Beginner - which tools will i need?

[Apprentice]

Hom Depot....Lowes...and Mesnards all handle at least Red Oak...so you should be able to check with a Local Lumber yard and get you a good peice of Hardwood somewheres

Yeah, problem is I don't live in the states so the wood availability is not the same here. I believe red oak is native to the states so it doesn't exist in the same volumes. We do have a shitload of pine, so everything is pine. My hopes is to find a pre-cut board that will suffice, I guess I can have something cut but it's just a hassle and more expensive in comparison to finding a done board.

I'm guessing the best I'll find is birch. Maybe something else. Does regular oak function?

[Justin Snyder]

Birch will work as will many of the oaks.

[El Destructo]

Where do You live?? I like Birch...River or Paper Birch....I have had good luck with it...and as for Oak...aint never found an Oak tree that didn't have a Bow in it.......

[Justin Snyder]

Oh excuse me, I live in Sweden, so finding things will be more difficult for me. I'm going to try and find a board, but I might have to use a log...

Page 1 El D..... 

[El Destructo]

Ya Justin....I kinda figured that out....when He answered my Question on Page one..

Oh excuse me, I live in Sweden, so finding things will be more difficult for me. I'm going to try and find a board, but I might have to use a log...

The reason I asked Where again...well I should have been more specific....is because the Southern Part of Sweden
like Skane.....and Blekingeis loaded with Deciduous Trees....like oak... ash... elm... lime... hazel... birch...and beech .....while areas like Varmland and Darlana are split between Coniferous and Deciduous Trees....and the Mountainous Regions are almost all Coniferous Trees.....

[Apprentice]

I was out today, all pine. There was however, I do not know the proper term, you know the boards you have on the floor against walls, like this:
http://www.smelinkweb.com/ImageLibrary/3647/Mod%20Sockel%2056%2069mm.JPG

Anyway they were of oak but too thin, I believe 10mm or 12mm thick. They were long though, would it be possible to glue two of these together? That would be thick enough, but maybe there would be problems with the grain, I don't know, you tell me...

[El Destructo]

Jonathan....You are referring to Baseboard Moulding...I can not see why you could not glue two of the together and make a Bow Blank...two of them would be damned near an Inch thick....you may even be able to induce a little Reflex in it when You glue them up...might be worth a Try....

I would send you a Stave for the price of Shipping...but with the Restrictions to Sweden...it would have to be 60 inches or shorter...or it would have to be two peices... and either Glued up or made into a Take Down Bow...

[Apprentice]

Ya Justin....I kinda figured that out....when He answered my Question on Page one..

Oh excuse me, I live in Sweden, so finding things will be more difficult for me. I'm going to try and find a board, but I might have to use a log...

The reason I asked Where again...well I should have been more specific....is because the Southern Part of Sweden
like Skane.....and Blekingeis loaded with Deciduous Trees....like oak... ash... elm... lime... hazel... birch...and beech .....while areas like Varmland and Darlana are split between Coniferous and Deciduous Trees....and the Mountainous Regions are almost all Coniferous Trees.....

I live in Skåne, and it's true, we have a lot of beech espcially. The closest beech forest is about 3 minutes away from my house on foot. Loads of beech, but also oak, ash, birch and elm as you said.

I do not however have the tools or experience to chop a tree and make use of it myself. I don't really think going to a lumber yard and having something cut is a problem, they did have oak (didn't really ask about anything else because the chopping-guy was not there) and he told me they could cut me a board.

For starters though I think I'll buy that Oak baseboard moulding and glue two together for a bow blank..

[Apprentice]

Today I swung by a shop, and to my suprise they did infact have done boards in teak, oak and beech. I was there 5 minutes before closing time so I did not have time to sort through, just take a quick look so I guess I'll swing by tomorrow and pick something up. I think I will get one in oak. The board I looked at was 15mm thick, is that a good thickness?

For the bow I'm going for 45lbs @ 28"...

[El Destructo]

15mm is barely 1/2" thick....will do in a pinch...but not much room for error...I would see if He had anything around 18-20 mm thick myself....may be a little more scraping...but if you come across something unexpected...or mess up....you will still have some wood to work with....JMO

[Apprentice]

Ok. I'll return tomorrow and see if they have something thicker. I only looked at the specs on that one so we will see then...

[El Destructo]

The most important thing to Me about a Board for a Bow is that it is 1/4 Sawn or Rift Cut...and that there is little to no run-off at all....good luck

[Apprentice]

The most important thing to Me about a Board for a Bow is that it is 1/4 Sawn or Rift Cut...and that there is little to no run-off at all....good luck

Quarter sawn or rift cut, is that to make sure the grain is right on the butt end of the board?

[El Destructo]

The most important thing to Me about a Board for a Bow is that it is 1/4 Sawn or Rift Cut...and that there is little to no run-off at all....good luck

Quarter sawn or rift cut, is that to make sure the grain is right on the butt end of the board?

I shoot for either one of the two Bottom cuts in the Picture...mainly the Bottom most one....and make sure that you have little to no run off of Grain to the Sides of the Board...this makes for Disaster....JMO

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[Apprentice]

So aim for the grain to run straight over the butt end like the bottom, and no grain runoff. Got it, thanks

Are the two on top also acceptable or are they how it shouldn't look?


Btw do home depot-style stores generally sell any wax usable for a tillering string?