Woods for Archery Bows. I Fell an Ash Tree Sapling. Teach Yourself Bow Making. Part 3

[@crajneelchand5382]

Thank you for sharing Mick. Love watching you're videos. Keep doing what you are doing.

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you, I appreciate your support. Have a great weekend.

[@crajneelchand5382]

@@MickGrewcock Thank you and GOD bless you and you're families.

[@CONCERTMANchicago]

You da Man in da woods Mick, well worth Subscribing to. Thanks for keeping those old traditions alive!

[@MickGrewcock]

@@CONCERTMANchicago Thank you. appreciated!

[@FF-kd8my]

@@CONCERTMANchicago lp 0s

[@thomaslthomas1506]

Hop hornbeam made several self bows. They smite with great stipe.

[@natejansen892]

As a certified Arborist who's worked at 5 different Tree Service/care companies, I can verify there is a lot of wood waste within the tree industry. Please make friends with your local arborist and help keep good wood from becoming wood chips

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Nate! Great encouragement to those reading here. Stay safe.

[@mackenziemoore6907]

Plant back twice what u take is a great thing to do win mother earth gives to you give to her

[@johnny96888]

Thats good to know, thank you!

[@danielremel3417]

Can we start a petition to have Mick be the next in line for nature documentaries after Attenborough??

[@jascott-tr9ek]

I like how your dog is contemplating something as deep as you are. But probably totally canine than you or I could imagine 😊

[@MickGrewcock]

😉

[@Andres-hz2jl]

Awww, I love this video!! There's so much hostility on the internet but when he says "it will give you experience" it transmits love for the craft

[@TomRamwell]

Really great presentation, you should be on TV, very informative and easy to listen to. Thanks

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Tom 🙏

[@CouchCommander5000]

I love that everyone's grandpa is on the Internet. wow. These kids will find this stuff.

[@deanvik6317]

love it when the masters call themselves amature

[@MickGrewcock]

Love it when people call me a master when I’m an amateur…..

[@gdula1000]

you are my master i told you about it a long time ....best regards and I wish you a lot of good Rob

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Rob 🙏

[@stephenmiller5004]

I bought my yew staves in Oregon from yew cut in the mountains over 3000 ft., beautiful close grains and free from knots. The staves were bought in 1977 and I still have them .....one day I will make bows from them.

[@makedonmend7163]

Hi there, just wanted to say how much I enjoy micks videos and its completely down to him that im now loving my bow making hobby.I've learned so much from this chap and I'm really grateful. Thanks Mick and please keep up the great videos. Alan Robinson, bury.Manchester

[@mackenziemoore6907]

Love your enthusiasm of this art your very wise my friend as a bowyer I thank you for your advice

[@orcatransient]

What a great video!

[@WetBaconFishing]

Mick, your Voice is so soothing, like the David Attenborough of bowery!

[@RagingPariah]

Mick, your calm, sincere and reasonable reassurance is helpful for a lot more than bow-making. You're an excellent teacher. Heartfelt thanks.

[@MickGrewcock]

RagingPariah That’s kind; thank you very much. Mick

[@RagingPariah]

@@MickGrewcock Oh wow! I got an answer from Mick! I'm talking to Mick!! All kidding aside, I hope you're well. You're a treasure.

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you again. I’m well thank you. Stay well yourself.

[@KarlMokross]

There are so many interesting tree species here in Brazil that a person could work an entire lifetime, and still find new quality material to make bows with.

[@profetarmageddon]

You've inspired me. Ty.

[@gregfarnell6389]

Wow that was really inspiring. Didn't think it was going to be. Thank you for inspiring me. Just made my first recurve bow out of some Australian oak. Thanks again from Australia!

[@MickGrewcock]

Well done! Good luck with the next.

[@dimebarification]

A wealth of great advice!

[@willakerlund4191]

The David Attenborough of bowmaking, love it!

[@Spacepope3k]

With the dog, surely he's the Monty Don of bowmaking!

[@MickGrewcock]

I’ll take that as a compliment!

[@juwright1949]

This has to be one of your best videos! Well structured, excellent photography, nice and smooth narration, subject matter was flawlessly presented and easy to understand. Great job! Thanks for making this video for us.

[@robsarchery9679]

Another good one

[@PRO_GAMER_SIM]

THAT IS RIGHT U GET GREAT LEARNING FROM EACH ONE

[@KlassicsRule]

this guy rocks

[@tomlaboureur6066]

Wow, your voice is one of the most relaxing voice I've ever heard. And btw you just answerd a question that I have been keeping for a long time. Thanks man ;)

[@alessandrofirmani700]

What a nicely put video , thumbs up 🙂

[@Ragnafyr]

Oh Wow man, i love your videos. Its like listening to an old man telling fairy tales. Its very chilling. For me, I am from Germany: We have the following bow wood down here (in german): Esche, Haselnuss, Robinie, Ahorn, Goldregen, Hartriegel, Ulme (extrem selten).

[@MickGrewcock]

Thanks again Ronnie. Really useful for bowyers in Europe! Appreciated! Mick

[@jmfa57]

As usual, Mick, I've saved your video for last on my weekend, and as usual, you not only failed to disappoint, you DELIGHTED. Not only did I enjoy a nice view of that Omega, you've inspired me to look with new eyes at the pesky, straight, ten foot long pepper saplings that continue to crop up in my back yard. Thanks again Mick for another amazing and inspiring video!

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you again John, glad you enjoyed! That Omega enjoyed it's 17th birthday a week ago ;-) I have have found another use for it as well as telling time - I put my wrist at the spot I want my camera to focus (say where I will be when speaking) when manual focussing the camera (don't trust auto-focus). Looks a bit weird fiddling with my lens whilst I outstretch my arm with the Omega centre of the frame but it allows the focus peaking on the camera screen to glow perfectly green on the watch, telling me I'll be in focus!!

[@pistolpeds]

Wonderfully presented tutorial. Thank you from Australia

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank YOU from the UK 🙏

[@veroldaley1]

This tutorial is fantastic , this man is so enthusiastic in what he does , hats off to you sir

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Michael. Appreciate your comment. Mick

[@pigeonmanof180]

Northeastern U.S.A. Hophornbeam is king, but Amelanchier (“shadbush”, “juneberry”, “wild pear”) is great and under appreciated, and if you can find an old neglected lilac bush, that’s truly exceptional wood for staves.

[@Bbydunn28]

As a person who is looking into making bows you're videos have given me a lot to think about. It has made me pursue into looking into types of trees in a area(central Texas). And I have many types, such as osage orange, hickory, elm, hackberry and mulberry. And hopefully I'll be able to make some amazing bows as I practice!

[@MickGrewcock]

Good luck.

[@GeorgeMcCollister]

I'm from the US. I have an Osage Orange tree on my property. I may try making a bow from that as it was traditionally used as bow wood.

[@MickGrewcock]

Good luck. Osage is excellent bow wood!

[@twintwo1429]

Great information Mick, I am a Bowyer also.You explained things right well. Thanks.

[@keyote3]

A 4" diameter length of Holly inadvertently fell into my hands a year or two back, I have fashioned two bows from it thus far. They are crudely down to pre-tillering stage at the moment, but even after halving them some time back, they are still moist. Still time is all I seem to have now that retirement is upon me. I am also drying a decent bit of Hazel ready for summer bow making....!!!! Power to the builders of bows...!!!

[@MickGrewcock]

Good luck with those projects - holly can make a great bow but I'm told be careful of knots. Don't waste all that delicious stuff called time ;-)

[@Ghost812many]

Oak, Maple, Black Walnut, Hawthorne, and Osage Orange are some of the main species in my neck of the woods. West Tennessee about halfway between Memphis and Nashville.

[@MickGrewcock]

Great advice to bowyers. Thanks.

[@benr.9628]

I’m gonna go out to my favorite secluded public camping/hunting spot that I know by heart (it’s an island no one goes on) and smuggle out a piece of hickory thanks for encouraging me to kidnap this poor tree! Lol

[@rodparsons521]

I don't worry about finding seasoned wood unless I'm buying a sawn board or a got-up premium stave. It might seem too obvious to say, but everything I cut is green when I cut it, the process being predicated upon the ongoing management of several items in hand, each at different stages in the shaping and the drying that goes hand in hand with that reduction of mass. My first bows were simple greenwood sapling bows of types 1, 2 & 3 which is about as primitive as you can get. But that was some time ago. Acquiring seasoned flat-backed staves split from large diameter logs came a bit later. Now there are one or two favourite bows to hand, a few others lurking in the back-ground, maybe one or more to finish and set-up (the actual making is less than half the job), more to rough out, some as unreduced staves or splits to hand.

[@Cheese_Boi1986]

You need more subs because your on point with your presentation and videos

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you 🙏

[@hammerstoneartifacts4986]

I was really struggling with how you cut your bow staves green and then allow them to dry without warping. I was watching your Blackthorn Longbow part 1 and you show how to clap your Stave to already existing straight wood what a great idea :-) Any bow staves I cut from now on I'm going to follow your example. It is going to safe time and energy. Thanks again Mick your the best!

[@MickGrewcock]

Hammerstone Artifacts Good luck. You can clamp staves to a beam or post to keep straight and you can of course do the opposite and sometimes correct bends already grown into the stave by clamping straight or hanging heavy weights on the stave to pull bends out. Mick

[@Treeman196]

Great film Mick I'm lucky I'm a tree surgeon and Forrester so get plenty of timber but not always good bow wood I'm trying to use wild dams on at the moment atb from North Wales

[@MickGrewcock]

Damson is good wood I believe. I guess related to blackthorn - which makes good bows. Stay safe and good luck.

[@louiepacheco327]

Great video.

[@Bullseyearchery]

With second woods such as Elm and Ash the wood is ready to use when the moisture content is down to around 9% so can be ready in a relatively short time. Months and even weeks unlike Yew which can take years. I've speeded up the process in summer by putting the stave in the loft and even in a hot car to drive out the moisture. As Mick said you must seal the ends of the stave. If your lucky enough to have access to a moisture meter it is a more accurate way to monitor it's progress. Mark...

[@MickGrewcock]

Agreed! I usually start work at 10% but I never believe the moisture meter entirely - I weigh the staves as well. When they stop losing weight I get out the draw knife! I cover what I do in my next video - thanks for the input, much appreciated. Mick

[@Andreas-d9f]

Thank you so much!!!

[@AnimationsCraftingMore]

in my region (southern part of the Netherlands) we have verry much oak, birch, Ipe and beech those woodtypes are great for bow making unless the birch because its SUPER soft and yes you have a Dutch subscriber! ;)

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you

[@steveng4211]

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where Bois d'arc is likely o trip you in a park. Havent made a bow yet but I want to get some good bois darc and let it season while I'm learning. Thatll be my yew.

[@MickGrewcock]

Good luck!

[@gonzalosanchezblanco6598]

Hello Mick,here in Uruguay where i live we've got Ash tree, Oak and in a thirs level Australian Blackwood or ( Acacia Melanoxylon ) or Elm. Bye Mick and go on with your

[@biran]

this is very inspiring! i live in Florida and they need a permit for everything, including gathering fire wood. i've started making a shortbow made of a 1x2.5x6 of red oak that i bought from Lowe's. I still need to make a tillering tree but it is a daunting task of where to get wood.

[@MickGrewcock]

We too have laws protecting our trees but they still permit taking wood if conditions are met. Good luck!

[@davidrankin4169]

Just seen ur videos and it's the best I seen so far really simple and easy to follow And is oak any good for bow I have alot of oak planks

[@wedoalittletrolling3305]

Thank you Mick , i will try to use green wood of pine to make a flatbow :)

[@MickGrewcock]

Good luck

[@wedoalittletrolling3305]

@@MickGrewcock Thank you :)

[@DH-zv3qp]

Great videos 👍👍

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Darren!

[@michaelpthompson]

Perfect. I have a couple of ash saplings in the yard I've been meaning to take down anyway. They seem to volunteer everywhere, especially where you don't want a tree. Now, where did I put my tree saw?

[@MickGrewcock]

Goo luck Michael!

[@mtnhooch]

First class as always, Mick. Here in NC in the SE United States, I have found White oak to be an excellent bow wood that is extremely plentiful in this area. Oddly enough in my experience saplings produce better performing bows from this wood than mature trees. The first bow I made was from this wood and honestly was (and still is) a cobbled up mess. But it came out at 42#@28" and still is shooting. It won't quite give the performance of Osage or Black Locust but is far more forgiving and is about as unbreakable a wood as I have found. Hickory is also an excellent choice in this region, but I prefer White oak. Keep em coming always a pleasure.

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you - and thanks for the info! Mick

[@aaronluna4341]

I absolutely love sapling bows. Most of the bows I build and sell are built primarily of Shagbark Hickory saplings I cut in winter in a national park nearby. I utilize the Cherokee “D” style bow or for larger saplings, the Sudbury bow design. I reduce the stave down to final dimensions, keeping the stave full width through its entire length to prevent warping and twisting (saves me from having to heat-treat and correct any twists later on). I then coat the entire bow in a thick layer of hog fat to prevent cracking and checking. I tie the stave into about 4 inches of reflex. Depending on the humidity and the temperature, and with good air flow, the initial 35% moisture content will drop down to 12% in just one month. Even less in dryer climates. With that said, I am ready for floor tillering (I tiller all my bows like that) and a good bow can be built in 2 months using the method described above. If tillered correctly and built long enough because of the high crown on a sapling bow, the bow will take little to no set. I usually heat treat the belly of my sapling bows to aid in compression strength. All in all, a sapling is a mans best friend when using hand tools. Especially stone tools. I’ve worked green wood with local Texas flint and worked out a bow in about 25 man hours spread out over a week. Saplings are easier to handle, and cure much faster. Mick- I’m so glad you’re still posting videos. I’ve watched you since day one and i’m excited to see your skills grow. Your videos are top quality and they always cheer me up. From a fellow bowyer to another, take care. Aaron

[@MickGrewcock]

Hi Aaron - that's a great contribution to the knowledge that can be found by anyone stopping off here. Thank you - I'm sure it'll help other bowyers. Your process is similar to that which I follow when speed-drying hazel - like you I can make a quick dried bow from a small branch, sapling or section of a stave within a short time - maybe around month from cutting to building a bow. Thanks again, appreciated. Mick

[@user-me7mm7gr1p]

interesting video. Thanks!

[@eboramegalithica9192]

Thank you!

[@MickGrewcock]

🙏🙏

[@jimathybindlenim6359]

Tropical Queensland Australia is way way harder to find good bow woods. I started with spoted gum with a mogollabet style (not so good) I made a kids bow from Sally wattle (black wattle) and it was fantastic but I over drew it and BANG! Soap wood works well unless you want something highly powered. And fire hardening is not effective with Australian woods in my experience 👍

[@richardhoule4389]

So I have sum decent wood sum curing but I am trying to shape up the upper limbs as practice.. any suggestions on saplings that r not straight? I heard of fire heat n steam bending.. but is that after you ruff out a stave or have u tried bending while it's still a beach? Maybe 4" diameter thank you and like your vids!

[@MickGrewcock]

Best when stave has been shaped. Steam or dry heat (coat the wood with veg oil to avoid scorching the wood). I use a DIY heatgun. Several of my videos show what I do. Good luck.

[@richardhoule4389]

@@MickGrewcock thankyou I found one of yours seconds after I posted this haha appreciate it

[@pbfirearms5388]

I have a question from what I've seen and read on bow making you want your wood for the most part to dry slow to keep it from what I think they called checking or I guess cracking so if you remove bark won't that cause the wood to dry to fast?

[@MickGrewcock]

Yes, ideally the wood should dry naturally. Removing bark will speed the process without detriment. Speeding up the process is fine but you can induce problems if done too quickly. It is possible to speed up drying but you must watch for problems like twisting and splitting. Good luck

[@pbfirearms5388]

@@MickGrewcock thank you for the information I appreciate it!

[@julianporcel8184]

Thank you for making all this information readily available for beginners. I have access to mulberry trees in my region. Do you know if they are any good for bowmaking?

[@robertopinzani6774]

man mulberry is one of the best bow woods, is closely related with osage orange that is the best bow wood , but mulberry is not for beginers bowiers couse it need to be worked completly in hard wood puting away sap wood, chasing a hardwood growth ring as back of the bow, not easy for a beginer, following mick s indications , is better to start bow making with a stave of elm hazel mapple or ash, they dont need growth ring work . ps when you ll cut mulberry you ll see white sap wood under the bark, and yellow hardwood , a mulberry bow had to be maked in hardwood eliminating sap wood respecting the integrity of the growth ring you choose as back of the bow. not easy without experience skills and rigth tools.

[@MickGrewcock]

I can’t add anything to Roberto’s excellent and useful comment! 👍

[@MickGrewcock]

👍

[@robertopinzani6774]

@@MickGrewcock As usual follow Mick s indications is the wisest thingh if Mick speaks about hazel elm ash is for a reason schools start from primary school not from university,, thanks for the new video .

[@rodparsons521]

@@robertopinzani6774 I will add that the reason that I rate Eastern Hop Hornbeam way above Osage is that it gives nothing away in performance and durability AND there is no faff with taking off all that useless sapwood. When anyone offers their preference as the "best" bow wood, take it with a pinch of salt, but do consider the reasons for that preference in context.

[@davej3736]

Great, simple explanations Mick! My question...and my apologies if it has already been answered, but I live in Canada...and yes, "trees R Us" , and where I live, it's mostly oak, birch, spruce, pine and apple. Any recommendations from those choices?

[@MickGrewcock]

I would suggest birch, apple then oak. Good luck

[@jimnycricket5714]

Great content. Learnt loads, thanks.

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you Jimny!

[@mickleblade]

I made a laminated a few years ago, good fun and it works well, but it's not competitive in 3D archery competitions. I'll probably make an american flatbow next.

[@ScarletcraneThHunter]

Is there a way to dry a stave faster? I happen to be in a hot country so would leaving it in the sun work well?

[@MickGrewcock]

Yes, but wood can twist if dried too quickly. It can be dried quickly in a car left in the sun with windows closed.

[@johnny96888]

There was a plot of woods across from my work. A tree service came in and cut a whole 5 acres of woods. I just parked at work walked across the toad and cut about 4 trees. Those trees would have been turned into woods chips anyways.

[@tomaspabon2484]

So I know this is three years late but here's some good bow woods if you're in Central and South America. (No softwoods though, i dont have much experience making bows out of them) First off I want to highlight Chonta (Bactris gassipaes), pijiguao, peach palm, chontaduro or one of another gazillion names. It's a common fruit in Central America and Northern South America. It's "wood" is gorgeous, although only the outer ring is useable. It's dense and essentially immune to shattering. If its grown near you, you should be able to get it fairly cheap. Other hard palm species such as coconut also work. Guava (Psidium guajava) Common across the Americas. Tough, easy to work. Amazing grain and color. Getting a perfectly straight stave might require some searching. Andean Walnut (juglans neotropica) aka Peruvian Walnut. Decently common timber species, sometimes grows irregular grain that's prone to tearout but otherwise easy to work. Mango (Mangifera indica) much the same as walnut above. Wont tear out nearly as much though. Chicle (Manilkara chicle) and the related Zapote (Manilkara zapota) also called Níspero, They're grown mostly for chicle resin, the original chewing gum. Sometimes prone to checking but nothing major. Inexplicably seem to blunt tools faster though, I'm guessing its the latex. Bamboo and Guadua (Bambusoideae spp.) Light, elastic and literally everywhere. You should have no issues getting your hands on some. Good for light self bows but It also makes a great backing on compound bows. Try for bamboo with very long segments. Then there's Ipe (Handroanthus spp.) Also called Lapacho or Guayacán (not to be confused with true Guayacán which yields the über expensive Lignum Vitae). Ridiculously common as ornamental trees because of their flowers. It's basically the yew of South America it is absolutely beautiful albeit a bit hard to work. If you want to you can push monstrous poundage out of these. Incredibly heavy, sinks in water.

[@joecoffee968]

I have always wandered: Would it not be a logical course of action to carve the green wood to a basic bow shape and then let it dry? Seems like you would be saving yourself some work.

[@MickGrewcock]

It has some merit for a quick bow but doesn’t allow for the affect drying has in the wood if the green bow is shaped close to finished dimensions. For sure roughing out a stave whilst green helps, finishing a green bow though can - in my experience - lead to disappointment.

[@sbvera13]

In the western US, keep an eye out for Mulberry staves. A relative of Osage, the trees are very common and grow like weeds, and need to be trimmed backed frequently, usually in the fall. Thus you can probably get a truckload of staves for free by calling up a tree service or neighbor. The branches are long and gently curved and can make a good reflexed flatbow. Not the best bows - branches are mostly sapwood, which isn't suitable for English style bows - but they were widely used by NA hunters and make perfectly good target bows. I have a half dozen I cut off my own tree seasoning right now, just waiting for me to practice on.

[@MickGrewcock]

That's a really useful contribution - thank you. Mick

[@gurglejug627]

Hi there and thanks for a well made (and empathetic with the beginner) video, may I ask - how is oak as a bow material? I know it's not mentioned much, so presumably not that good, but I do happen to have a fair bit of knot free, very well seasoned (20 years), slow grown Nordic oak. Rating out of ten? Any ideas on that appreciated. If it interests you, I studied ancient Viking ship building techniques from the Danes and the Noggies and old Swedes - they often season timber for masts etc (mostly pine) by cutting a spiral off the bark, pitch about 30-45 degrees, width about six inches, for say a 25-30 cm thick mast. This means it dries more slowly and straight. The ends were sealed with natural tar.

[@MickGrewcock]

Hello. There is more than one kind of oak but it is not recommended generally as a bow wood. I have never used it but partly because I never found a suitable stave to try. I believe ‘red oak’ is used in USA for bows so some of the subspecies must be suitable. If you have oak then why not try it? It will be good experience. That said, if you are learning the craft then choosing a difficult wood for your early endeavours might risk your disappointment. In which case, save the oak until you have practised on easier woods. Can you obtain hazel or ash or especially yew where you live? These are good woods to learn the craft with. But if you haven’t, just try oak. You have little to lose, and at worst firewood to gain! Good luck.

[@gurglejug627]

@@MickGrewcock V kind of you to make such a thought-out reply, thanks. Yep, I have access to a number of ash trees, growing here on my land, it will be a game of patience then, waiting for it season. I'll look to find a more suitable wood as you say. What say you of juniper?

[@MickGrewcock]

I cannot comment on juniper but if you have ash (or hazel) then you have no need to wait if you want practise. Both woods allow the bowyer to make green wood bows. They will not give you high poundage, will not last a long time and might lose their shape by taking ‘set’ - becoming permanently bent. But they will give you a bow and, more importantly, practise and experience. You will find a couple of videos on my site that might help. At this time of year trees carry less sap so that might help. Hazel especially but ash too will also force-dry quite quickly. Take the bark off, roughly shape a bow, fix it to a straight beam and put it in a warm, draughty place. You can get close to it being ‘dry’ within four to six weeks. Or just make it in the green for practise. If you get a bow at low poundage then you have learned much. A few of these successes will do much good for your experience. Good luck, plenty of videos on YT that should help.

[@gurglejug627]

@@MickGrewcock thanks again - minus 12C here at the mo, on a good day, so reading carefully what you say, I will be patient and go for a good piece of ash and give it the time it deserves. I'm a little surprised that one is looking for a straight piece of timber, I'd have imagined a contra-bow shape working well, in my ignorance of this art. You probably know that willow was favoured for arrows, and that the name in Scandy languages has stuck - pil = willow, and pil literally translates to arrow as well.

[@MickGrewcock]

@@gurglejug627 A piece of wood that has a slight bend opposite to how it will be drawn can be an advantage but can also throw difficulties in the bowyer’s path. By all means seek out staves that benefit you but don’t make it too hard for yourself. Willow will make a bow too but by no means is it good bow wood. A positively hot -1C here!

[@katsikaasprh6146]

Hello im from greece crete i have a little problem finding wood for making a bow . The only type of wood we have its oak tree is it good for a bow? Also a big fan of yours

[@MickGrewcock]

Oak is okay but there are several types, some better than others. Never used oak myself though and some say it is not good. Don’t know if olive is feasible. Love Crete by the way. Good luck. Mick

[@katsikaasprh6146]

@@MickGrewcock thank you so much for answering i love your videos hope to make you proud making a good bow in the future!

[@frebstra]

Michigan has an abundance of Maple (lower peninsula at least) on all stages of growth. And an abundance of state forests which may allow harvesting. Check with the forest. National parks have stricter conservation laws than the forests, so the Forest service and State DNR Forests are more likely.

[@germanictradlifewarriorarc6414]

Plz make a video a good seasoned ashwood English longbow not for green wood sapling

[@RobinOnYew]

I live in Israel, and Israel has such a diverse outdoors, today I walking in a place in a 5 minutes drive from my house, and it was like going inside a rain forest, as opposed to something I have in 3 minutes walk from my house, which is thick bush, and little trees in between. point being, every environment is different, people made bows with what they had next to them, looking for something that does not exist next to you might be a modern person whim that cannot be answered by such an old creation that no longer exist in popular culture.

[@N43ru]

Hi,im from Roumania.We do have acces to ash and elm.I want to build a bow for fun and occasionaly hunting hogs because they really devastate my crops(sorry if I sound like an agry farmer.Dont worry it will be a small one)so I am wondering myself if the ash sapling that you just cut(the lenght and diameter)is good for a decent hunting bow

[@MickGrewcock]

rares 2005 To hunt you will need 40lbs plus draw weight. That sapling will not produce such a bow.

[@N43ru]

@@MickGrewcock soo,a bigger one i suppose?

[@MickGrewcock]

rares 2005 Yes, a little.

[@N43ru]

@@MickGrewcock Thank you.I really appreciate it and also i want to tell you that you kinda resemble my granpa who sadly passed away 2 years ago.

[@MickGrewcock]

rares 2005 Sorry to hear that. Always a great loss when older generations pass. Stay well.

[@adriancox-thesantjordigolf3646]

Can you use Holly, plenty in Spain, very hard but not sure about flex it is so hard, or teak?.

[@MickGrewcock]

Holly for sure - the Welsh apparently used it for their bows. I am told to avoid any knots in the bending limbs; a friend made a holly bow and it broke at a small knot. Good look Adrian!

[@Thetravelingmonke]

Would the land of department stores work

[@chucklucas8747]

Here in the USA I use hickory an it does take time to cure I always get at least four pieces you my need to use a spare it does not always turn out the way you like

[@MickGrewcock]

Hi Chuck, I’ve never used hickory. Good luck bowmaking

[@constantinculot]

Does cherry wood works well for bows?

[@MickGrewcock]

Constantin yes!

[@talosheeg]

my problem is I live in the San Fernando Valley, and the only park near me is O'Melveney, which has mainly citrus trees and oak. Can I use oak?

[@MickGrewcock]

talarshistoricalsewing I believe oak (red oak) will make a bow though I have never tried it myself. Good luck. Mick

[@Rickenization]

Ive got access to conifer wood but im pretty sure its way too hard, Have you ever tried making a bow from conifer?

[@MickGrewcock]

Hi Richard. Yes and no. Yew is wonderful for bows and is coniferous. However, other conifers are not so good for bows and I’ve never tried them. Nearly every type of wood will yield a bow of some kind but pines and spruces, for example, are not go to woods for the bowyer. That said I have always experimented with less than ideal woods so there is nothing to stop you trying. Good luck.

[@mattthompson4908]

Hi Mick can you use Alder as a bow wood? We have plenty of that in our woods.

[@MickGrewcock]

Almost any wood will make a bow but alder would be less than ideal. Never heard of anyone making one and I haven’t bothered with it. I have maybe 5000+ alders of all ages. I find it deteriorates very quickly and becomes brittle when dry. I should try I guess. It IS a wood that was used for arrowshafts. When I made a pole lathe I tried alder for the treadle which needs to flex a little. Snapped in no time. Replaced with ash which is still going strong. Hope that helps.

[@mattthompson4908]

@@MickGrewcock Alot of guitar bodys are made from Alder another use!!

[@700ode]

Hey, could you make an video of a silverbirch longbow IF its an good wood for bows, and can i make an green elm sapling into a bow in a day?

[@MickGrewcock]

Yes to the first. Entirely up to you about the latter. I would prefer ash or hazel though.

[@700ode]

Mick Grewcock the woods for bows i have in my area are juniper, birch, and elm but the juniper is too small here

[@MickGrewcock]

@@700ode Elm is good.

[@apexadventures7609]

Hi Mick, how long did you season the Ash stave for?

[@MickGrewcock]

Ash will dry quite quickly. As little as a month or so if first made into a bow. Depending on stave size, it would take maybe 8-12 months to dry normally.

[@apexadventures7609]

@@MickGrewcock Nice one, cheers Mick

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

DON'T USE POPLAR .... I've seen others fail and despite seeing that, I tried myself and I failed. It's beautiful wood, very light when dry makes a great fire (and there's nothing wrong with that) and would probably make nice furniture too, but .... it shatters easily under compression. I mean, really easily.

[@Ragnafyr]

And another addition: Its also a good idea to go out and look for bow wood in winter. The tree then drew most of its water down into the roots so the seasoning time can be shorter. And ,here in Germany, you are only allowed to chop down woods in winter to not disturb the wildlife.

[@MickGrewcock]

Good advice Ronnie!

[@keeganb8032]

If you have the patience, old cherry trees can make for good bow wood. Word of advice though make sure you have sharp tools

[@fordman7479]

Been watching bow making videos over 9 months and still haven't made one

[@MickGrewcock]

I feel a failure then! ;-) But thanks for watching!

[@kp.co.6074]

You’ll never know the feeling of making your own bow unless you go get some wood and start it. I’d suggest hickory sap wood, interlocking grain and tough as nails. Boarriorbows has some good videos about finding bow woods at the hardwood store/board bows.

[@starkaryen]

Just discovered your videos, you are such an amazing orator and explain everything so clearly and calmly! I have a doubt, are autumn/winter the best seasons to gather wood, or is it possible to cut saplings in spring/summer as well and have the same quality? Thank you for your work!

[@MickGrewcock]

You are correct - autumn/winter is preferred season for taking wood. As I’m sure you know, this is because there is a lower amount of sap in the wood during those seasons. But yes, you can take wood in spring/summer but drying it will take longer than winter felled wood and bring more risk. Drying out wood that is very wet with sap can cause twisting, splitting and cracks. Try to do so slowly. As ever, be thoughtful what you take from hedges and woods. Trees are precious. Good luck

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

Didnt we add the african bottom mouth ring on the turtle serpent yesterday when the met the ball 7 pigs which changed as they needed the sphinx armstrong legs for the asda cover? 😂

[@MickGrewcock]

Stick to dragon slaying. You are possibly better at it than commenting.

[@acoitheadventurer1001]

Can you make me a long bow sir? I appreciate your work & want to keep it.

[@MickGrewcock]

Hi there. Thank you for your message. I do not sell my longbows, sorry. That said I am not making bows at the moment due to an injury. Thanks for watching. Mick

[@jangowan5742]

Great vid...just to say ,afriend made a bow from Sally tree wood...he didn't season it,and 15 yrs later still ok..was he just lucky? I bought a Mongolian horse bow ,made of fiberglass,really fantastic,about 10 yrs ago...the guy who sold it only wanted 120e,so why waste a lot of tlme n momey makimg a wooden bow?

[@faustinapantaleon2364]

Can I get that now at 1:55 plz 😁

[@blaircolquhoun7780]

What about birch?

[@robertcirdei129]

I live in europe and i dont have a lot of trees in my region... but i have a lot black locust.

[@MickGrewcock]

I believe that will make a bow. Have a try!

[@robertcirdei129]

I am just wondering if the Wood is strong enough because ive made one and it broke. I will try again but with more care.

[@MickGrewcock]

LuckyTiger1024 Most types of wood will make a bow - but not every type will make a good bow. It is good learning to experiment with woods that need great care - you will get disappointments but whilst doing so you will become better at using tools and understanding wood. This will be to your advantage when you progress to better bow woods. Keep trying!

[@robertcirdei129]

Thank you!

[@tatethegoodwin]

in Canada we have birch and ash that's all I can think of

[@MickGrewcock]

Both good.

[@joshuamaharaj5383]

Anyone from South Africa? Know what wood I could use?

[@omanafire]

White oak, maple, hazel, holly, hawthorn, and yew all grow in the PNW. Certainly many more woods would work just fine.

[@MickGrewcock]

Thank you!

[@wjombat]

Is hazel the same as filbert?

[@MickGrewcock]

I believe they are both corylus species - cob nuts from c. avellana and I think filberts are from c. maxima. The nuts are different in shape. Both trees are ‘hazel’ but I can’t say anything about the type of wood produced by c. maxima. Probably very similar at a guess.

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

I have young 10 cm diameter stiff birch tree fallen nearby. I think i will give it a go.

[@rodparsons521]

Why did it fall and how long has it been on the ground?

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

It fell because moose leaned against it. I know sounds weird but i found moose tracks near it and the tree is snapped like a match one meter above ground. It fell during autumn mating season. The wood material when i first checked it was healthy and there were no signs of fungus. It has grown straight and tall. BUT it has been laying there for 5 months now. It has been very cold up here in Finland but it did lay on the ground during October rains. Other than that it has been sub zero. I don't think it has effected the quality but you never know.

[@MickGrewcock]

Oh for a piece of wood that a moose leaned on! I'm sure Rod will be able to advise you.

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

Mick Grewcock Heheheh. It would make pretty cool bow for my one handed crossbow. That is if it hasn't gone bad.

[@rodparsons521]

@@MickGrewcock LOL well I do have my lucky piece of moose hide and my arrow with the moose tine pile. Do you think it might do for that Fenno-Ugrian 3 piece bow?

[@CraigLYoung]

Mick, is winter the best time of year to collect staves? Or is it species driven?

[@MickGrewcock]

Winter is usually recommended - the trees carry much less moisture. But they hang on to their bark. Summer felled are very wet but the bark comes off much easier. I don’t have sufficient experience to make accurate statements but I fell autumn/winter in preference. Thanks for watching.

[@hammerstoneartifacts4986]

One of the most practical times of year in Canada is the winter/late fall. You can see for hundreds of meters threw the bush when the leaves drop. I usually blaze the tree for future harvest. Your absolutely right Mick harvesting saplings doesn't damage the surrounding stand. As long as there are ample healthy saplings comming up. Saplings can choke the life out of a stand. All those small trees end up in a stale mate for survival. Most of the saplings may live but never thrive. Thanks for posting so many videos lately mick. I find your hedgerow videos very educational and entertaining. Now out to the shed to work on my bow.

[@MickGrewcock]

Keep at that work! Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting. Good weekend. Mick

[@hammerstoneartifacts4986]

@@MickGrewcock take the weekend brother.....You earned it!

[@CraigLYoung]

Mick Grewcock : So you experience the same thing. Living in America's central Appalachian Mountains I have a variety of trees available to me. However I always wondered if I was harvesting at the right time of year.