Proper Southern Delta Woods for Bowyers

[JeremyBug76]

I have enjoyed archery with a traditional longbow for some time.  I bought a book on how to create a longbow and hope to give it a shot in the near(ish) future.  I was wondering if any of you gentlemen would mind answering some questions of mine.  I live in Baton Rouge, La  For those unfamiliar, it is located south centrall in the state and is on the Mississippi River.  I recently had to drop a very old bald cypress in my yard.  I cut it into quarters and stored the nicer looking pieces off the ground in a dry room.  Our weather now is cool and it's been very wet.  The wood cannot be rained on directly.  Am I wasting my time?  Do Bald Cypress' make a good bow?  If not, what type of tree from this area would?  The more 'local' a tree is, the more I would like it.  For instance, a tree that grows only here, or environments exactly like mine (florida, maybe?) would be preffered to a tree that grows here and everywhere else.

[Col HJ]

First of all if you haven't sealed the ends of your pieces then get it done like yesterday. Slather it with glue, shellac or whatever, just get it done.
Having said that as a proper Cajun I'm sure you know Cypress can be quite figured and rather lovely, and is at least somewhat prized amongst furniture makers for this quality. That's the good part - Cypress is rather soft amongst the hard woods available to us and as a bow wood is fairly undesirable. It CAN be made into a lightweight bow if properly backed, and should be built longer and wider than one would normally build. I would try for no more than say 35#-40# at 26" just to be safe. I myself would not hesitate to use a nicely figured piece as a riser but for a board bow or self bow would look elsewhere. Now the really good part - a short drive east to Gonzales will put you into some fine old growth live oak and you can build to your hearts content with it.

[Eric Krewson]

Bald cypress has a specific gravity of .46. In bow making any wood with a specific gravity of less than .50 is not considered bow wood.

[Broke another one]

Hey,
    I live in Okeechobee, FL where there is tons of bald cypress. Well I cut one down then done some research on it and found that it happens to be to brittle to be bow wood as well as what Eric said about sg. If you were to make a bow out of the stuff I would go with 2 1/2" to 3/4" on the limbs. At a bow of 76" Also I wouldn't push the bow farther than  #40 @ 26" like Col said. As for backing you could try the brown paper(its cheap is if the bow goes boom your out 2$).

[DCM]

I lived in Hammond for a spell years ago and recall lots of hickory, oaks and elms.  Not sure if hop hornbeam runs that far South or not.  Any of them will do, as will red mulberry.  Osage is more resilient to moisture and you are close if not in a good area for it.  I'd be on the scout for osage and grab targets from the other list when they present.  Live oak might be hard to keep dry, but should be humdinger in the density department.  And I know you got that aplenty.

[D.A. Davis]

I've got some bald cypress and was wondering if it can be used as laminations in a riser with maybe red oak or black walnut, and can it be used for veneers in the limbs?

[JeremyBug76]

Thank you all very much.  As this will be the first bow I will be making, or attempting to make I should say, I'll go ahead and attempt with the cypress as I imagine my first bow will be far from perfect.  I'll use Col's advice and make the light bow he mentions.  I'd like to thank you all and I'm happy to know Live Oak is a good material.  A very south Louisiana tree.  I'll keep my eyes out for someone who is cutting one of the giant ones down. As big a sin as that is, sometimes it must be done.  Hickory sounds interesting, too.  My neighbor has a good sized one that seems to lean over his outbuilding.  I'll jump on it if ever he decides to drop it.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Once again, thank you all so much.
Jeremy

PS  It will be sealed this afternoon, after 9 days.

[Col HJ]

Best of luck Jeremy, keep it light, back it, ask and heed the advice on here and you will have a fine experience and learn no matter how the bow or the first 10 bows turn out. And BTW I'm moving to Gonzales in a couple weeks, maybe we can share resources or just a beer.

[JeremyBug76]

Hey Col,

Thanks for your offer.  I have no illusions that I am anything BUT an amateur.  Or maybe pre-amateur as I've not even started.  When you get over here, send me another mail here and we'll work something out.  I need all the help I can get.

Thanks,
Jeremy