Red oak board bow
 

Was at home depot last night. Killing time while the wife looked around looking for stuff for a bathroom re-do (just shoot me now...:().

Got to looking at the red oak 1x2x8. $.98!! They have lots of them, problem is I suck at reading grain and picking out the right one. If the side grain shows parallel lines, I can read them, only problem is they all run off the edge before they get to adequate bow length. Some run parallel, then the grain lines just kind of disappear. No idea what this means.

Any tips for picking a quality board? Would like to try a 70" pyramid and get up to 50# with it.

They also have maple 1x2s for $.89. It would need backed, right?

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Never tried one, but notice a bunch of guys have on Primitive archer forum. I think red oak, you can't violate the grain near as much as hickory. Hickory, I have seen you can and grain doens't mean near as much. I myself wouldn't buy it if I couldn't read the side grain. Its just too much work tillering to have it break on the tiller stick.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Great way to learn how to make a flat bow and learn how to tiller without spending a fortune. Simply look for the boards with darker piths and grain that runs all the way down the board. Piths are the heart wood lines. If they are light in color, dont get it. The lighter the color, the less dense it is. You want the densest boards you can find. A good indication is by the dark grain and deeper red. Id suggest backing with drywall tape, silk, or linen. Selfbows require a pretty good eye when tillering.Backing will give yousome protection agianst grain violations and will give you some leeway with your tillering.

Red oak is a real easy wood to work with. Don't make the best bows, lots of set and follow, and are pretty sluggish, but are great to learn with.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Oh yea, if you are trying to get 50 lbs with a pyramide style, 70" would be fine. You should have no problem. You might get a few boards. The heavier the weight, the better you have to be at tillering.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

You split any of that osage yet Kent? If we have to we can make a mad dash to Okieland this summer and cut some more!

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Ive got a trailer, ill be more than happy to clean out some of your boadark.


I split the ones you brought to the cabin, and sealed them as soon as I got home. They look real good. The others you brought the first time were seasoned already. I figured the moister and they were ready to go.Ive split and started debarking one to see if I can work around the ant holes. Ive got two bows going right now, (Brazilian walnut and bamboo and Brazilian walnut, white oak and snake skin) but once i get them done, I am going to see if i can get a self bow out of one of the logs you brought the first time. If not, i can cut them into slats or make a few lams. At the very minimum, Ill be able to get some wood for risers, grips, or tips. I will never trun down Osage. I love Osage, it is by far one of my favorite woods to work with. It can be a pain, but it makes up for it by making such good bows.

By the way, you need to forget that three D shoot and come ruin some brain cells next weekend.;)

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Kent.

Don't forget this is Rowel;)

He don't have any brain cells to ruin:D

RE: Red oak board bow
 

I have to go help clean up the poor run down range tomarrow.If the man with key to building with targets gives me(range master) any gaff you stand good chance of seeing me verses me getting up at crack of dawn to fight off snakes in shed to get to targets! After my first full work week in 2 months I have had about a nose full of reluctant people and ready to burn last brain cell!;)I have enough vacation to use we can go up this summer after school lets out and cut/haul wood!

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Burnie, thanks for all the input. That's what I was looking for, just not finding. I guess a quality board is rare for $.98... I'll keep my eyes out.

With a pyramid, do you think 2" is enough width, assuming I go 70"? How short could I go with 2" width and still get 40-50#s? I just pulled the 70" out of my a... I mean the air based on the 2" width.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

2" is quite wide, but would ensure you a safe bow. Definately overbuilt. I know guys building red oak 1.5" at fades pyamid 60lb bows at 65". But these are not board bows but stave bows.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

I agree.

2" would give you plenty of wood to work with. 65" length with a 50lb @ 28" is very obtainable, just have to watch your tiller and not go any faster than the wood tells you. You might not want to start with a shorter bow. Id suggest using the full 70" and make a bow 69-68" ntn. I’d still suggest backing with something needless of grain.. A good start design thatwill give you a good starting pointwould be;

Start with a 1 1/2 - 1 3/4" width.
6-8" static grip (this way you will have plenty of limb)
2" fades
Go 12-16" off fadethen tapperto 1/2" tips.

Just a basic idea that will give you something to learn from.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

You been reading vol 4 haven't you? I am just not at the point yet in my bowbuilding experience to start tillering from a mass perspective.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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?

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Actually I think it was volume III (library didn't have IV then, I need to check again), and a bunch of time spent at the paleo world forum :)

The tiller from the sides aspect of the Pyramid bow design intrigues me. I can imagine doing it with a joiner. I also really like the look of the pyramid bows, especially the narrow starting ones, not so much the really wide ones. I may even let it bend in the handle a bit, depending on how it feels.

All of this is in the conceptual stage right now, and I figure if I don't try it, I'll never know. I simply don't currently have the free time to build stave bows, maybe someday, and until I get the true pyramid out of my system, I won't be able to move onto belly elliptical tillering board bows.

If it works, I had even thought of backing it with thin glass, assuming I can find some thin enough that won't overpower the compression strength of the red oak, which if I remember correctly is pretty good, more so than it's tension strength.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Side tillering is supposally much more sensitive than belly tillering. I myself would start off with belly tillering. Much more room for error. Let us know how it works out. If you have a bandsaw, only thing extra you have to do compared to board is cut it out.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

I would get belly tillering down first. Your notion of a jointer is great, until you tiller. When you start tillering, you will find the slightest removal of wood, will make a huge difference. You will rock along taking big curls off, then all of the sudden a hinge will show up. Side tillering is kind of hard to learn. Not too hard after you have belly tiller down but you have to watch for limb twist more so than with belly tillering. That is why I suggested a flat design. True pyramids are kind of hard to tiller, if you have not spent much time belly tillering. Or in my oppinion. Ive done a few pyramid and paddle designs. Both designs are side tiller designs.

As for using glass. dont worry about over powering the belly. You can get by with all kinds of stuff when you put it under glass. Also, glass the back before you ever start tillering. You dont need to buy prepregnated glass, just use two part, clear epoxy and glass cloth. It will be perfectly clear after it cures.

But you are right, if that is what you want to do, go for it. You never learn until you try.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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

RE: Red oak board bow
 

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

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.

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.

RE: Red oak board bow
 

Thanks for all the input Bernie :) Hopefully I'll find a board and get at this soon.