Design question

[bearbowman]

Is there one design that will work for most wood types? Myself being new to building bows thought this would be a logical question.

I personally like the pyramid style but I'm sure that isn't the best design for all wood types.

If there isn't a general design for most wood types, did you guys just learn by trial and error? I've learned quite a bit already but I haven't really had a chance to mess with a lot of different wood types.

Thanks for any feedback,
Bob

[Kegan]

Comstock style flatbow. Works for anything. Not perfect, but works for jsut about anything.

[Pat B]

Each wood has specific characteristics as far as tension strength and compression strength. Each bow type utilizes a particular characteristic(s) in regard to it's strengths and weaknesses. Ideally you want to pair the appropriate wood with the appropriate bow design.
  A pyramid bow, by it's design allows for the distribution of the stresses alone each limb equally so it would be suited many different woods. The bows length, draw length and draw weight have to be figured into the equation also as well as the human element,ie how we each go about building bows.
   There are resources that explain the different characteristics of the many different wood types. Figure out what woods you have available for bow building and them figure which bow type is suited best for the available wood.

[nickf]

I double kegan. 2" wide limbs till midlimb, tapering to 1/2" pin nocks.
67" ntn, 6-8" rigid handle section

[Hillbilly]

That Comstock flatbow is as close to an all-around design as you can get, but I'm like Nick-I only take the full width to mid-limb and then start tapering to the nocks instead of carrying the width out near the limb tips. As Pat said, though, each species of wood has different weights and bending characteristics (or even different pieces of wood of the same species). So you can take the basic design and adjust it for the wood you're using. Hickory, ash, birch, walnut,and such usually work well at about 1 3/4"- 2" wide fades to midlimb. Locust, mulberry dogwood, persimmon, and others can be 1 1/2"-1 5/8". Osage or tropical woods can be narrower.

[adb]

I think each species of wood is slightly different, and learning what works for each is part of the fun for me. I think I'd be very bored cranking out the same type of bow all the time. I've learned what works by reading, and more importantly by trial & error.

[Kegan]

I think it's sort of odd. Unless you count all the Native tribes and peoples out there, it wasn't until The 80's or so that people seemed to write about matching design to the wood, instead of wood to the design.

Why is that?

[George Tsoukalas]

I actually match the design to the stave so I can't give a pat answer (no pun intended, Pat   ). Generally speaking I keep full width to just past mid limb. As I tiller and depending on the save's response to my efforts I begin to narrow it to bring the stave into tiller. My last 2 bows actually look like narrow pyramid bows with Holmegarde tips. Jawge