Bamboo backed Ash - Yes or NO ???

[barebo]

Hi to all, this is my first post here, but have been on the site for a while now. i've made some decent selfbows, and have a nice ash stave that I'd like to back with bamboo. I posted on another site, and it was suggested that the bamboo would overpower the ash, and cause it to fret. Seems like I've seen bamboo backed ash bows on here. It's white ash with fairly thick growth rings. Any and all input would be much appreciated !!! Thanks, Mark

[Easternarcher]

Hickory might work better and not crush the ash. Keep it thin.....

[Pat B]

Mark, I'm sure ash and boo can be made into a bow but ash isn't the best candidate for the job. A more compression strong wood, like osage, ipe, yew or others would be best. If this will be your first boo backed bow, try a more appropriate belly wood. If you are adventurous and can handle the outcome, no matter what, go for it and let us know how it worked.  

[Del the cat]

I'm with Pat B on this, I'd consider Ash more of a backing wood than a belly wood, it could be a waste of good bamboo!
Just my guess...
Del

[Ryano]

Ash is already a great deal stronger in tension than compression. In another words ash with fret it's self with out a backing at all if your not careful. There are much better choices out there than ash for the bellly of a laminated bow. I've made successful one's with black locust belly's, hop hornbeam, and maple. Then of course there's always osage or ipe.

[kerbinator]

I made a Boo backed Eastern Red cedar. It freted the belly so I put an Ash belly lam on it and it freted through that too. The bow still shoots great but if it was not for the bamboo it wouldn't be a bow. That was the only laminated bow I ever done. That boo is tough stuff. I would like to do another one. Marlin

[Pat B]

An ash backed ash bow is an option. If you cut the ash backing from the same board flip it so the ends are opposite.

[M-P]

Hi ,   I've made one bamboo backed ash and the bow did take more set than I wanted.  I've since made other bamboo backed bows and I think it's possible for bamboo to over power almost any belly wood if you're not careful.  I also think you can safely back ash, ERC etc and get a good result.  Just remember that bamboo tends to be very strong in tension.  Most of that stength lays in the fibers just under the surface of the bamboo and somehow got the name of 'power fibers".  Make the bamboo backing as thin as possible and then then trap the back of the bow.  For a low sp grav belly wood you may want only 1/2 of the back to be covered with the bamboo's power fibers.  It has worked for me, though on a limited number of bows so far.     Ron

[adb]

I think ash and bamboo are both excellent backing woods, both strong in tension.

[barebo]

Thanks for all of your input - seems the general concensus is that I should abandon this Ash/Bamboo idea!!! I had a nearly perfect stave all marked out, and wanted to "cheat" a bit , and remove some of the excess material with a bandsaw. I dropped it off at our carpenter shop, and told the guy what I needed done. When I went to pick it up , he had taken the nearly flat crowned back that I had painfully removed the bark from and run it through a jointer -- YIKES!!! Now my perfect back is flat with the rings exposed like a belly.That's why I want/need to back this stave. He said that he needed a flat surface to saw the limb edges, and the "pie" shape of the stave wasn't workable. Should have bit the bullet and spent the time draw knifing it !!! It's such a nice straight grained and clean piece that I'd hate to waste it. So.....is hickory an option???

[Del the cat]

Thanks for all of your input - seems the general concensus is that I should abandon this Ash/Bamboo idea!!! I had a nearly perfect stave all marked out, and wanted to "cheat" a bit , and remove some of the excess material with a bandsaw. I dropped it off at our carpenter shop, and told the guy what I needed done. When I went to pick it up , he had taken the nearly flat crowned back that I had painfully removed the bark from and run it through a jointer -- YIKES!!! Now my perfect back is flat with the rings exposed like a belly.That's why I want/need to back this stave. He said that he needed a flat surface to saw the limb edges, and the "pie" shape of the stave wasn't workable. Should have bit the bullet and spent the time draw knifing it !!! It's such a nice straight grained and clean piece that I'd hate to waste it. So.....is hickory an option???

You'd think a carpenter would have more sense... <slaps furry head with paw> maybe he's the sort of guy who'd saw up a new table so he could fit it in his car?
There's a moral there...never let anyone else loose on a bow you are building.
Del

[medicinewheel]

I've seen one BBash that was 70" long and seemed to be carfully made but had followed the string mercilessly!

[Pat B]

If your stave is still pie shaped you will still have enough to chase a ring on the back. You will get to use your draw knife after all.  

[barebo]

Pat - I wish it were still pie shaped !! i drew lines along the rings on the stave from the tips to about an inch in front of the fades, and had them cut out to save me time and speed up the drying process. By the time I chased down a ring, I'd be painfully thin on the limbs. I'm thinking that a hickory strip might make this stave become a bow. I can't blame the carpenter - he's got no clue about the back of whitewood bows being ready after the bark is removed. He was pretty proud of how square and smooth/even his cuts were, and they are !! Oh well - lesson learned. Now that I'm finally "on" here, I'll be posting progress on future bows. Thanks all for the input.

[Pat B]

My Dad used to say..." sometimes the long way around is the shortest way there!"