Red oak board bow

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01-12-2009, 01:40 PM

#21

burniegoeasily

Dominant Buck

Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity

Posts: 26,274

RE: Red oak board bow

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Kanga

Kent.

Would leaving the Belly and Back curved from the center line out to the edge make the red Oak a little more stable??????????????

It's just a thought.

with a self bow, that would be a ELB design and that is the reason the belly and back are trapped. Some woods like a back trapped, some a belly traped, and some like to be flat. Ipe is a wood that does great with a trapped back, but flat belly. It holds reflex and deflex better that way. Osage is the same, when you back it with boo. Or in my experience. Oak does good with a trapped belly and back with a light backing. The trapping makes the bow a little more snappy. But nothing cures the set. The only cure ive found for set with the oaks is to induce a butt load of reflex. I built a whiteoak self bow one time and induced 7" of reflex along the limbs. After I was done, I had 1" of set. Thats 8" of follow. Not good. Ive had some red oak designs that I was able to hold decent reflex, when using Perry's reflex. The best I got was 1.5" of reflex when done. I induced 6 inches to start.

01-12-2009, 01:50 PM

#22

bigcountry

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RE: Red oak board bow

Quote:

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

Quote:

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

Quote:

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Rangeball

Thanks, but I was thinking the classic pyramid, where you taper straight to the tips (maybe 10" from the tips leave the tips the same width) from the widest point of the limbs, that gives a more circular tiller than the eliptical tiller of the modified pyramid. This would also allow me to tiller from the sides and leave the thickness the same the length of the limbs, to a point.

Based on this specific design I was wondering if 2" was enough to start.

If that is the case, I would start with 2" or more. Oak is not all that dense and does not like thin designs much.

When you say, "does not like", do you mean it will be sluggish, or might break easy? I thoght the safe route was wide and thin with any wood that is second string?

Red oak is going to be sluggish regardless. OR from my experience. As far as "like", I mean break. A general idea with woods is, the denser they are, the thinner you can go. Oak is not real dense and will do better with wider designs.

Oh, I am sorry, when you meant thin, you meant skinny like your IPE. Not thin, like wide and thin? I get it.

01-12-2009, 02:08 PM

#23

burniegoeasily

Dominant Buck

Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity

Posts: 26,274

RE: Red oak board bow

Quote:

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

Quote:

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

Quote:

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

Quote:

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

Quote:

If that is the case, I would start with 2" or more. Oak is not all that dense and does not like thin designs much.

When you say, "does not like", do you mean it will be sluggish, or might break easy? I thoght the safe route was wide and thin with any wood that is second string?

Oh, I am sorry, when you meant thin, you meant skinny like your IPE. Not thin, like wide and thin? I get it.

I guess i could be a little more specific. Sorry.

01-12-2009, 02:45 PM

#24

Rangeball

Nontypical Buck

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Join Date: Feb 2003

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Posts: 2,994

RE: Red oak board bow

Thanks.

Spare time is rare these days, but I will keep my eyes out for a good board, just in case.

01-12-2009, 03:32 PM

#25

burniegoeasily

Dominant Buck

Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity

Posts: 26,274

RE: Red oak board bow

Keep an eye open when youy are at Home depot or Lowes. They sell 2" x .75" x 72" oak board for around 5 bucks. Just find the ones with straight grain and deep color and dark grain. I have not used red oak in a loooonnnnggg time, but I still see the board there. When I was learing, I used lots of red oak to help me get down the tillering. You can usually find one or two good boards out of the bundle. Good luck.