red oak board

[loon]

Just got one from Lowe's for $12, cut it to 75", 2.5" wide. Grain seems fairly straight to me though it's a tad wavy.

I'm not sure of what design I want to do (one of pyramid, D bow, mollegabet), which draw weight from 30 - 45#, or if I want 28" or 32" of draw.

dunno what length.. I suppose I want to do a longer bow, so from 68" - 75"? I have some kind of hesitance to make a longer bow with less than 32" of draw though. So I guess I'll do 75" with 32"-33" draw.. thought of giving it away or selling it but maybe not, I could keep it as my first bow. so full length

75" Pyramid ~2.5" to 1/4" tips, 5" long handle 1" fades, 2.5" asymmetric (1 bending limb 31.5 the other 36.5?)

or same thing mollegabet, levers + lever fades same length as bending limb

or same thing D bow but limbs up to 1.5".. or 2" wide? Handle narrows to 1"? the board is .75" thick i think

Pictures later..

[DesertDisciple]

Loon, how tall are you? Are you planning to draw to the ear?

[Dictionary]

Lol we can't decide your draw weight and draw length. Figure that out then tailor that to your design.the safest and easiest design that I, and Tim Baker for that matter, recommend is make the bow as tall as you and make the handle the widest part of the bow, adjusting the width to be comfortable in the hand. Then taper from midlimb to the tips. Handle can either be stiff or flex slightly at full draw depending on how you tiller it. It should be tapered into the limbs to avoid the need for long fades.

This is a simple design good up to high draw weights and draw lengths with just about any decent bow wood.. It is illustrated in TTBB vol 1. You have to decide what you want though. No one else can.

[loon]

Hahaha thanks Dictionary, I'll try to look at it..

Loon, how tall are you? Are you planning to draw to the ear?

6'1"

57#@33"


42-44#@32" hickory flatbow from ringing rocks


yeah, not bending the bow arm is hard

What worries me about this technique is that it may be significantly less suitable for hunting than a shorter draw??.. (more movement) and it tends to annoy normie range coach people. "blah blah you're gonna rip your ear off"
I can also draw ~28" to the side of my jaw of course..

[bubby]

With a thumb ring i think you get a couple inches more draw length, red oak i would go at a minimum 72" ntn, basic twice the draw length and 8" for the riser, layout is up to you

[loon]

76" x 2 1/2" x 3/4"

There's a bit of a lengthwise crack in one side.. and vise teeth marks

Would it be less likely to break with a pyramid or D bow (handle width 1 1/8") style? I'll go for 35#@32"

[Eric Garza]

I don't think I'd use that board to make a bow unless you back it. What do you have to back it with?

[DC]

If you don't mind Eric, what do you see that you don't like? I have never made a board bow and have no idea what to look for.

[bubby]

Are the vice marks on both sides if not make that the belly and fill the crack with good super glue

[George Tsoukalas]

It seems to have ok grain for a light bow.
Eric, what don't you like?
Jawge

[loon]

I was thinking of backing it with 1 layer of paper & hide glue, maybe some thread wrapping in the more sketchy areas

I am wondering if a 2.5" wide pyramid or a 1.25" wide D bow would be more durable.. I don't want too wide of a handle. On the one hand I'd have the extra width and on the other I'd have a bending handle, so not sure what would strain the wood less

Would 3/4" thickness be enough for a 76" D bow at 35#?..

thanks

[loon]

Is 0.75" thickness, 1 3/16 wide  enough at the handle for a very long "stiff handled" D bow? again 35#@32" 76" long

if so I'll go for no 'riser' with as stiff a handle as I can. if not I'll glue on a handle/riser block and make a really long pyramid bow.

thanks

Lol we can't decide your draw weight and draw length. Figure that out then tailor that to your design.the safest and easiest design that I, and Tim Baker for that matter, recommend is make the bow as tall as you and make the handle the widest part of the bow, adjusting the width to be comfortable in the hand. Then taper from midlimb to the tips. Handle can either be stiff or flex slightly at full draw depending on how you tiller it. It should be tapered into the limbs to avoid the need for long fades.

This is a simple design good up to high draw weights and draw lengths with just about any decent bow wood.. It is illustrated in TTBB vol 1. You have to decide what you want though. No one else can.

What do you mean by tapered into the limbs? Narrowed handle? Or bow is narrower in the center than mid-limb and very slowly increases in width?

Also, how thick was your 71+" D bow in the handle?

It'll take me a while until I can get TBB.. think I'll just go with volumes 1 and 2

[bubby]

Loon he is saying leave the limbs parallel to mid limb and then make a straight pyramid type taper to the tips so at the fades if you are 2-1/2" wide there stay that wide to mid limb, half the distance from fade to tip, then taper to 1/2" tip

[willie]

Loon

not all lumber is created equal, and in spite of the nice grain on this board, there is a distinct possibility that you found it at the discount supplier for a reason that cannot be seen in the pics or easily ascertained. Of course this does not mean that the board will not make a bow, just how "much"  of a bow is the question.
I would go for a design that does not push the strain too far in any portion of the limb. Keeping it long and minimizing the stiffer handle and tip sections, especially if you begin to see set as you are tillering.


willie

[loon]

2 1/2" is way too wide for me at the handle, though... if I'm making a D bow I'm not gonna make it more than 1 1/2" wide

I guess 3/4" is too thin for the handle, and this will have to be a pyramid or flat bow. in Tim Baker's tutorial which I just found he makes the bow be 7/8" thick at the handle... I'll go with pyramid

If I had a good piece of hickory I'd probably go for maybe 50lbs or even 70lbs. I hope 35# isn't asking too much

thanks