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Offline Wooden Spring

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Board Bow help
« on: January 01, 2013, 03:58:25 pm »
OK, I need some serious help.... Advice on this bow would be nice too... 

Well, I just finished roughing out my first hickory flatbow - I'm building it from a board as a learning experience. So far it's roughed out and has been gone over with 80 grit paper, but no nocks yet. It does bend fairly heavy against the floor, so I've got a lot of wiggle room with the dimensions so far.

Here's my problem - I just finished reading through my copy of The Bent Stick, and I had bought this board before getting it, so I had picked up the board without really knowing what to look for in grain orientation. On one of the limbs, I've got 3 rings that run off the edge - the rest of the bow, the rings run parallel.

Can this be fixed with a linen backing? Or should I doom this hickory stick to cooking my steaks next weekend?
Since the rest of the board that I got this from is about the same as this, could I back the next one with a proper hickory backing strip (say from 3 Rivers) and make a good bow with it?
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2013, 04:39:20 pm »
Looks good. The only issue I see is some grain run off toward the tip. Jawge
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2013, 05:07:09 pm »
Thats what I was thinking too George.
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Offline Wooden Spring

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2013, 05:15:33 pm »
OK, but will a linen backing "fix" this? As it is, I'm a little nervous about starting to tiller it.
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Offline lesken2011

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2013, 05:15:51 pm »
Hickory is pretty forgiving, but I agree with George and Pat that the grain runoff could be a problem. I had a hickory back on an ipe bow that lifted a splinter with a similar grain situation. If the bow turns out to be a good shooter, I would probably back it with silk, linen, or rawhide for longevity.
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Offline BOWMAN53

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2013, 05:20:53 pm »
Keep going, i have a hickory pyramid bow that i call  "the crazy grain". Just make sure you back it, and dont make it too heavy, 45 # at the most.
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Offline lostarrow

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2013, 10:12:03 pm »
It all depends on the orientation of the rings ,as to whether that run off is going to be a problem. What do those grain lines do on the sides of the bow?
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Offline kevinsmith5

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2013, 11:07:22 pm »
I'm a huge believer in linen.
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Offline sweeney3

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2013, 11:43:42 pm »
Linen is a magic cure for boards.  Hickory can take a lot of abuse too.  Even with some issues, you protect hickory with linen and you should be okay.  You have the board that far; linen is cheap and easy to use.  Why not?
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Offline Youngboyer2(billyf)

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2013, 12:03:16 am »
Go down to goodwill or a crafts store and get some silk or linen, then you will be good to go
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Offline Wooden Spring

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2013, 09:32:16 am »
OK, my wife - the seamstress - just ordered enough 100% linen to back like 10 bows... (She's forever the optimist) SO, hopefully this weekend after the stuff comes in I can start tillering. The NEXT bow is going to be hickory backed. I know, I know, hickory backed hickory, but hey, at least it'll keep the grain from lifting...
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2013, 09:57:27 am »
I think the linen backing is an excellent idea. Jawge
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Offline kevinsmith5

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2013, 10:38:24 am »
I've seen some pretty hickory backed bows. I've heard of taking the same board and reversing it to make a backing (putting the thin cut off on with the belly with ends reversed) but never tried it myself. I don't know if anyone else has?
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Offline lostarrow

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Re: Board Bow help
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2013, 02:23:09 pm »
Nothing wrong at all with backing a bow with the same wood. Does what it's supposed to do ,and no fear of overpowering etc. If you carefully round the edges just down to where the backing meets the seam will all but dissappear.
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