Del ... I need your advice

Yew Selfbow

Yew Selfbow

Active member
Hi Del ..
Knowing your liking for Hazel bows, I need your advice please. Around the end of November I'll be starting work on laying around 200 yards of mature hedgerow. The hedge hasn't been touched for around 40 years and it contains some decent (to my inexperienced eye) hazel, some of which I want to season for bow making
I've already identified some clean, straight growth staves between 8 and 10 feet in length ... but here's were I need your expertise Del.
What sort of diameters should I be looking for? . Should I be concentrating on the older wood rather than the younger stuff and once it's cut, are there any seasoning requirements specific to hazel that I need to know about ... advice would be very much appreciated.

Cheers
 
Egstonvonbrick

Egstonvonbrick

New member
In the lack of Dels presence... i have now made a few Hazel bows... and have make some decent little bows (am after more)...

In my experience it likes to be wide and shallow so for a 50# bow at 60" you will be looking at about 2" wide... did make a long Hazel bow but (again in my experience) it seems to suit shorter bows (so a six foot stave should get you something decent) - and really seems to suit field shooting activities.

Note: i've always used the back left under the bark, have never had to decrown or chase a ring.

So... for bigger bows, staves should be at least 2" and i'd find something chunkier 4"(?) if you can find it!

It dries quick so split and perhaps tie down to stop any warping and daub the ends with PVA to hinder checking... the bark will peels easy when fresh but i'm not sure of best practice regards leaving the bark on when drying... but i wish i'd peeled of the twigs i harvested for arrows before they dried! ;)

Compared to the Ash i'm used to it's lovely to work with, good luck!

Cheers
Ev
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Anything from 2" diameter minimum up to whatever you can handle :)
2" is pretty much a minimum with for a primitive/flat style bow. I have heard of Hazel warbows with heat treated bellies.. dunno what diameter they come from, prob 2" or so.
Hazel seems to season well and can be seasoned quite quickly*. It's easy to split, but may go on the twist, it's the luch of the draw, but even if it does twist the fine grain means you can to a some extent ignore the twist, or it will heat straighten nicely.
You can also try roughing out a bow green and strapping it to a former while it seasons. It you have tons to play with you can expreiment with getting from stave to bow in 30 days with that technique if you put the strapped up roughed out bow somewhere warm and airy.
Have fun...
Del
* usual precaution of painting the ends with old paint, pva etc applies.
Can leave the bark on as it's so thin.

BTW I have some approx dimensions if you want....
just found it (all figures rounded up)
62ntn, natural back
2? widest
17mm wide 1? from tip

18mm thick 5? from CL
11mm thick 5? from tip

Probably better a couple of inches longer. Keep the grip section as short as pos to allow maximum working limb length.
 
Yew Selfbow

Yew Selfbow

Active member
Del .. Ev ... first of all thanks for the imput guys, I really appreciate it.
I've been looking at the diameters, some are up to 6 inches wide.
I'll post again when I start the laying ... cheers guys
 
Yew Selfbow

Yew Selfbow

Active member
Well ... I've started stripping out the straight stuff. At the moment I've got about a dozen lengths all cut to 8 feet in length. I have to say It's all pretty decent stuff ...straight, no side shoots and all pretty even in taper. I've PVA'd the ends and it's all laying now in the roof of one of our stables where it's dry but has good ventilation.

So once again thanks for the input guys ... much appreciated
 
Yew Selfbow

Yew Selfbow

Active member
Ev ... thanks for the link ... you're a complete star. I was racking my brains trying to remember where I'd seen a Hazel bow thread.

What am I planning? ... to be honest I don't know yet.
I want to take some time reading your thread and Dels blog before I start making plans. I've got some suberb Tonkin bamboo and some pretty good Hickory that would make great backing.
I found a pamphlet from the 1950's by a guy called Tracy Stalker with the plans for really good looking one piece recurve with pyramid limbs I wouldn't mind trying to copy but that's as far as I've got.
Again .... thanks for the link.
 
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