Leylandii Cypress for arrows...

WillS

New member
I found an old thread on this a while ago (Yew Selfbow I think it was yours?) but wanted to rehash the topic as I've got a tonne of the stuff in nice wide straight logs. Rather than chopping into firewood I'm thinking of splitting and hand-planning into half inch shafts for heavy arrows but wanted to know if anybody's tried it yet?

YS you said on your thread a few years ago that you were letting them season before trying - did you get round to seeing what they're like?

From what I can tell from the few blanks I've sawn up so far it's remarkably similar to European aspen (populus tremula) in that it's got that soft, incredibly light quality, unlike "poplar" (tulipwood) which is somewhat harder, or pine/ceder etc.
 

Lucasade

New member
This would be good if it works as I've got a pile several feet wide and high of the stuff! I'm also looking at cornus mas as a possible arrow wood, as it's easily coppiced and sinks in water so I figure it should be good for heavy arrows.
 

WillS

New member
Dogwood (cornus mas) is great for arrows, so you'll be fine there!

I've sawn a few Leylandii blanks and hand-planed them down into rough shafts 3/4" in diameter and they're looking really good. They weigh 70g but bearing in mind that's a parallel shaft they should be right in the weight range of aspen when they're tapered and taken down to 1/2". They seem to spine very similar to a pile of European aspen I've got in the same diameter so I'm quite pleased. They should stand well inside something 100-120lb.
 

Yew Selfbow

Active member
Hi Will
Yep, that was my thread regarding the leylandii,
I made a set of arrows last summer after the wood dried down to 12 on the moisture meter, and I have to say they're pretty darn good.
Cut it down on a circular saw to just above 3/8th square and rounded them into shafts with a Veritas doweling tool.
The stuff I had was very clean and straight grained and worked very easily and eventually spined out at around 90lb
To be honest... I didn't give the wood the attention it deserved. I still have the arrows, they're straight as a die and as robust as POC. If I had to give an opinion I'd say it's as good an arrow material as POC, Spruce or Ash.
 

Lucasade

New member
Dogwood (cornus mas) is great for arrows, so you'll be fine there!
Dogwood's quite a big family - I've just planted five different types in a client's garden...

Some of the leylandii I've got has been there for seven years so should be about ready now!
 
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