the SG, cut out a 1/2" square piece 4" long.  Float this in a narrow cylinder.  Measure the part that remained out of the water.  If you had 1" above water, 3" under, the SG is .75.  2" above and 2" under, SG = .50.

[razorback]

Well did some testing for specific gravity and these are the results. I tested three pieces and averaged the results. Sample 1 = 70.8, sample 2 = 73.1 and sample 3 =67.7. I rounded them to the nearest whole number and came up with an SG of 71. i also did a sample of Osage that came in at 87, which seemed a little high. So if allowing for slightly faulty technique in measuring, I would say this wood has an sg of 70 +/- 3.
the wood has a slightly pinkish tinge to it and tight straight grain. Has a low ratio of early to late wood in the rings. looking at Tim Bakers list of bow woods this could fit into the Hickory or Hophornbeam range, though I have no experience with either so don't know what they look like.

[talkingcabbage]

I'd guess pecan, but it's just a guess.

[razorback]

Well am starting to draw up my design and realized that if i cut this 2" square piece down the middle and glued on a handle i cold get 2 bows out of the one piece. So i am thinking of 2 different designs. the first one being a flat bow staying the same width most of the length of the bow and tapering to a 1/2' nock over the last 1/4 of the limb. The second will taper to the 1/2" nock from the fades. Also thinking of doing a bend in the handle bow.
I am fairly new to this so all my bows are experiments and exercises in skill development. I am also really enjoying it.
 

[Clay Hayes]

When you've got a piece of wood with ring structure like that, that is, distinguishable yearly rings but a gradiant from early to late wood, it's called "diffuse porus" - as opposed to "ring porus"

As to the species, I'm not sure.  Pecan is a hickory and I may lean toward that genus.

ch

[Aeronut]

The 'pinkish' color makes me think of Honey Locust.

Dennis

[Asafan]

It is difficult to determine a kind of a tree on such photos. The sanded cut and zoom the staff will help.
 http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/locust.htm

[razorback]

Ok. Lets go with Hickory or locust. Any suggestions for Board Bow design's. The board is 1 7/8 wide and 7/8 thick. I have a handle of cherry put on one and it is 68" long tip-to-tip.

[Asafan]

The good size for bow. It is necessary to leave full width in 5" above and below the centre to make about 1,5" in middle of a limb and a wedge by the end 5/8". Thickness limb will turn out about 1/2" for 55-60# bow.

[huey]

Clay does that mean pecan makes a bow close to hickory.

[Big Riser]

I think Aeronut is right it looks like honey locust to me. I just stacked about 150 board ft.of the honey locust lumber.
I have a bandmill, been cutting alot of walnut, red cedar, & ash. Plan on building a few bows & and will use the locust.Locust some what looks like red oak. But I think you have honey locust there.

[razorback]

Any one got a good design for locust. From ready it needs a good design and tiller or it will chrysal.

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Guys, all locust is ring porous, which this sample is not.

Hornbeam is cream colored.

Looks like dogwood to me, including the pinkish color.

[razorback]

Does dogwood make boards 12" wide and does it grow in the Adirondacks.

[eman614]

what about persimmon? i don't know much about different woods, but my grandpa had a lot of persimmon that looked alot like that would. just a thought.

[dino]

Don't know if dogwood gets that big, but does kinda look like it.  What about Red Elm.  They can get that big, have that growth ring structure, the pinkish color and grow up there too.  That was my first guess when I saw it. dino

[razorback]

Well i am starting the first bow with this wood. It is 67" ntn, 41/2" handle, 2"fades, 1 7/8" wide out about halfway and tapering to 1/2 nocks. I have it on the long string and am getting even tiller and reducing weight. Is responding well so far. Will post pictures real soon.
Also has a handle of cherry glued on.

[razorback]

Just checked the Elms on the list of bow woods and don't think it has an SG heavy enough for what I got on this wood, 70+.

[Clay Hayes]

Dogwood will get that big, but they're few and far between.  The color is close but the grain from the top pic doesn't look right.  I'd rule out dogwood, and persimmon as well.

razorback, if this thing ends up a shooter, your gonna have to send in a sample for DNA analysis.  

ch