Lots of questions about bows,wood and well just please help me!

[Kenny H]

 Hello to everyone. I am having a really hard time being able to make a bow that doesnt blow apart during my process. I have really only tried red oak board bows. Im not sure if i understand the grain of the wood or the rings. I dont even see rings to know what they are. I think i have figured out the tiller a little bit.Maybe not though. HAHA Im not gonna quit though! Everytime they blow i get kinda sick though. haha sorry.So im really not even sure if i am getting the correct boards from lowes.I would like to hope that is the problem and its not me. I have a very long piece of cherry i cut last spring that i would love to try. Not even sure if its a bow wood but if not i still would use it for something. If anyone has any advice on what i need to do i would greatly appreciate it. I had one bow that lasted for awhile but it was so low poundage i could only shoot straw with it. It finally cracked! I also have one other question about bamboo. We have lots of it around here but it doesnt get very big,grows tall but no mass to them. Is this the same bamboo you can put on the back of bows.                  thank you, kenny 

[Shooter_G22]

kenny,
  welcome aboard...   this is the right place to be...   as for the questions you have im sure some of the experts will help out alot...     how are you tillering the bows that have messed up on you???   do you have a tiller stand or tiller tree???

   there is a sight from a guy here taht is named Gorge Tsoukalas...   i think he has a lot of info on making board bows on his sight...  look around at some of the other post and find his link... 

if you go out and get another board and start it up... take pictures of what you got and post them up and ask for he next procedure... you will get several replies with excellant advice and then do that much and re-post pics and then ask what next and then do that...   these guys on here will for sure walk you along and it might take you all of about a week to get it all the way done... takeing baby steps but then you will have one done and would have learned how from some of today's best bowers in the world...  after that it should be a sinch but even some of the best bowers on here will ocasionaly have a bow blow... sooo dont beat your self up if one goes bad...   it happens...  just learn form it and move on to the next one... 

as for rings...   somebody will chim in and show you some pics of what to lok for...

el -dustructo  posted a reply one time with nice pics on what to look for in the rings or grain of wood for a board bow...   that post really gave me a better understanding of what to look for...   maybe he will post up some pics again...

wish i remembered what post it was on or id copy the link on here to give you a heads up....

anyways good luck and glad to have you here...

stay motovated...   once you get one done you will feel soo grate and all the rest will come easy..

at least thats what i hear...

[islandpiper]

First, don't quit. Second, where are you: state and city?  almost anyone in your area will help you figure it out if you take them a big Starbucks and a half dozen fresh donuts.   heck, I would anyway. 

Seriously, you were done breaking bows when you popped in here and started asking questions.   Go get 'em.

piper

[George Tsoukalas]

THanks, shooter. There's pictures on my site of a good board. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[GregB]

Best of luck, and don't give up...you've taken a great step coming here for help.

Jawge's site ought to get you going down the road to success in a hurry...well, take your time.