Author Topic: backed bow question  (Read 2475 times)

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Offline dylanholderman

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backed bow question
« on: January 23, 2015, 01:01:29 am »
hey just real quick i have a piece of lumber 3 1/2in square that i want to use for the belly of a backed bow.

i can saw it to get either flat sawn or quarter sawn boards out of it, how would you guys cut it? :)

Offline DarkSoul

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2015, 09:17:42 am »
For laminated bow, either flat sawn, quarter sawn or rift sawn is fine. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
"Sonuit contento nervus ab arcu."
Ovid, Metamorphoses VI-286

Offline adb

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2015, 09:23:40 am »
What kind of wood is it?

Offline dylanholderman

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2015, 10:38:04 am »
thanks darksoul ;D

adb the wood is compression pine

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2015, 10:46:27 am »
Compression pine? Never heard of such a thing. Good luck and wear safety glasses my friend.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline wizardgoat

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2015, 11:22:18 am »
Don't waste your time with pine!

Offline DavidV

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2015, 11:43:40 am »
Seems I've heard about compression pine used in bows before. Keep going, compression wood is pretty strong -- in compression.
Springfield, MO

Offline adb

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2015, 12:24:33 pm »
Compression pine? Never heard of such a thing. Good luck and wear safety glasses my friend.

+1.

blackhawk

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2015, 12:58:29 pm »
Did you cut this tree and lumber it your self? If not then how do you know it came from the compression side of the tree? And what kind of pine are you talking about? Ain't no species called compression. Either way its a waste of your time and not recommended like everyone else is telling you.  Especially if your new to this. Go find an already proven bow wood...tons of woods are proven. Where are you located at?

Offline PatM

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2015, 01:07:29 pm »
True compression Pine(or any other softwood) is well known for having fantastic qualities as a belly wood. It completely re-defines what  you may think of a particular tree as a bow wood.
 All of the Northern Eurasian laminated bows were made with a belly of this wood and a birch or similar backing.
 It also apparently benefits from being at a higher moisture content.

Offline dylanholderman

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Re: backed bow question
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2015, 01:20:16 pm »
i have made two bows from sugar maple one from hophornbeam and i am working on a osage bows as well.
i have a bunch more maple and slippery elm in my garage and a few more staves of hophornbeam too.
the piece of pine i have is a 3 1/2 by 3 1/3 block i got from work, fairly fine growth rings and pretty dense compered to the rest of the wood there. it looks like compression wood based on the color and like i said its denser than the other wood at work. i plan on backing it with some of the maple i have.

if it fails than it fails, i'm experimenting for the most part wont learn anything if i don't try new things 8)

P.S. i'm in central ohio O:)