Newest Bow

btw: 'boo is bamboo.

so what kind of wood do i use and not use?

the options are pretty wide.

i use a lot of white ash. i also use cherry, maple, black walnut, hickory/pecan when i can find it, red oak, etc.

different woods have different personalities, and different applications.

so not the normal cedar?

i've seen cedar used [incense cedars, and eastern redcedar after a quick google search], though i imagine it needs backing every time.

im sure we have gone over this before but what can i back it with.

fiberglass cloth, burlap, sinew, silk, linen, bamboo, hickory, etc.

if you make a sapling bow there is no need to back it. if you make a board bow from an appropriate wood and well selected board there is no need to back it. with that said, most bows can benefit from the added security of a backing, but some backings can cause excessive compression of a bow's limbs, and longer limbs can help with that.

there are literally thousands of ways to go about making a bow, and several ways that are well suited to a beginner. a sapling bow is a good idea, and a board bow of ash or red oak are pretty good as well.

feeling about bows the way that i do, i recommend you start some place simple, but eventually try all of them :D

i plan on it.

im going to try to make a board bow with som cerry or walnut or something. my budget is kinda low and thess planks are selling for 30 bucks for a 2"x4"x6'. i need to know what kinds to buy, what size to buy, and what too lok for. (granin, characer, etc.)

you want more like 1x2 board.

George Tsoukalas website has some great instructional material. it also has a primer on selecting appropriate boards. he's been building board bows a lot longer than i have, and if i needed board bow advice, he's the one i would go to.

Use hickory. Hickory rings can be violated and the grain can run off the sides a bit and you can still get a good bow. With black walnut, cherry, and oaks these mistakes can ruin the bow.

So ou make it out of hickory and then back it..............awsome bow.

hickory is definitely one of the safest board bow woods but i would add that i've had few problems with ash.

so would a place like menards have hickory?

I don't think I've ever seen hickory at Menards, Lowes or Home Depot. They have some small hardwoods but I don't recall anything long enough and with enough diameter to make a bow out of. If you want kiln dried wood you might see if you have a Rocklers in your area. They will have all types of hardwoods and most exotics.

i dont have one. i would love to get my hands on and osage orange sapling. with no knots and already dryed. that would probably be pretty expensive and i would have to have it shipped. i hear that great would for a sapling bow

for board lumber, i usually go to a local hardwood specialty supply.

lowes, home despot, etc usually carry red oak, and pretty cheap, so that's a start.

ive been thinking and decided that i am gonna make the board bow second. sapling bow first. just the pride in being able to sa thay i went out and got my own wood and make a bow from scratch

ok; David reminded me that i'm about a year behind on his birthday gift, so i finally went back to work on it:

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...C/IMG_0323.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...C/IMG_0324.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...C/IMG_0325.jpg

He mentioned that he's been bragging about it to friends for so long that they think he's making it up.

Details and measurements to come after some epoxy is fully cured.

Looks like it'll be worth the wait.

Dang man, that's a pretty sweet rig.