bow from mesqiute?

[jeffnsa]

i was curious if mesquite wood would make a good bow. i grows every where around here and is extremely beautiful in color.

[Gray Wolf]

I wouldn't think so, since it's hard to work with. "Mesquite wood is hard, allowing it to be used for furniture and implements. It is highly desirable due to its dimensional stability, after being fully cured. The hard, dense lumber is also sold as Texas Ironwood and is rather harsh on saws, chain saws, and other tools".

You could make a nice wall rack for the bow with it. :D

[canid]

i have heard of screwbean mesquite being used for bows somewhere or other. i don't know how good it would be, but it can work and is certainly worth trying, and taking the care to select it well.

[snakeman]

If mesquite is ironwood, this guy is making an ironwood bow.
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/hunting/bowandarrow/abb/index.html

[Gray Wolf]

If mesquite is ironwood,

There are many woods that are called or sold as ironwood. As with this,
The mesquite, a hard, dense lumber is also sold as Texas Ironwood.

[Gray Wolf]

FVR posted this in another thread, it may help.

Hickory makes a great bow, but you have to seal it. Walnut, sucks. Ironwood also makes a good bow, but again you must seal it. I found ironwood hard to work with and did not like it. Many others have made good bows out of it.

You can read 10 articles and you will get 10 diff. opinions on wood. You need to try all and find out for yourself.

Woods I do not like; black locust, makes a good bow, but I'm allergic to the dust. Maple, I have never made a maple bow that I liked. Ironwood, I just don't like to work it. Walnut, makes a lousy bow unless backed. Cedar, needs to be backed. Oak, easy to get, but again needs to be backed.

Woods I prefer; Osage, elm, hickory. In that order.

[woodsroamer]

You've got to be careful with "common names" or "folk names." The name "ironwood" or "iron wood" is the common name for several species of wood found in the Southwest and in northern Mexico and throughout Latin America. In South Texas the common name "iron wood" is used for a species of woody plant that grows only to about 10 feet high. But that same species in northern Mexico grows up to 30 feet high. In Spanish it is called guayacan and the scientific name is, Porlieria angustifolia. Mesquite is called scientifically as Prosopis glandulosa (this is for the common "sugar mesquite.") Actually, sugar mesquite has a hardness about like osage orange and the Lipano Apaches and southern Comanche bands made bows from mesquite. I've made several bows from mesquite and it works well if the white wood is used (as with yew) over the hard heart wood. Keep your bow at over 60 inches or be prepared to back it. Hope this helps.

[canid]

exactly. for further illustration, when i used to spend summers in Mi, my father and grandfather used the common name ironwood for a local maple species, which appearantly isn't much used much anymore. not only do common names varry from region to region, but also from time to time.

[Dennis K.]

The mesquite he is talking about doesn't seem to have the long, straight grain that is desirable for a traditional wooden bow. Yes, it is strong, but difficult to work with. Maybe a master woodworker woould have better results than I.
A better use is to soak the mesquite woodchips, then throw them in your BBQ grill - makes for a delicious smoke flavor :)

[canid]

it'll also make durable handles for all sorts of things.

i'm using ash myself, but i'm in the proccess of making new handles for a friend's kitchen knives.