Intro and Stave Dimension Question

[SLIMBOB]

Within reason, I believe most woods will make a bow in some dimensions.  All things equal, start with a proven, straight, dry, knot free stave.  You don't have that option at this point, so I would say start with a straight, knot free stave of whatever you have available to you.  Do a bend test on it.  Keep it wide and long.  Narrow it as you go if it takes little or no set when floor tillering.  Some experimentation is in the offing, but that is how lots of "bow woods" were added to the list. Most of the oaks I am familiar with are fairly dense.  Dont know a thing about the ones you mentioned, but a little research should give you some details as to what oaks it is most closely related to, and that will put you in the ballpark.  That would be my suggestion.

[ohma2]

No worry dealing with mike at pine hollow longbows or osage outlaw here on the forum.

[csmcartor]

Where do you live? There might be other woods that are not known bow woods that grow there and could make good bows. I'd say try any oak but be careful of wood that was previously cut and not handled properly. It would be better if you could cut it yourself to insure proper treatment for a good bow wood.

I'm in Iraqi Kurdistan (the autonomous region in the north of the country).  Finding quality wood here in the city is so difficult that I've about decided to have a hickory stave shipped here (it's so dry that moisture shouldn't be an issue) so that I have something to work on until I have time to go up into the mountains looking for logs to split into staves. 

If I'm going to have one shipped, would you all recommend getting some backing material too?  If so, what would be good to use (rawhide, sinew, other...)?

[stuckinthemud]

You might have access to certain species of hazel and maple

[Piddler]

Wasn't there a thread about some fella having problems with bow breakage due to low humidity. Cant remember the details but I think he was in the southwest US. I've been to kurdistan and it can be pretty dry (at least where I was) so a wood which will work with low moisture would be necessary. I'm not the one to know which wood that would be as I'm new to this but a lot of guys here would know. Just don't want someone to go through the shipping on a piece of wood that may fail.

[Bryce]

I know in that region there is a main species of oak and even some juniper and maple. If you don’t mind accidentally bumping into the Kurdish peeps, even then I know they’ve used the good straight oak for roof rafters for centuries. If you come across or know of an old village house that’s no longer in use it might be worth a look. Good lawrd knows it’s seasoned by now 
Also mulberry seems to like growing along the irrigation routes. Plus fruit trees usually make an excellent bow.
Maybe head over to Zafraniya near Baghdad or Mosul tree and plant nurseries see if they can help yah out, finding something. Sometimes they have unsold or large enough stock of plum trees that’ll bee large enough in diameter for a bow.
Measure your wingspan finger tip to finger tip. Take that measurement and divide it by 2.5 and that’s likely your draw length.
Depending where you’re at hickory is a fine choice, Osage would suite you know matter where you are.
Either way I’ll be watching this thread continue

Bryce

[Pat B]

Hickory would be a good choice for your climate. If you can get summer cut hickory so the bark will pop off or is already off you won't need backing. With a board stave I think I'd back it. Rawhide is good but so is silk or linen.

[csmcartor]

I just ordered a 72 inch straight split hickory stave which should arrive in a month or so.  I can get normal rasps and files at the Ace Hardware here in Erbil, and my brother is bringing me a shinto rasp, a bow stringer, and a book on bow building (and a drawknife if possible) when he comes to visit in a month or so.  Are there any other tools that are necessary?  Should I go ahead a get a string?  If so, how do I know how long I should get it?  Is there a correlation between the length i'm shooting for and how long a string I should get?

I will be trying to make a tillering tree (and maybe a shave horse) if I can find the part of the bazaar that sells lumber.  I need to figure out a portable one that will work on the balcony of our apartment here, because I don't think my wife would be happy about me mounting it to the walls inside.

Once I get the stave and start working I'll probably create another thread.

[csmcartor]

I know in that region there is a main species of oak and even some juniper and maple. If you don’t mind accidentally bumping into the Kurdish peeps, even then I know they’ve used the good straight oak for roof rafters for centuries. If you come across or know of an old village house that’s no longer in use it might be worth a look. Good lawrd knows it’s seasoned by now 
Also mulberry seems to like growing along the irrigation routes. Plus fruit trees usually make an excellent bow.
Maybe head over to Zafraniya near Baghdad or Mosul tree and plant nurseries see if they can help yah out, finding something. Sometimes they have unsold or large enough stock of plum trees that’ll bee large enough in diameter for a bow.
Measure your wingspan finger tip to finger tip. Take that measurement and divide it by 2.5 and that’s likely your draw length.
Depending where you’re at hickory is a fine choice, Osage would suite you know matter where you are.
Either way I’ll be watching this thread continue

Bryce

I'm able to go most places in the Kurdish areas and occasionally visit the villages for hiking/picnics, but we don't leave the city that often because work keeps us pretty busy.  I saw a lot with lots of fresh cut logs that looked like oak of some sort on a drive through the mountains a couple months ago.  I'm going to try and go back there sometime soon and see if it would be a place to get wood in the future.  Since Baghad and Mosul aren't governed by the Kurds I can't go there.

[bassman]

What Pat B said.

[Bryce]

I know in that region there is a main species of oak and even some juniper and maple. If you don’t mind accidentally bumping into the Kurdish peeps, even then I know they’ve used the good straight oak for roof rafters for centuries. If you come across or know of an old village house that’s no longer in use it might be worth a look. Good lawrd knows it’s seasoned by now 
Also mulberry seems to like growing along the irrigation routes. Plus fruit trees usually make an excellent bow.
Maybe head over to Zafraniya near Baghdad or Mosul tree and plant nurseries see if they can help yah out, finding something. Sometimes they have unsold or large enough stock of plum trees that’ll bee large enough in diameter for a bow.
Measure your wingspan finger tip to finger tip. Take that measurement and divide it by 2.5 and that’s likely your draw length.
Depending where you’re at hickory is a fine choice, Osage would suite you know matter where you are.
Either way I’ll be watching this thread continue

Bryce

I'm able to go most places in the Kurdish areas and occasionally visit the villages for hiking/picnics, but we don't leave the city that often because work keeps us pretty busy.  I saw a lot with lots of fresh cut logs that looked like oak of some sort on a drive through the mountains a couple months ago.  I'm going to try and go back there sometime soon and see if it would be a place to get wood in the future.  Since Baghad and Mosul aren't governed by the Kurds I can't go there.

I would definitely go talk with that lots cutters. Explain what your looking for and ask to go along when they go out to cut.