Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Maxspin on February 11, 2013, 06:46:04 pm
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I have been stopping once a week for some time at several Lowes and Home Depos and have acquired a collection of Maple and Red Oak boards. I have been contemplating making a backed bow with just these woods to work with.
Which would make the better backing, and which the better belly, or is this just a bad idea. It is my understanding that both are better in tension than compression.
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Maple back and an oak belly with 4-5" of glued in reflex would be sweet at 64" ntn.
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like pd said, but if you havn't made many bows ya may want to use about half that reflex to start with
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Thanks,
I figured it would be good to tiller my first reflex with cheap wood. :)
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allways use the best wood you can get
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allways use the best wood you can get
Couldnt agree more. I get alot of "slack" for it, but I stand by it 100%. Having said that, your maple backed red oak can be a killer combo if you chose good boards.
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I am moving to better wood. I have a nice Oak & a nice Maple board. No point letting them go to waste. Thought it would be fun to push my skills a little.
Not going to find a much better board than this at the local box store.
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/IMG_2517_zps5e8447e4.jpg)
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/IMG_2518_zps880d10aa.jpg)
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I hear Jawge drooling, that is a good looking board.
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if the maple for your backer is quarter sawn make shure you glue it up like this /////
\\\\\ this will help compensate with twist
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wow, nice piece, its hard to find those kind of boards, most of the wood i see is plain swan :/
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if the maple for your backer is quarter sawn make shure you glue it up like this /////
\\\\\ this will help compensate with twist
Bubby, I've never thought about gluing backings on with off set grain before, until i seen this pic. Good advice! Totally makes sense.
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Biased ringed boards don't come any better than that...I hate to say it...but id really be tempted to make a selfbow with just the board...although you could still make a sweet maple backed oak with it too....just glue up the grains opposed to each other like bub said.
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Thanks for the advice Bubby.
I was just over at a friends house who has a fancy shop. He volunteered to run some wood through his planer. I just need to get the maple over there.
Keith
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Made some more progress on the Lowes Bow. :)
I took the 1” x 4” x 6’ and a 1” x 2” x 6’ maple board over to a friend’s house. We cut the 1 x 4 to 2 1/2 inches then cut it in half, then planed them to 1/8 inch.
Started with this
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/IMG_2543_zps2f3ef018.jpg)
Ended with
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBback1_zpscacd5cb4.jpg)
Maple over the Oak.
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBback2_zps0df300fc.jpg)
I have laid out the bow, but it rained all weekend, so I did not get a chance to pull the band saw out and cut it.
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Everything around me stopped carrying Maple. >:(
Grady
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Ur one lucky dog with that friend of yours!! Those are some nice looking backings! Good luck and looking forward to you're progress.
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I agree with Blackhawk.If it were me,id save the backing strip,for a more deserving board.You dont find em that good,for a selfbow,very often.
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Everything around me stopped carrying Maple. >:(
Grady
I've noticed my local Lowe's has a dwindling supply of maple and no maple on their website anymore. Not cool. Oak is great and all, but another option would be great without having to drive to the lumberyard.
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This is a tad bit off topic, but what do you guys think about ordering boards online from homedepot/lowes or going to the store and having it delivered? My local homedepot said they will order cherry, maple, zebrawood, and a bunch more types of hardwood but I just don't want to take the chance and it not be a good grain because most boards do have terrible grain.
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Everything around me stopped carrying Maple. >:(
Grady
I've noticed my local Lowe's has a dwindling supply of maple and no maple on their website anymore. Not cool. Oak is great and all, but another option would be great without having to drive to the lumberyard.
Go out in the bush and get some wood.... ::)
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Everything around me stopped carrying Maple. >:(
Grady
I've noticed my local Lowe's has a dwindling supply of maple and no maple on their website anymore. Not cool. Oak is great and all, but another option would be great without having to drive to the lumberyard.
Go out in the bush and get some wood.... ::)
I wish I could! I live in boston, every tree is owned, and I doubt they would take kindly to me cutting down trees in the park. They do, however, have the species on a metal sign nailed to the tree, so it would be easy to identify!
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I have, I have some hickory and ERC drying right now but probably won't be ready for close to a year.
Grady
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This is a tad bit off topic, but what do you guys think about ordering boards online from homedepot/lowes or going to the store and having it delivered? My local homedepot said they will order cherry, maple, zebrawood, and a bunch more types of hardwood but I just don't want to take the chance and it not be a good grain because most boards do have terrible grain.
NO!
I am fortunate in that I drive by two Home Depots and a Lowes at least once a week. I stop regularly at several stores looking for usable wood. I walk out empty handed much more often than I buy a board. I have looked at the local lumber stores that carry hardwoods, and have never found straight grained wood. I would never buy a board that I had not seen in advance.
Keith
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Caught a break in the weather, so I got the profile cut. Went with a flat bow design 68” long 2 ¼” wide tapering last 20” to 1/2” tips. I followed good advice and put the “A” oak board away for a self bow, and cut a B+ board.
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBprofile_zps0e6a019d.jpg)
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Go out in the bush and get some wood.... ::)
I wish I could! I live in boston, every tree is owned, and I doubt they would take kindly to me cutting down trees in the park. They do, however, have the species on a metal sign nailed to the tree, so it would be easy to identify!
Ahh that is a problem city dwelling.. ::) Your opportunity awaits if you ever venture into the country side.
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Got the glue up done this weekend. Was going for a RD. Didn’t get as much D as I wanted, but am pretty happy with a first attempt of a RD.
Handle is being glued on in the picture.
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBglueup_zpsc3f28145.jpg)
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I got the bow on the tree last weekend. This is my first RD bow. Looks like I did pretty good on the floor tillering this time. I am looking for some pointers before I pull any farther.
Looking at the pictures it looks like it is bending a little too much at the fades……
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBonTree_zps3f487c49.jpg)
(http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy71/maxspin_photos/Red%20Oak/LBLongline_zps8accfb8d.jpg)