Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Woodely on September 29, 2019, 07:13:01 pm
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Does RO bend easily using dry heat. The lams thickness would be about 5/32" or so thick and 1 1/2" wide.
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updated...anyone know that.
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I think steam works better
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I hate red oak, it's a terrible bow wood. I wish you luck. What are you making?
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I hate red oak, it's a terrible bow wood. I wish you luck. What are you making?
A regular bow, hundreds of RO bows built on here. I wont make a habit of using it, as a matter of fact this will be the first RO bow for me. The limbs will be maple backed.
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The oak bows I have made (one white oak, two red oak-both boards early in my learning process) all took quite a bit of set. It could have been me, but I think that is pretty normal with oak. The backing should help a lot. keep it wide anyway, and it will make a good bow. If you want curves in the tips, I would steam them in, set them with dry heat, and then back with the maple that has also been steamed to shape.
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I didn't have much luck bending it..
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I really dont like RO but it will work. Cant take alot of stress as a board though
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Wow...… did not know RO was that bad, Probably refrain from building one in that case.
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Just wait. There will be a few folks along who advocate it as bow wood. Then you will have two sides of the story to weigh out. My opinion? It makes great trim and cabinets.
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Wow...… did not know RO was that bad, Probably refrain from building one in that case.
Build it if you got it. It's just a terrible bow wood. Recommended to newbies for ease of access and that's it. Personally, I'd never recommend it. But, give it a try! You will learn something if you do.
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Just wait. There will be a few folks along who advocate it as bow wood. Then you will have two sides of the story to weigh out. My opinion? It makes great trim and cabinets.
+1
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Just wait. There will be a few folks along who advocate it as bow wood. Then you will have two sides of the story to weigh out. My opinion? It makes great trim and cabinets.
Do you have high regards for white oak too?
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I prefer steam over dry heat for red oak. For me the dry heat didn't stay as well.
As for its worthiness as a bow wood: I made many red oak board bows before I ever tried another wood. I don't think it is the most forgiving wood, and it isn't a wood I would use if I was wanting to really push the boundaries with. I do think its an okay wood though. It isn't my first choice, but I've made a couple pretty good shooters out of it. I vote try it, and then you'll have your own opinion on it.
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Same as Airkah- it certainly isn't 'the best' but you can make a good bow out of it. The trick is getting a super straight grained board so that you can make the back work hard enough.
If the back is left the same width as the belly then yes you will experience what most people do - a fair amount of set. If however you trap the back a good bow can be made from it. Just like a lot of woods described as sub-par - they tend to be very good in tension thus overpowering the belly.
I wouldn't choose it as a belly wood on a lam bow though. There are many better choices.
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In an osage and yew world, it is hard for many to understand that good functional bows can be made from other woods.
I've made many self and backed bows from red oak...some from staves more from boards. I've also used white oak with is a notch above red oak. Some of better bows were made from red oak boards.
But I don't do lam bows and don't heat much.
Jawge
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Better than 10 years I made a , wide, thick ,long ,Red Oak bow for my son from a board. Got it shooting 155 fps. at his 28 inch draw with 475 gr arrow.. He killed a Boar ,and an 8 pt. buck with it that year, and retired it. Called it Big Red. Never used Red Oak again for a bow. I do still make white Oak bows once in a while. If you have Red Oak use it. Nothing to lose.
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ive always wondered if a sinew backed red oak would work,, I guess I was not that curious,, cause I have never done it,,
but thought,, with spliced recurves and sinew it might shoot well,,