Help for a beginner?

[Covertrunnin]

Hello all,

I've been lurking this site for a long time now and feel I am ready to take the plunge.  Yet I have a problem.  I have scoured the local home depots for a suitable board to no avail for a couple of months now.  So basically I was wondering if anyone in the Chicago area can point me in the right direction on other places to acquire one.  Or how do you other city dwellers go about getting staves.  I'm not to sure the local park district would be too happy with me liberating their trees.

[Pat B]

Welcome to PA, CovertTech.   Jeff(HoBow) lives in Chi-town. Maybe he'll chime in with helpful info for you. Also, check the yellow pages for specialty hardwood dealers.

[George Tsoukalas]

Keep trying. Finding a suitable should come quicker than that. Check my site for more. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Prarie Bowyer]

You possibly won't find much beyond a red oak or possibly maple board at a Home depot.  Try a Woodcraft store or Woodsmith shop if there is one.  Sawmills out of town may be able to hook you up. 

[Parnell]

Used to live up there.  Buckthorn is invasive and the park district won't mind your removing that.  They have volunteers do it anyhow.  If you see a good straight piece I'd look to experiment with it, it may do the job for learning. 

[johnston]

I just started building bows this past spring and ran into a similar problem.Even if you can cut staves they have to dry. I was bemoaning the lack of good board when a whole covey of experienced people on here told me to go ahead and start with the best board I could find since I probably did not know enough for it to matter. They were right.

I take it that you are relatively new to this. There is much to learn that no one can teach you or warn you about unless they sit on your shoulder. I was told to jump in and just try. Was a little miffed at first but soon realized how deficient my tools and set up were. And trying to take a bow from my head to the wood was not as easy as these people on here with all their skills make it seem. I was on board bow #3 before I found a "good" red oak board and that damn thing broke.

I am not qualified to give advice on much but my take on this is ; keep your eyes open for good bow wood and actively seek it out but do not wait to find it. Get started building with the best you can find but paramount and foremost is to get started. It changes everything.

Lane

[George Tsoukalas]

Personally, I would never buy any bow wood  I could not examine unless I bought it from a well established bowyer. There's  way I'd order a board on line. I know no one has recommended that option ut I am just making sure. Jawge

[lowell]

Hardwood Connection in Sycamore is a great store for all kinds of wood.  I don't think it would be too far a drive for you??  Fun place to look around!!

[Covertrunnin]

Thanks for the replies.  Most of the lumberyards around me deal strictly in bulk pine lumber so the yellow pages haven't been much help.  Sycamore actually isn't too far from me at all maybe a 45 min drive so I'll check that out.  If worse comes to worse I'll grab some of the best boards I can find and pick up some sinew.