Laminated flooring to make bows?

[libero95]

Hi, I am new to bowmaking, in fact still trying to get wood to make my first. I live in New Zealand and Seem to be finding it difficult to find decent wood here. The guys I have talked to basically said as we are such a small market worlwide we get what everyone else does not want ( or as he put it " the crap" ). I run across someone on this forum that has said he has seen bows made from horizontally pressed bamboo flooring, Does any one know more about this? Also can I use laminated hardwood flooring like cherry or oak? I would like to be able to make some bows prior to investing in Good Bow wood staves as I suspect I am going to turn alot into expensive firewood otherwise. Any help greatfully accepted.

[aaron]

yeah, i have a bow which has a belly made of laminated bamboo flooring and the back is a "regular" bamboo back. the flooring is all bamboo, with no layers of plywood , veneer, or anything. the individual bamboo pieces within the boards are about the size of pencils only square- these pencils are glued into flooring (laid like bricks).its a 66 inch pyramid bow which is a great shooter and took less than 2 inches of set even after being accidentally strung for 3 days straight once!!! I'll bet you could back it with something else also.

[bhenders]

Another vote for horizontal bamboo flooring.  Made one with belly of the flooring and back of bamboo and another with both back and belly made of flooring.  Both work well.

Next, I'm going to try to use the flooring as the center for a Yumi bow (with a bamboo front and back).  The flooring replaces the real center of the Yumi which is a bunch of bamboo strips glued together to form the core... just like the flooring.  Problem is that the flooring is only 6ft long.  I'm going to have to join two strips together at the handle.

[medicinewheel]

I have bamboo flooring ready to be used as core in a laminated bow; FG bowyers use it over here in Germany.
I wouldn't use it as belly, just as core.
In a Yumi-like composit I would use it as core sandwiched between hardwood stripes.

[kiwijim]

Kia ora Libero,
There are plenty of staves growing in NZ. Where do you live, I may be able to help you find some.

Regards

James

[libero95]

Kia Ora, Kiwi Jim. I am in Christchurch. What wood are you talking, is it native timber. Also do not know if I have the patience to wait for it to season. But would be grateful for any help you can give. I have found another guy who has made some from Ipe wood flooring and decking ( ironwood ). Which I appear to be able to get as well as the bamboo flooring.

[medicinewheel]

Ipé backed with hickory or bamboo will make a fantastic bow!

[kiwijim]

Try BBS timbers in Hornby,
They used to have greenheart lumber along with hardrock maple, purpleheart, black walnut, and ash.
There is plenty of yew, black locust and a few osage trees in CHCH. Talk to an arborist and he may point you in the right direction. When I was last there I saw some beautiful yew staves growing in Burnside park and the botanical gardens. There is moso growing at lincoln uni. I saw a nice osage tree in the american section of the botanical gardens too.

Good Luck
James

[medicinewheel]

...When I was last there I saw some beautiful yew staves growing in Burnside park and the botanical gardens. There is moso growing at lincoln uni. I saw a nice osage tree in the american section of the botanical gardens too.
...

Sounds pretty much like my type of yew harwest... 

[jaqlene]

When I had selected flooring for my house I opted hardwood flooring because hardwood flooring got the finish and beauty that laminates cannot match and laminated tiles suffers the problem of floating over original floor surface with the passing of time. http://www.woodsmithhardwood.ca/hardwood-refinishing-services/