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Light draw weights and red oak boards

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makenzie71:
I'm wanting to make bows in the 40~50lb draw range but they keep breaking off mid-limb.  All of them.  Same general area.  This makes me thing that it's less the wood quality and more my technique.

I'm generally working with 6' 1X2's.  What's the best way to go about bringing the getting in that weight range?  I'm usually shooting for 28~30" draws.

Ifrit617:
I am no expert but do have a fair amount of experience working with oak... I have found that above all grain is key.. Also make sure you round over the back edges on your bows which helps to lessen the cance of failure from runoff. Are you trying to make bend in the handle or stiff handle designs?

Also check out george's site ( in the how to section) and poorfolksbows site since both have a lot of good info...

If your just starting I would leave the board the full 1 1/2 inches for the center 2 or 3 feet then taper to 3/8 inch tips..... You can have a non bending handle or a bendy handle, I have found either works fine... Once you get more experience, you will find that red oak can do a lot... I recently made a red oak elb that pulls forty pounds and was only 1 1/8 inch wide, straight tapering from the handle to 1/2 inch tips.... it is less than 3/4 of an inch wide mid limb...

Hope this helps... Good luck...

Jon

makenzie71:
I usually go for bendy handles and am usually shooting for 60~75lb areas.  Which is what I think is funny about it.  I can whip out a 70lb red oak board bow when most people claim they're only good for the 50~ish area, but I break the limbs when I try to get that low.

I was told once that red oak likes to be thick in the limbs with a narrow width, which is what I've been shooting for, but I'm constantly failing in the same fashion.  It's making me think that wider limbs would be better than thick ones, but I've been told that the wood likes to hinge too easily for this.

I guess the problem i'm really facing is that I want a 45lb bow for casual shooting.  I'm about to just go and buy one...

bronco611:
I have built several red oak board bows which preform excellently. If you go to "trad gang"  forum and look under the bowers bench you will find a thread by Deforrest which is titled" so you want to build a board bow" follow his advice and steps which you can modify slightly to get a lower poundage bow and you should be fine.

George Tsoukalas:
Thanks, Ifrit. Here is my site, Makenzie. I'd let the handle bend..no glued on pieces and you can leave the board 1.5 in wide. You'll get 50-55# at that weight if you do your job. If you rip the board to 1 3/8 you'll get 45-50# o so. Bend in the handle bows are easier to tiller. I think you may be breaking bows because of poor grain. Pictures would help us diagnose the problem.
jawge

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