Thanks guys. I just hope I am helping out.


Why did I pick this combo?

Its all I hadthat wouldwork fora bi-lam. Cherry is not the easiest wood to make a bow with. Actually one of the more touchy woods. White oak is almost unbreakable, when it comes to bow woods. I had a white oak board that had some real straight grain, so I ripped it into backing strips. White oak can handle loads of tension so I chose it for the back. Only trade off with using white oak is, its not the snappiest wood and will take lots of set. I keep this lam light because of this reason. I'm not too worried about cherry over powering it.. The cherry was just laying around and the only thing I had close to a belly wood. Cherry can handle compression, but not tension. Not the best, but it will handle it. It makes a great laminate wood. Its real springy and light. But when its not under multi layers, it will compromise easily so you have to be real careful tillering it. If you get a hinge, its pretty much over. Well, a hinge can be fixed, but you will lose a lot of weight tillering to the hinge. I wanted to use some black walnut, but the only piece I have is horrible. I've been digging through my wood bens, down at another shop I have, and I'm getting real low on bow woods. I'm waiting on an order of ipe, and I might have found some osage. This after noon I'm going to be digging for lam woods and start ripping lams. Once I get off this board bow kick, I'm going to be making some R/D glasslam bows and some tri-lam bows.[/align]

Kent, you ought to see the osage stave I got yesterday. Its straight as an arrow, 1/4" rings, almost no earlywood. And 72" long. And I got it on ebay for 42 dollars.

Thanks for the explanation. I never head of using white oak. So its good on tension as hickory or boo?

White oak can handle more tension than hickory. But hickory has less set and is a more snappy wood. Hickory is a more desireable than white oak. Bamboo will handle less tension than either, but has such a great energy return. It makes bows real snappy where as hickory or white oak does betteratprotectingthe belly. Bamboo also has perfect fibers since it is a grass and not a wood.

Wish I had ya'll's spare time! I can't even get caught up on strings! I was hoping to get back to TN this summer and work on another bow (I need adult supervision, besides not having any tools) but that probably won't happen. The good news is it's because I'm headed to FL for a day of bowfishing for stingrays with my son, then two weeks later off to chase elk in CO. Still, want to work on another selfbow or three, maybe get to a point where I can do it by myself.

Too many "wants", not nearly enough time or money........

Chad

Spare time, who has that. Im hording in on my family time. lol. I actually work a little each night. Cut out, grind and glue up, then the next day spend a little time and slowly tiller over a few days. If I have a weekend, ill spend much more time. I try not to spend to much time at once on any bow, because ive made my biggest mistakes by trying to rush a bow. Ive been making and selling these wood bows to get money for more wood. Im almost wood void.

Now I wish I was going bow fishing for rays. I didnt even get a chance to shoot carp or gar this last spring. Heck, I havent even pulled out a fishing bow in over three years. Man, I need some free time.

Kent.

I found a couple more stands of bamboo this morning so when you head over this way we can take a drive out there and snag some

I wish I had your time to go bow fishing and elk hunting

I will trade ya?

Lol--the bowfishing trip is for my son--been promising him we'd do it for a year or two--just hadn't been able to find someone I could get out with. Got news today that we may have to swap out the bowfishing for a pig hunt--either one works for us! It's mainly a chance for us to do a father/son trip.

Had three opportunities for elk fall through on my last year, when a dear friend got in really bad shape from cancer. Actually one trip fell through on it's own (fellow I was going to go with had problems), then I had to cancel the next because Earl was in such bad shape, then had to turn down a third offer after Earl passed away because I had too much lost time to make up for. This one hasn't happened yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I really don't have the time or money for it, but we (my wife and I) will figure it out as we go--I can cut back on a luxury here and there (who needs food and electricity anyway? lol). My philosophy is this: if I live to be an old man, I want to drive the grandkids nuts talking about what I've done, not what I WISH I'd done! So much for their inheritance.........[8D]

Chad

I hear that. I also keep pushing off the elk trip. I got drew for Muzzleloader this year, but none of my buddies did.

I have been pig hunting with a compound, but not with a longbow. And ironic thing is, I started longbow hunting due to the want to pig hunt with it.

Good luck on that.


I ought to try to stingray/skate bowfish here in MD. You see em everywhere in the bay.