backing a red oak board bow?

[predatorcaller]

been tinkering around and did up a red oak board bow.I,ve read in some articles it,s a good idea to back it but with what?hickory or maple and glue or epoxy?any help is appreciated.Thanks and have a great day-Lloyd

[Josh]

I have made several board bows from red oak and I have backed several of those with linen.  You can use cotton as well.  I wouldn't use bamboo though, I did once and it over-powered the red oak belly causing it to fail.  I have also made several that didn't even need a backing.  If the grain runs straight from tip to tip on the back of the bow as well as the side, I wouldn't even bother backing it.  You can go to Jawge's site for more info on that.  Where ya at Jawge?  I am sure he will reply shortly with a link to his site.   Good luck with your bow and post some pics when you finish.              -josh

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, Josh. predatorcaller, the decision to back it or not depends on how straight the grain is and how many bows you've made. Burlap, linen and silk work well. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[islandpiper]

I backed a hickory bow today with some camo-twill, set in TB3.  piper

[predatorcaller]

thanks for the info-I,ll figure out where to get silk and try that.I take it TB3 is tite-bond glue.I hunt with a recurve but my goal is to make my own self-bow and arrows to hunt with.again thanks-lloyd

[Grunt]

I've made several red oak board bows. I generally use 7oz linen canvas set in TB11 for a backing. If you use a fabric for backing you will have a built in place to paint a NA pattern or camo pattern on the bow's back. Have fun.

[CutNShoot]

I Just backed a 61 inch oak long bow with Bamboo. I tiller' ed it to 29 inches . Its 1 3/8 wide at the handle and pyramid shape with the last 5 inches not bending. I sanded the boo to a knife edge the shape of the bow with no trapping. I don't think I will ever use anything else. If the boo overpowers it I don't see any sign as of yet. This is the second boo backed bow I have made the first was sage and a disaster since I made  it 30 lbs at 6 inches of brace and then added the boo. It was over a hundred pound non bending bow at that point.  I scraped so much, I wore myself out and my mind quit working right so I mess up the tiller bad. I should have used the sander on it or just waited till I was rested. Any way I cut the boo off and glued it to an oak bow of same dimensions then figured out I had glued the handle 4 inches off where it was supposed to be,still tired I guess LOL.I thought I cold never mess up that bad LOL! That is how I got 61 inches.It bends so good I went to 29 inches just for grins. I made me a knocker/beater hunting bow out of it and called it good.  I was only trying to get 40 pounds since Arther one of the worst one of the Ritus boys has a bad grip on my elbows and wrists. It was hard to get it down to that. The thing is so slim and thin it was hard for me to make, not used to that thin. Anyway it still came to 45 pounds at 29.  I think a good sanding will bring it down some but not much probably.  I'm thinking 1x1/2" wide x 1/2 " thick x 4' long  oak slats from the box store with w splice and boo back , glue on handle with 8 inch power lamb in the handle area for added strength for the handle will make  somewhere around a high 50 60 pound hunting bow easy!  With a little reflex and 1 3/8 width it should scream.  Also easy to make and easy to get and cheap. 
             Back it with BOO !!!           Rick

[Pat B]

If you decide to back it with wood go with hickory, ash, elm or maple. I don't believe boo is a good candidate as a backing for red oak.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Was just yesterday was hunting with a Red oak bow, the bow is backed with one layer of silk and one of cotton, this bow is a real good performer, and has retained a perfect strait profile once unbraced 

[sulphur]

i stumbled onto a good combo for red oak.  White ash is light and strong enough to make ared oak bow zing pretty well.  the contrast between colors is pretty nice to.  I used urac 185, but TBII or III will work great also.  Linen will work fine to, but i think the ash really gave it something extra.

[TheWildCat]

I don't know, y'all. I backed a Red Oak with Boo. Been shootin it fer 3 years. Not a problem a tall. 72" tip to tip...70" knock to knock...1 1/2" at the fades...47# @ 28".

[attachment deleted by admin]

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Yep boo works, I made one long time ago and it still works,...will do one again in the future 

[predatorcaller]

thanks for all the info --i appreciate it--Lloyd