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Requesting Help with First Bow
CharrDad:
Thanks so much. Great Advice. I'll check out Jawge's site too.
yeah, one of my biggest challenges will be to go slow. I can be impatient at times (just ask my wife).
Lost Arra, thanks for including the pics. They are great looking bows. Hopefully i get started in the next few days. I'll start posting pictures as I go. I'm sure I'll have some more questions.
tom sawyer:
The difference in performance isn't going to be great. Just the cost of the weight of the fabric you are backing with, and the glue. If Jawge or Ferret recommend backing, I wouldn't hesitate. Letting the lad decorate his own bow is an excellent suggestion, it will let him feel like it he helped make it.
Focus hard on getting a board with the right grain, backing or no. This is the primary reason why people's bows fail, they aren't picky enough about their board. I've found about one in fifty red oak boards at your local lumber store like Lowes, might make the cut as a bow blank. Hickory/pecan would probably be better, although you still have to find that one good board.
George Tsoukalas:
Great advice above and thank you, Pat. Board bows can be powerful and hard hitting. I like to tell newcomers to back bows. Linen, silk and burlap work. I suggest a bend in the handle design for your first. Stuff on my site.Jawge
CharrDad:
Great, and thanks Jawge for your including the link to your site. I'll review it today at lunch. Looks like all my ducks are starting to get in a row. Sounds like everyone agrees that the main hurdle to cross first is finding that "right" board. Which in my case means "a couple" of boards, since I want to include my son and also have a spare on hand. Is there any advantage in looking for a wider board, say 1x8? Are wider boards with good grain typically easier to finid or harder?
CharrDad
Pat B:
If you shop at a specialty lumber shop you will have a better choice of wood types and grain orientation. At Lowes, Home Depot and other chain stores you will be limited to what they have.
Most specialty lumber shops have larger size wood and usually rough sawn. Take a scraper of pocket knife with you so you can do a little scraping on the ends and sides to see the grain.
If you are limited to the Mega stores, be picky. Look through the 36" stock also. We will talk you through a handle splice. ;) Pat
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