Plans for next bow

[david w.]

Mullet sent me a beautiful mulbery stave but i have barely any experience and that is our of my realm of knowledge at the time. I considered buying a osage board or something like that but dont have much money to spend. My dad said he would chip in but i dont want to make him spend much.

I am going to call around and see if anyone carries hardwoods. I'll probably wind up buying red oak. 

I will probably get a 1 by 3 by 6. My last bow was 1 by 2 by 6 and took much set. I thought wider limbs would help that.   What design should i make this? Pyramid  is what i was thinkin'.  Isn't that just a bow with wide fades tapering all the way down to the nocks? It seems like a good design
I will back it with linen.

what do you think?

[Eric Garza]

I think that there's nothing wrong with red oak boards, especially when you're on a budget.  You can get a nice bow if you start with a decently cut board, and for the price you can't beat it.  I made the mistake of investing in a few hickory staves to start with, and after screwing up all three I ended up with $150 less cash than I started with and no usable bow.  Another option might be to try and harvest some wood locally, but I don't know how easy that is for you.

In my experience a red oak board will give you a fine bow, and linen backing it will help it hold up even if the board wasn't sawn perfectly with the grain.  Making the limbs wider, say 2-1/2 inches or so, wouldn't hurt, although if you want to take a crack at a pyramid-style bow I'm sure that would work too.  If you're worried about string follow, I'd reflext the limbs just a bit near the handle.  You'll probably get some string follow no matter what, but a little doesn't hurt anything.  The 1-3/4 inch wide ash flat bow I'm hunting with this year ended up with about an inch of string follow, and still tosses arrows with authority!

Best of luck!

-Eric

[david w.]

I have access to cut wood just havent found good enough stuff yet

I will go to lowes this weekend to pick out my board

i will post pics of my bow as i build

Happy   Thanksgiving

[Kegan]

A wide-limbed flatbow will take less set than a narrow limbed one, even if it were shorter. moat of my long narrow D bows take a few inches of set (not that they still don't SHOOT), but I made a 5' long hickory flatbow for my brother, using 2" wdie limbs, pulling 73#. It took just as much set as the longer bows, eve though it was shorter. Another idea is to make a long D bow, maybe with a rounded belly- and English style. The rounded belly has alot of strength, and should work well with a linen backing. Also, leaving it long should help reduce the stress. The sky's the limit.

[Little John]

David, get a copy of the traditional bowyers bible#1. Take your time and work carefully and dont be afraid of the mulberry stave.  Or the oak is a fun project also.   Kenneth

[Sidewinder]

I was referred to a local cabinet maker that has access to all sorts of wood and was able to purchase 2 1x2x72" hickory boards cut with the grain paralell to the length for $4 each. Ya can't beat that. Go into the yellow pages and look up wood or wood working and go from there. I bet you find a similar source in your area.  Danny

[George Tsoukalas]

There's board info on my site. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

[koan]

There was an article bout paddle bows in P.A., dont remember which issue. Have not tried it yet but says its great for lesser quality wood....Brian

[Pat B]

David, I have a black walnut board(3/4"x2"x68"(?) that you are welcome to. I also have a hickory backing strip you can have. If you give me the dimensions of the bow you want to build, I will cut it out for you. You can do the glue up and tiller yourself.      Pat

   

[Tom B]

That is very nice of you Pat.But why not start a bow with the mulberry. David, I encourage you to start a bow with what you have.We will be here when you need us.tom the reader.

[Pat B]

I agree with Tom. Use what you have. That is the primitive way anyway!   If you slip up, we got your back!         Pat

ps. the offer is still good if you want it now. 

[jwillis]

You should also be able to find some osage and hickory logs where you live in SW Illinois?  Jim