Help for beginners

[bjrogg]

I did bring back a thread I did awhile back that shows how you can play with a piece of scrap wood and learn a lot of handy skills

It’s titled Starting Small

Bjrogg

[willie]

A couple bows of mine went to Noatak Alaska where they were hung outdoors on the cabin in -40F temps and virtually zero relative humidity.

they dry out if you bring them inside

https://www.windy.com/-Humidity-rh?rh,63.194,-149.941,4,m:fyiaFc

[Selfbowman]

J W I hang out in Colorado some times for a month or so before I go to the flight shoot .im from central Tx . After three years of the Colorado summer thing my record bow blew up. I checked the moisture and it was to dry. It could have been something else it’s wood after all.i also sent one to Salt Lake City and it did not last a month . Could have been me the bowyer. I could not see anything wrong with it though. I’m glad to here of your success with Osage in the black hills though. What are you sealing them with JW?

🤠🤠🤠 ya we do push the limits. But that design is a pretty durable bow.

My finishes are typically shellac, polyurethane, TruOil (been a while since I used it because I am lazy), and 2 part epoxy thinned with acetone. A couple bows of mine went to Noatak Alaska where they were hung outdoors on the cabin in -40F temps and virtually zero relative humidity. But then, I don't build aggressive designs and go for high risk returns. I am content with bows that perform well enough but last a long time. You flight shooters love to lick the razor's edge!

[JW_Halverson]

A couple bows of mine went to Noatak Alaska where they were hung outdoors on the cabin in -40F temps and virtually zero relative humidity.

they dry out if you bring them inside

https://www.windy.com/-Humidity-rh?rh,63.194,-149.941,4,m:fyiaFc

Not when they have humidifiers indoors and the outdoor relative humidity is near zero. The climate is so dry in the winter that ice can sublimate a quarter inch a day.

[jeffp51]

Pearl he’s from Colorado. My experience with Osage is its to dry there for Osage unless you keep it in a room with a humidifier to control the moisture. That being said hickory will do better in my opinion . You know I’m a Osage guy. Mointain juniper also works good there I’m told. I seen sinew on most of them at the flight shoots. You might go with a maple board bow with bamboo glued on the back. Guys tell me if it’s not a good combination. I can hook you up with a bamboo supplier. That’s s the hardest part starting without dry wood. Been there done that. Pearl gave you good information though.

I live in Utah--drier than Colorado--and have made several osage bows.  I've had no problem with the wood being too dry.  Most staves I have traded for on this site.

[Russ]

All of these guys have given you great advice. take my advice with a grain of salt... gaining practical knowledge on a cheap medium such as a board is soooo valuable. Learning the general process of forming the bow (stock removal, shaping, and general "theory" of a bows shape), forming good fades (the transition from the handle to the bow limb), tillering (impatience in this step can ruin a bow), cutting the string grooves, and finishing the bow is very important. I recommend running through the process a couple times before working with anything expensive. Red oak is a cheapish board wood that can make a good bow, and is a good place to start. Theres also hickory and white oak at most lowes and menards. gluing a handle isnt all too hard, and it can look very pretty in the end, or you can make a "bend through the handle bow" if you so please.

If youre really set on using a stave, another cheapish way to get into it is with a sapling bow! a 2-3"  diameter sapling can make a great bow. Aim for about three inches, as it gives you more material to work with. it think it will dry out a little faster too(?). The bowmaking process can be a little different with a sapling compared to a full stave depending on a couple factors, but you'll learn as you go. 

TLDR All this is just to say, just start building, ask questions, and be patient with yourself and the process. try to fill the waiting time with smaller projects while you get your hands on you're stave. theres always another board out there to use, always another tree that will give you a good stave.

Del's website has a lot of really good information and thats where I learned! These guys have a wealth of knowledge. ask any question you have. anyways, thats my two cents... im not the most experienced but I hope this added to the convo!

Good luck! can't wait to see you're projects!

p.s. good tools really make a difference... the three most important for me is a drawknife, farriers rasp, and a cabinet scraper. If I only had these three tools I feel like I could get through most of the process and make a pretty dang good bow.