Ash/Bamboo or Walnut/Bamboo

[bd2cool]

HI,

Has any one tried ash or walnut with Bamboo backing?

Thanks

[DanaM]

No experience with boo but I think bamboo would overpower ash don't have a clue on walnut.

[snedeker]

A bit too strong in tension for walnut too I think, which is lighter than ash

Dave

[adb]

Hi,

I've had good results with maple backed walnut, but not bamboo. Ipe (brazilian walnut), however, is excellent with bamboo backing.

[Justin Snyder]

Try hickory.  Justin

[bd2cool]

Thanks,

I have two hickory/bamboo  and they both shoot great.
I didn't want to waste any bamboo on wood  that couldn't take it.

[Hillbilly]

The walnut backed with the ash would probably be a good combo, too.

[comix]

I build an walnut (american walnut) with boo backing recently... worked fine for me.
Keep the limbs a little wider perhapes and the backing as thin as you can get it.

[Pat B]

You can always use a trapezoidal cross section. That way your belly is wider than the back and the compression stresses are spread out more on the wider belly.    Pat

[M-P]

Hi, I built one bamboo backed ash bow several years ago.  I used 1 3/4 in wide lumber yard ash and strips from a narrow bamboo pole.  I split the pole and flattened each strip, then laid them parallel as baking.  The strips were quite thin,  ( almost like strips from a window blind.)  I got a shootable bow ~ 40# but ~ 1 3/4 inches of string follow.  My feeling has always been that even that thin bamboo backing over powered the ash.  Of course it could be that I'm just not talented a bowyer.              Ron

[medicinewheel]

hi!  -  i have seen a fewl ash bows w/boo backing. all had followed these string A LOT. if you use boo on black walnut it might work with the bamboo thinned as much as possible if you make them long and wide enough AND working VERY carfully. but i would not think it's a first-class combo!
frank