Bow woods?

[SiongSA]

Hey guys,
i'm thinking of making a new bow, this time i would like to back it (wood baking) but i only have a limited amount of potential bow woods at my south african timber yard theese are: ash, beech,birch,spanish cedar?, oak (red & white), cherry, maple and walnut

Any one any ideas for which on the back of which?

Sion
P.S Pleeease nobody tell me to make a self bow ofn red oak! thankyou

[DarkSoul]

Ash backed oak
Maple backed walnut
Maple backed oak
White oak backed red oak
Ash backed maple

Lots of possibilities

[crooketarrow]

  ASH AND MAPLE would be my first choises.

[SiongSA]

Ash backed oak
Maple backed walnut
Maple backed oak
White oak backed red oak
Ash backed maple

Lots of possibilities

Which would make the sweetest bow?

[NTD]

Make a self bow from white oak

Lot's of potentially good combos there as darksoul pointed out.  The sweetest bow is less about materials and more about a bow designed right for the wood.  So what kind of bow do you want to make?

[JW_Halverson]

When I hit the lottery, I'll bring you a couple of high quality osage staves.  But in exchange, you have to give me some local grown native wood that I can build a bow from.  My goal is to build a bow out in the bush and hunt gemsbock with it. 

Have you experimented much with native species of trees?

[Hrothgar]

Cherry, maple or walnut backed with white oak should make a good bow; guess you could also back with maple although it doesn't have the tension strength of hickory or white oak.

[bubby]

white oak is almost bullit proof for a backing, and makes a great self bow, Bub

[SiongSA]

When I hit the lottery, I'll bring you a couple of high quality osage staves.  But in exchange, you have to give me some local grown native wood that I can build a bow from.  My goal is to build a bow out in the bush and hunt gemsbock with it. 

Have you experimented much with native species of trees?

My fair bit, i have personal experience with White stinkwood and wild olive, both made good bows although i here that the denser acacias i meant to be really nice, like knobthorn.

Walnut backed W.oak should look and perform nice, how thick should the backing be? I'm actually thinking of maybe a 60"  45lb @ 27" with arrow rest

[NTD]

I think a 64-66" bow would serve you better.  I would make the backing 1/8" thick.

[SiongSA]

bump this thread^
hey guys,
really want to make a ELB cause i'm fascinated with warfare during the period of the 14th,15th and 16th centurys. I'm aiming for 50lb @ 28", i've decided to bake it with white oak but i'm guessing for an elb you need the strongest compressionn wood you can get, so is that cherry, maple or walnut?

Sion,
South Africa