Best Board Bow Wood??

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, Pat. Jawge

[Stingray45]

Riden,

With the Ash boards I have I typically start off by reducing the limbs with a taper from 5/8" at the fades just out of the handle down to 3/8" at the tips. That gets me pretty close to floor tillered, maybe a few more swipes to be able to get it on the tree with a low brace height. Then I just keep going from there to make sure everything bends evenly and keep working til I hit the weight at the draw length I want.

[aznboi3644]

with wood there is no "formula" for a particular weight as wood density varies.

[riden]

OK thanks guys.

How is hickory with hand tools? I have used hickory a fair bit in my shop and I find it a difficult wood to work with, splinters quite easily. Doesn't like the router at all. My students will be using hand tools only on this project. Does anyone think that may be an issue?

[Stingray45]

It can be done but as you said it'll be a little tougher. But that's also probably why it's a solid bow wood because of it's toughness.

~Barry

[okie64]

If you're going to order the wood without picking through it for straight grain I would definitely go with hickory. It will take more grain violation than any other wood. Even if you're going to pick through it I would still use hickory.

[Bow Nut]

like many have said I would go with hickory,  by far the toughest wood out there for unbacked board bows and with some hand files and scrapers it works easy enough to make the difference worth the extra durability.  wood files eat it up and scrapers work well to. 

Sap wood (white wood) is far better than the darker core wood with hickory

[bubby]

if you are doing a class project I would suggest fully quarter sawn hickory or white oak, in a pyramid design, I just fill for the most success in a group of newbie's, that would be your best bet.
and you can watch ranger 1's video series in the how to build a long's. good luck to ya, Bub

[Primitive1]

I've worked with quite a bit of Ash and I'm fond of it.  I believe with either Hickory or even Ash, you want to ensure you have the appropriate moisture content (low) to ensure it keeps it's 'spring'...(I believe Elm is in that catagory as well but haven't ever worked with it).  I hear out 'West' that they love Hickory and use it a lot and are very happy with the results (lWest = low humidity = low moisture absorption = good) whereas in the Midwest and specifically eastern central Missouri, there is ample high humidity 75-95% that you either have to account for by ensuring a good, uncompromised sealer/coat to keep moisture out (once it's at the proper moisture content to begin with, of course), or consider alternate wood choices which don't appear to as sensitive (porous perhaps?) as some of the white wood choices...my two cents worth...cheers, P1.

[riden]

if you are doing a class project I would suggest fully quarter sawn hickory or white oak, in a pyramid design, I just fill for the most success in a group of newbie's, that would be your best bet.
and you can watch ranger 1's video series in the how to build a long's. good luck to ya, Bub

Can you dummy up Ranger 1's video series for a noobie?

[riden]

if you are doing a class project I would suggest fully quarter sawn hickory or white oak, in a pyramid design, I just fill for the most success in a group of newbie's, that would be your best bet.
and you can watch ranger 1's video series in the how to build a long's. good luck to ya, Bub

My hardwood dealer does not have quatersawn hickory, but quatersawn oak is available.

I am kicking around the idea of quatersawn white oak for the girls and hickory for the boys. I found last year the girls struggled a little bit as they just didn`t have the strength to work at the blank for an hour without slowing down.

Comments

[bubby]

riden with a pyramid you can do alot of the work on the tablesaw, if you want I can work up some plans and pm them to ya, kind of talk ya thru it, and quartersawn red oak will work just fine, built a 50# and 42# and they spit the arrows out with authority, Bub

[k-hat]

Red oak for girls and hickory for the boys is a great idea.  The red oak is easier to work and will produce a weaker bow for same dimensions (usually) than hickory.  I LOVE my hickory board bows.  Actually, i don't have any.  I've made three for other people and fell in love with each one and it broke my heart to letm go!!  I'll have my own soon though 

I'd definitely get them workd down to very rough dimensions with table/band saw, then let them do the rest by hand.  Just my 2cents

I've also kicked around the idea of doing this with my physics classes, glad to see other teachers passing on the tradition!

[riden]

riden with a pyramid you can do alot of the work on the tablesaw, if you want I can work up some plans and pm them to ya, kind of talk ya thru it, and quartersawn red oak will work just fine, built a 50# and 42# and they spit the arrows out with authority, Bub

Actually, I am really interested Thanks. Does a pyramid bow have to be quatersawn?

I have the kids for 22-25 hours for this course and then we are done.

[bubby]

no it dosn't have to be quarter sawn, can be flat sawn, When does your class start so I get ya the info on time, Bub