Sealed the ends. What next ? Split into staves or let season, leave bark on or not?

I would split it just so it doesn't split on its own. I am not sure about bark on that one. So I would leave it. Make sure its stored out of the weather off the ground.

I would also let it season. Have you researched is as a bow wood?

I don't see it on this list I saved from the Wall.

http://ejmas.com/tin/2009tin/tinart_goldstein_0904.html

So many of the fruitwoods develop a LOT of twist as they grow; I'd be suspicious of that species...but good luck

Though one of my friends at the club has some he will be working on.

I have seen videos of hawthorne finished bows, but not the process.

It's a terrible wood for making a bow don't waste your time. it may be possible if you have a super short draw like 25" and make it 70" and 2" wide . But I would trust it to not blow with zero warning.

Thanks guys, I guess I will get some osage. Carl

I dont have that option. If you do that would be the best choice.

Sealed ends or not, wood splits as it shrinks. Standing dead trees are loaded with checks, and there are no split ends coated with glue. When the water exits, the cells shrink, and splits follow the weakest link. In my view that is part of the way the natural cycle of decay works. jmo

There ya go dont throw it out! Give it a try.

The size of the wood you cut really makes a difference on how you handle it from here on out. If you cut small poles then I leave them whole, bark on. If you cut 8-12" trunks, then by all means split it and peel it. Then seal the backs and ends again.

This stuff is 4 to 6", fairly straight no twist. Cut it off the creek on our old farm so it has some sentimental value. Spent my childhood there 60 years ago. So I will give it a go. Thanks everyone. Carl

I would probably leave them whole and let them start to split on their own, I'm sure they will. Little pieces like that will twist horribly if you split them green. They could easily get 90 degree twists in a year.

I have always wondered about it as bow material. I've never seen any other tougher saplings when hit with a brush hog.

How about Russian Olive or Autumn Olive? They are invasive species and it would be nice to see if they were good for bow making. We have a lot of Hawthorn here on our mountain farm, it's a quality tree/shrub for wildlife so we try not to bother them too much. They are plentiful though, so it would be nice to know if they make a good bow. Give it a try.

I've seen a few russian olive bows. Its gorgeous wood, but I think its in the brittle category, similar to willow or basswood. Autumn olive shoots have worked for arrows, but Ive not seen a bow work out.

There are 25 species of hawthorn so it's possible one of them could be decent bow wood . I used western Hawthorn . I cut down a mature healthy tree in the spring and split staves . I made the bow from the central leader which was 4" in dia. I let it dry for a year with the bark on. The bow was 66" 4" handle 1.75 at the fades narrowed the last 18" to the .50 tips. Snapped in half on the tillering tree in the mid to high 20s .I tried another from the split staves same result. I have built 100 or more whitewood bows with the same recipe so I'm not a rookie. There were brown flecks cross grain in the wood similar to oak. Let us no how it turns out and what species of hawthorn . Regards

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