Board Bows

[finnfoto]

Hey everyone.   

Sam W. here.   Another newbie to the forum.

Have a few question's  and my first one is this.

I've been building board bows for a few years off and on and then got out of it and until recently got back into again. I guess the bug never left.lol

once you've been bitten,

Anyway.   the bows I've been building are either from redoak. or maple.

most times I dont back them with anything as they seem to shoot really well.   However.  once thing I've never really paid attention to is.

will a board bow  hold up over time?

and another question for anyone who builds board bows is.?

Do you build your board bows with risers or not?  Does it really matter.?


 Most of my bows i build usually fall in the 68inc nock to nock length.  and run anywhere from 35lbs to 55lbs. 

Thanks.  Sam

[KenH]

No reason a board bow won't last as long as any other bow.

Especially if you bury it in a peat bog or other anaerobic environment for archaeologists to find a few thousand years from now

Without a riser, they're most often tillered into a D shape, often called "bend through the handle"
With a riser, they're usually tillered into more of an elliptical shape.

Both work equally well.  Look at some of the board bows that Half Eye has been making, both bend through and riser styles.  Amazing.  Gives us a whole new level to work towards.

[finnfoto]

Thanks Ken.  will check his work out for sure.

[sailordad]

i make alot of board bows too
i just dont post pics of them(i only post pics when i can get the tiller figured out)
ive made them as short as 64" at 48#
some i use a riser,some i dont
i dont carve the backs like halfeye does,never had luck with them carved bows

most get backed a few dont,not cause i think they need it or dont need it
i do it cause i like the camo look on the back of the bow.i use camo cotton fabric.(some folks request it not being on the  bow when i make them one)
the same kind they make ground blinds from

the thing to remember when it comes to board bowsis
its about the grain 

[NTProf]

I have only been building bows for a few years, but I still love board bows - about all I make. If the right board is chosen and it is tillered right, a board bow will last as long as anything. I actually have no idea how long they will last since I keep making new ones, and the old ones just sit. I personally like the d-tillered slight bend-in-the-handle bows (no handle glued on). But that is just my personal preference.

[finnfoto]

Would like to see some examples of your board bows.   

So please by all means post a few if you have them.  I have seen some really fantastic work on here and can't say enough about all the excelent info and talent people on here whilling to lend a hand.

[AncientArcher76]

There isnt anything wrong with a board bow.  Sometimes for some folks it is the best way to make a bow.  Not everyone can or have the access to cutting there own stave and for the most part u can make a bow from a board and it is dry, you can also pick which board you are going to make ur bow from ...you can see the grain and for the most part any defects it may have.  I have built many from boards but more from split staves.  As far as using a riser or not it is only preferance.  I happen to like making traditional native american designs which as mentioned above is sort of D shaped sometimes flat or even a reverseD and either is a bendie or a rigid handle.  I love them all!!! Keep making them welcome a "board" and post those pictures.

Russell

[denny]

Hey there , Here are some ideas for board bow handles, these are all board bows. Denny

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[HoBow]

No doubt the board bows are just as reliable. Slightly different approach, bvut the ending can be the same- a huntworthy bow

[Almostpighunter]

I pretty much exclusively work with boards as the majority of the native trees in Las Vegas (those not on a golf course anyway) seem to be pretty limited to tumble weeds and cactus. There are a ton of construction companies out here who use exotic board woods for flooring, which is where I get most of my stuff. Thus far (knocking on wood...no pun intended) none of the bows I have completed have failed me or anyone who has received one from me. Now to be honest, I haven't been making bows long enough for them to have become heirloom pieces; however, the general consensus is that, properly cared for, they should last.