Author Topic: Board Bow questions  (Read 2326 times)

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Offline cook1536

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Board Bow questions
« on: May 16, 2013, 12:31:13 pm »
So I am still fairly new to bow building, I have successfully built a hickory stave bow last year and now I am wanting to build a red oak board bow. I have attached some pics of my 1x4 board I picked out at Menards but as I get into this I want to be a little creative with it. As you can see in the drawing I want to back the red oak with 1/8" hickory then add another 3/4" red oak to the grip area then 1/4" walnut and then another 1/4" red oak to finish out the handle area. I read some where that someone put the walnut next to the main oak board in the grip area and it failed so I figured I would put the 3/4 oak next to the main oak board before adding the walnut as it is purely asthectic then the other 1/4 oak board. Glued with Tiebond III. Does anyone see any problems with this design? I know I could back it with silk or paper, but I want the hickory backing.

Daniel
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.

Offline Sasquatch

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2013, 12:45:39 pm »
make sure that you leave the bow long enough to meet your draw, but doesn't bend in the handle.  that other guy's handle might have been bending, or glued it wrong.  keep the glue joints surfaces smooth there is no need to rough up the surfaces. thats all for now ;)

Offline DarkSoul

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2013, 12:52:04 pm »
The grain of that board looks great. There is absolutely no reason to apply a backing. The hickory backing may even overpower the oak, which is not great in compression, and do more harm than good. If you insist on the hickory backing, it's OK. But I wouldn't apply it to this board. It's a waste of energy, glue and hickory. If you do back it, trap the backing and leave the belly flat. Shift the walnut lam from the handle to the center, creating a powerlam. The current thickness of the handle is way too much (1½" total thickness is plenty). The powerlam between the hickory and oak will help to stiffen up the center and prevent a popped off handle.
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Offline cook1536

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2013, 12:54:22 pm »
Bow is going to be 66" over all
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.

Offline cook1536

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2013, 12:57:25 pm »
The grain of that board looks great. There is absolutely no reason to apply a backing. The hickory backing may even overpower the oak, which is not great in compression, and do more harm than good. If you insist on the hickory backing, it's OK. But I wouldn't apply it to this board. It's a waste of energy, glue and hickory. If you do back it, trap the backing and leave the belly flat. Shift the walnut lam from the handle to the center, creating a powerlam. The current thickness of the handle is way too much (1½" total thickness is plenty). The powerlam between the hickory and oak will help to stiffen up the center and prevent a popped off handle.

Ok, you lost me with trap the backing and leaving the belly flat and shifting the walnut to the center and powerlam. Would I need the walnut to be the length of the bow as well? I just have some short pieces i was going to put in the handle for looks.
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.

Offline cook1536

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2013, 12:59:14 pm »
The grain of that board looks great. There is absolutely no reason to apply a backing. The hickory backing may even overpower the oak, which is not great in compression, and do more harm than good. If you insist on the hickory backing, it's OK. But I wouldn't apply it to this board. It's a waste of energy, glue and hickory. If you do back it, trap the backing and leave the belly flat. Shift the walnut lam from the handle to the center, creating a powerlam. The current thickness of the handle is way too much (1½" total thickness is plenty). The powerlam between the hickory and oak will help to stiffen up the center and prevent a popped off handle.

Ok, you lost me with trap the backing and leaving the belly flat and shifting the walnut to the center and powerlam. Would I need the walnut to be the length of the bow as well? I just have some short pieces i was going to put in the handle for looks.

I am new to this and don't know all the termanology. Basically leave it an Oak board bow and I will be just fine? I can do that but I do want the walnut in the handle.
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.

Offline cook1536

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2013, 01:12:22 pm »
Here is a pic of how I have the bow laid out on the board. Pyramid style and 2" at the fades with a shelf, still have a 1" width at the shelf. Also the walnut strips I have are in the pic. is the grain going to matter on them in the handle?
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.

Offline bow101

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2013, 04:19:06 pm »
Just finished tillering a Maple board this morning. 68" TTT probably 66 1/2 NTN.  Had it pulling 29" on the tiller tree looks ok.  No backing. Pyramid style and 2" at the fades without a shelf.
I'm really happy using maple so far.
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are."  Joseph Campbell

Offline bubby

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2013, 04:43:03 pm »
as darksoul said you don't need a backer on that board, , but if you just need to make more work >:D, trap it by basically chamfering the backer strip to make the finished back of the bow, the hickory narrower, you know 45 the edge of the hickory, on the handle cut the walnut and oak into 1/4" think pcs and glue them together alternating the wood, walnut first, then oak then walnut, like that , make the pcs go a little past each fade and after it is all glued up cut your fades and profile and such
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline bubby

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2013, 04:56:00 pm »
check out the handle on this bow I think this is what your talking abouthttp://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,33368.msg440234.html#msg440234
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline cook1536

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Re: Board Bow questions
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2013, 05:29:32 pm »
Yes bubby that is what im looking for. I wanted to add a shelf in mine though. I really like the tips too. I am hoping it works out on my red oak board, but im thinking about just making the red oak board by itself and switching to a hickory board to use my walnut on...I dont know I might go ahead and practice on the oak since I can get more walnut and do the hickory board later. Thanks for the link, pretty bow!!!
Archery is seeing how far you can get from your target, Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your target.