what can I do with it???

[arachnid]

Hi guys.
I bought an oak board thinking it was white oak. After ripping it to 1/8" thick backing strips (and 2 broken backed bows...) I found out its actually RED oak. So, I can't use it for backing and I'm stuck with 8 red oak strips, about 36" in length.

So, can I do something with it or it's fire wood?

[Badger]

  Red oak should make a decent backing for not so dense woods. Not my first choice but I have used it a number of times. I wouldn't use it on your favorite woods but I thiknk it should be fine to experiment with. If the wood seems powdery and brittle I would trash it. If it has kind of a gloss to it and your tools can remove wood smoothly from it I would still use it.

[arachnid]

I tried to back ipe and another red oak board with it. Both broke when I tried to string to bow to low brace.

What woods whould be good  to back with it?

I also thought to laminate the strips into recurve take down limds and just make a take down bow.
What say you?

[Springbuck]

  Red oak should make a decent backing for not so dense woods. Not my first choice but I have used it a number of times.

Yup. A good backing has as much to do with grain as it does specie.  I have NEVER used red oak, but I've seen some I would have.

I say stagger the lams, double the thickness to 1/4", and glue up some kids' bow with wild curves.

[tattoo dave]

Red oak works. Yes white oak is better, but red works just fine.

Tattoo Dave

[Peacebow_Coos]

I think Springbuck has it, arm the neighborhood.  Or try it again with all the lams glued up and a backing of some sort?  Not sure if that would work given the length....maybe glued then spliced!  Sounds like a lot of work man, I say arm the neighborhood.