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Walnut, advice and opinions?

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swotavator:
Hey all, this will be a third bow for my.  I got some nice boards of walnut, which i assume are kiln-dried.
I want to make a low-medium weight ELB, thinking 70-90 lbs.  I have read lots on how walnut is marginal, so i want to make sure i do this right.  I know it needs to be backed (poor in tension) and that walnut tends to fail under compression at weights higher than 50-60 (or so i have read).

Here is what i think i need:

first, I am relatively tall (6'2") so i was thinking of making this pretty long 78-79"?  The board is longer, so i can go up to 82, but that is probably ridiculous.
second, relatively wide and flat? 
third, backing?  I have hickory (3/8") readily available.  I assume i would have to thin and round it so that it was around 1/8 to 3/16.  Will it overpower the walnut at the weight/length i am thinking?  I have heard maple and ash are better.  would big box maple lumber work?  otherwise, i can go back to get a hard maple or ash board.

I also have a hickory stave.  would hickory backed hickory be a better combo?  could i fill with walnut to make a tri-lam?
should i just give up with the walnut and find ipe?  do flooring places sell longer than 72"?

if walnut, what kind of depth, widht?  i was thinking 1.4" wide with a depth (walnut only) of .75, tapering from there.

Thanks!1

adb:
Ipe will make a better warbow than American walnut, especially if you want a narrow, stacked profile. I've tried making a tri-lam with walnut as the belly wood, and it chrysalled badly. However, walnut makes a great mid-lam.
If you have a hickory stave, and it's long enough, chase a ring and away you go.

swotavator:
the hickory is a 1" thick board.  though it is very straight grained, i don't think it is straight enough to get a bow out of it, alone.  could i put the walnut between a hickory back and hickory belly?
or should i go out and buy ash, maple, or ipe?

fishfinder401:
as a center lam between hickory back and belly it should work, but there are better combinations
noel

adb:
Personally, I think hickory sucks as a belly wood, but makes the best backing there is.

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