Don't you hate it when...

[Bitterguy]

I don't think this is that unusual but, while putting a string on to tiller I broke me red oak board bow . So now I want to go out into the woods and find either tree of heaven or black walnut. If I do happen to find one of those I was wondering if anyone has ever made a bow out of them and if I'm actually going to find them in Penn woods

[blackhawk]

I know there's plenty of black walnut on this side of the great Pennsylvania woods,not so sure about the tree of heaven ..I haven't seen any around here(beaver county). Look for hickory,elm,hard maple,hopbornbeam,white oak,n black locust. All are very abundant and the best species around for a novice

[Bitterguy]

I know there's plenty of black walnut on this side of the great Pennsylvania woods,not so sure about the tree of heaven ..I haven't seen any around here(beaver county). Look for hickory,elm,hard maple,hopbornbeam,white oak,n black locust. All are very abundant and the best species around for a novice

Thanks for the info but some questions:
1. What are PA laws governing carrying a hatchet / saw to the forest (if you know) because the woods i go to are pretty close to a school
2. Can I tell what trees they are this time of year?
3. How should I seal them and how long should I let them season for
sorry bout all the questions, I'm super beginner

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, I hate that which is why I long string tiller to 10 inches which is just a little more than it takes to string it with the long string. There I check with weight and when I get good movement and target weight +5 lbs I string it. Check my buildalongs. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[blackhawk]

#1.  Check your local laws concerning this,and make sure you have permission to cut from the property your on

#2. It can be tough this time of year to id trees if you are not already knowledgeable in such things,but do some searches on the trees barks I listed. Shagbark hickory,hophornbeam,black locust,and white oak should be easy enough for you to id from bark alone.

#3. That's a whole nother topic and discussion. First find one to harvest,then ask.

[crooketarrow]

  TREE OF HEAVENS to solf and brittle.

[druid]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28922.0.html

[Bitterguy]

Well I decided on a red oak board (i don't want to chop down a tree and then break the staves) I want to try a 66" r/d bow with 45# & 28"

[k-hat]

If you're going to the wood store, may as well get a hickory board     You're design may be a little much for RO imo. (not knocking RO, love it and made several bows from it:)

[PEARL DRUMS]

My advice is to stay far away from R/D bows until you get a straight bow built that shoots. I dont like red oak and never have. The most common broken bow on any site is red oak. Sure its classified as "beginner" wood for whatever poor reason and that may play a role in the breaks, but I have seen plenty of seasoned builders have plenty of red oak bows break. Get some hickory and build a shootable bow with it, even with common beginner mistakes it will make a bow. Red oak wont allow any tiller mistakes or any grain violations.

[nlester]

My advice is to stay far away from R/D bows until you get a straight bow built that shoots. I dont like red oak and never have. The most common broken bow on any site is red oak. Sure its classified as "beginner" wood for whatever poor reason and that may play a role in the breaks, but I have seen plenty of seasoned builders have plenty of red oak bows break. Get some hickory and build a shootable bow with it, even with common beginner mistakes it will make a bow. Red oak wont allow any tiller mistakes or any grain violations.

What he said

[Bitterguy]

My advice is to stay far away from R/D bows until you get a straight bow built that shoots. I dont like red oak and never have. The most common broken bow on any site is red oak. Sure its classified as "beginner" wood for whatever poor reason and that may play a role in the breaks, but I have seen plenty of seasoned builders have plenty of red oak bows break. Get some hickory and build a shootable bow with it, even with common beginner mistakes it will make a bow. Red oak wont allow any tiller mistakes or any grain violations.

I heard that hickory is really hard to work with hand tools. The lumber yard I'm looking at also has : ash, white oak, walnut, hard and soft maple.

[George Tsoukalas]

Hickory will take to hand tools just fine. Choose straight grained red oak and it will make you a fine bow. But good grain is important in any board. More on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Ifrit617]

i agree with all that had been said but DO NOT try a r/d bow with red oak....especially since you have not even successfully completed a straight stave bow first. Finish one of those first. Red oak tends to chrysal easily and is not a good choice for a r/d design which are tricky to tiller.  Good luck.

Jon

P.S. use Jawge's build along.... The are very good.

[bubby]

if you can get a good white oak board flat sawn or quartersawn thats a good wood to start on, it's tough as nails to break and shoots good, and tree of heaven makes a good bow, Tim Baker rates it a boarderline wood with an s.g. of 50, it's invasive and people want to get rid of it, Bub