I had a few questions about sassafras for making bows. I have a log 14" in dia and 8' long. It was cut two years ago and has been drying inside my garage since then. Would it be advisable to split this into staves for self bowsor would it be best to run it through a sawmill into boards to be worked into bows. I have access to a sawmill.Is there any certain way to cut the log into usable pieces? I was thinking of having it cut into 2x6 boards to be worked down later. any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated. Don't want to screw this up. You don't find many sasafrass logs that size here in MO
Primitive Archer published an article on making bows from sassafrass around the year 2000, if I remember correctly.
You might swing by their website and do a search...
I would have at least some of it sawn into 2x boards to dry for laminations. Saw at a full 2" and they can be ripped later into 2x2's to orient grain for laminations. This is the favorite lam wood of bowyer Mick Dunnaway (Wild Horse Creek Bows) of Perry, KS - you might give him a call 785-597-2290.
Thank you guys. My buddy is on the way over to pick the log up now. I think that I'll have it cut to 2x 6's to be reduced later as shaun mentioned.
mike treadway use's a lot of sassafrass venners in his longbows.it is a very good choice for laminations,haveing almost the same propertys as red elm,walnut,maple,ect.altho you have to use a little more than the afore mentioned.
I've done probably close to 9 or 10 bows out of sassafrass. (laminated bows) and in my opinion there isn't a better limb material. It's lighter than bamboo and it's pretty stuff. Smells good too!
Here is some other information.
http://www.woodworkerssource.net/Merchant3/merchant.mv?Store_Code=WS&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Sassafras
Greg
I would knock at least one stave out of it. The Thompson brothers loved it for their self longbows. I have a piece I'm working now, looking pretty good. Either way, good luck and don't forget to show us your kills from that 1st sass. bow.
i have made a few from sassifras lumber that my brother inlaw used to make his cabinets from,it has been stored for about ten years,,i ripped it down in two in wide pcs ,ripped them in half ,then ran it through a planner to desired thickness,,it looks real good under glass,,jeff