Author Topic: Red Oak bow can shoot  (Read 8150 times)

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AKmud

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Re: Red Oak bow can shoot
« Reply #15 on: March 18, 2011, 03:57:22 pm »
I'm working on a red oak board bow right now for the trade over on Trad Gang...  I am planning on a 2" wide at the fades pyramid design and backing it with 1/8" hickory.  Will the hick overpower it or is this a safe combo? 

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Red Oak bow can shoot
« Reply #16 on: March 18, 2011, 10:18:32 pm »
I believe red oak does not have the typical ability to recover it's size and shape after being stretched as much as other woods. I believe that this can be remedied by backing with a springy backing, like sinew, which would have a much higher resilience than the bare wood. Other than that obviously well known problem, I haven't got chrysals in red oak yet. All my linen backed red oak bows shoot way better than the unbacked ones. So I see no reason really why red oak cannot make very good performing bows. 
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair