Backing for board bow?

[Venoy]

I went by the lumber yard yesterday. There was some beautiful red oak 1"X3"X10 ft boards. I looked through the boards and found 3 that are cut right to make board bows. However, they will need to be backed. I am not very good with sinew. Is the next best backing hickory? I would like something that can be picked up locally instead of ordering hickory. What do you suggest?

[Venoy]

I have a follow up question. I have seen advertisements for wood bows backed with fiberglass. Usually self bows shoot between 135 to 165 ft/sec. How much would fiberglass backing increase arrow speed?

[lcoast]

Venoy, backing like hickory usually will improve the performance of the bow. Some backing like silk, or linen or rawhide is usually to protect the back and help any problems with splinters lifting. I have one I backed with a leopard print material from a womans blouse, looks good and is camo'ed.

=keith=

[Venoy]

Icoast,
Was the fabric silk, linen or some other fabric.

I have used hot water to straighten bent or twisited osage orange for bows. I was thinking of using hot water to bend one board bow into a self recurve bow. Have you made any self recurve bows? If so, how did they do? Are they worth the extra effort?

[lcoast]

Venoy, I think the material is polyester. The pattern is awesome, looks like the real thing.

The only recurve I have made is by gluing a static tip to the back side of the limb tip and shaping it.

I think steam would work better but have heard of guys using boiling water. I had an osage bow that a buddy made with recurves that were put in using steam heat. It was an awfully nice shooter and very fast.

Fellow on another forum who specializes in recurved self bow made one a while back that chronoe'd in the 190's.

If you subscribe to Primitive Archer you should check out their forum. Some of the finest self-bow builders in the world hanging out there.

http://residents.bowhunting.net/stic...g/static1.html

http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarchery...ow.msnw?Page=1


=keith=