Red Oak?

[David Ewing]

I bought a couple of good Red Oak boards at Home Depot a few days ago. I want to make one into a bow for my uncle.
My question is... How long, and what design should this bow be? His draw length is 32". I don't have anything to back it with, other than fiber glass tape. (I know, I know. It isn't primitive) What should I do? I've heard Red Oak likes to be wide.. Like 2" wide. I was thinking staying at 2" wide until 12" or so from the tips, then taper to 1/2 at the tips.

Whatcha think?

Thanks!

[Jim Davis]

Design is doable. I'd start with 2-1/4 or even 2-1/2 inches wide, and Loooooong--maybe 76".  (Which basketball team did your uncle play for:)

[bubby]

I would go 2" wide at the fades and straight taper to half inch tips 72" long, 4" grip with 2" long fades, even belly taper to start 7/16" thick

[bradsmith2010]

sounds like a draw from a compound, are you sure about the draw,,??
any flat bow design will work if you design it to fit the draw,,
I would recommend backing it,,
66 inch for 28 inch draw
68 for 29
70 for 30
72 for 31
74 for 32

these are just rough starting points for the length of bow,, and a bit overbuilt
but in my experience,, when you give a bow to someone, best to overbuild it to make sure it never breaks
ok to experiment on how short you can go on your own bows
that being said, I would not make a long non working handle, if it was me, I would have it bend slightly in the handle and keep it simple,, like a Native American war bow,, or "D" bow,,

you have lots of options ,, that is just what I would build,,

[bubby]

www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php
Might be a compound draw and he might just yank it back that far

[David Ewing]

Yeah, that is with a compound. I'll see exactly what itnis, and go from there. Thanks guys!

[David Ewing]

Could I make a bendy handle bow work for this? I could keep it shorter, and still get to the draw length.... Right? If I do go that route, how wide should it be, and should the handle be 3/4 thick (how thick the board is now), or should I bring it down also?

What about a "slightly" bendy handle? Where I leave 4" in the middle to stay somewhat stiff, but it still bends...?
What should I do?

[bubby]

David how many bows have you built?

[bradsmith2010]

start making the bow

[Red Tailed Hawk]

Make sure your boards don't have any grain runoff or very little. I have had failures with red oak boards with grain runoff.

[David Ewing]

David how many bows have you built?

One... lol

Brad, I will... soon.

RTH, I know one board has none, the other night have some, but it isn't bad.... I also had one break, but that was my fault.

[David Ewing]

Correction... His draw is 31, with a compound.

I keep second guessing myself with this, and I just need to do it.... I have another one if I screw it up. Maybe I'll get to it this weekend.

Thanks for the help guys!

[hedgeapple]

There's going to be several who will disagree with a lot I'm about to say.  But, I'm going to put this out there, anyway.  First a question or 3.  This will be your 2nd bow, correct? Was your first bow a red oak board bow?  Was it a stiff handle bow? If the answer to these questions is "yes," I'd say stay with what you've been successful with.

Remember you can't glue on a handle/riser and make a bendy handle bow.  The handle will pop off.  So the thickest you can make the handle is 3/4".  Red oak likes wider limbs. You might be able to get away with 1 3/4" bendy handle, but even then it would probably take set even when build by fairly experience bowyer. A 2 to 2 1/2" wide handle without fades would be uncomfortable to shoot and the arrow would have to be spine perfectly to shoot around that much wood.

If I were dead set on building a bendy handle, red oak board bow, (this is just theory, as I've never attempted it) I would do a modock or paddle bow style.  That would be 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" wide handle with 3" long fades and limbs 2 1/4" to 3" wide.  But, the grain through the handle and fades would have to be perfect.  And, I think the 3/4" thickness would still be a challenge to get weight above 40# without shortening the bow so much that it would take a lot of set.  It would be a balancing act. 

There are probably a 100 or more bowyers on here who could make the bow in the above paragraph. I'd give my possibilities at 50/50.  In theory, it's doable.

[David Ewing]

I'm not set on a bendy handle, I was just thinking about it...

My first bow was Hickory, and I really didn't make it... I  bought it in a kit. All I really did was tiller the thing. But yeah, it was a stiff handle.

I blew up a Red Oak bow that I was trying to make, but that was my fault. I didn't get the tiller right before drawing farther, and one limbs came apart. It was too short also.

[bubby]

I still say build it as i suggested it's not that long and a pyramid design is fairly forgiving