board woods

[RyanY]

My favorite bow is a maple board bow. I've never tried it but I'm sure you could make a great maple backed cherry or walnut bow. Both would be wicked sweet looking as an elb. If I'm not mistaken I believe that cherry will work well for a belly wood but walnut may give you some fretting problems. Good luck!

[elk country rp]

i really like the way maple/walnut looks & shoots, i think it's a well balanced combo- fairly low mass & good elasticity (in my experience), but i haven't made any that were as fast as the maple/cherry that snapped in two at the handle two months ago after at least 500 arrows. 

[Bentstick81]

  Frode. I have a neighbor that owns a small saw mill. He is all the time cutting diferent types of wood. What is nice is, that he can cut them like 2"x 2" 72" long. I live in Illinois, so i know he cuts oaks, hickory, walnut, hedge(osage), cherry, maples, hackberry, locust, you name it, and if its Illinois, he may have a tree trunk laying around to cut. I told him one time that he should start cutting left overs for riser blocks, limb laminations, and board bows. I think he can cut hickory backings also. I don't know how thin he can make them. He said he would if the demand was there. I don't have any idea what he would charge for something like that, but could maybe find out.

[crooketarrow]

   I've built stave bows from wallnut and cherry.I don't see why these would
n't make makes nice backed bows.

[Frode]

   Indiana osage is some of the best you can find. I would sure put the word out, a lot of farmers are happy to be rid of it. Steve

Badger, you mean plain old hedgeapple (that's what we always called it) is that osage?  I guess I always thought the osage used in bows was something more exotic.  Now that you mention it, I do recall farmers I knew calling it a nuisance.

  Frode. I have a neighbor that owns a small saw mill. He is all the time cutting diferent types of wood. What is nice is, that he can cut them like 2"x 2" 72" long. I live in Illinois, so i know he cuts oaks, hickory, walnut, hedge(osage), cherry, maples, hackberry, locust, you name it, and if its Illinois, he may have a tree trunk laying around to cut. I told him one time that he should start cutting left overs for riser blocks, limb laminations, and board bows. I think he can cut hickory backings also. I don't know how thin he can make them. He said he would if the demand was there. I don't have any idea what he would charge for something like that, but could maybe find out.

Bentstick, interesting!  I know it'll be awhile before I'll be using any volume of things like backings (but who knows with addictions like this one), but that's good to know.  Maybe there are enough bowyers (and noobs like me  ) in our area to make it worthwhile?  Wouldn't hurt to ask.

The more I read here, the more I see that backings can make all kinds of things possible.  So much to try...

Thanks everyone,
Frode

[sailordad]

frode, yup plain ol' hedgeapple thats the stuff,osage
good stuff wish i had access to it
without having to buy or trade for it
now go hit up them farmers in the spring and start making shavings

[half eye]

Frode,
     You know I build mine from "boards" sort-of....I have no heartburn with walnut at all. Haven't hacked into any cherry YET but heres a couple picks of walnut bows...no backing, no heat, and no belly failures. Walnut may not be the Ferrari in the stable but it makes a sound, dependable, hard hitting hunting bow.
half eye

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[George Tsoukalas]

Frode, yup. That's why I was taken aback when you said you were in a wood desert in Indy. LOL. BTW nothing wrong with red oak. It is a very h=good wood. Good in boards. I hate ash. Jawge

[Frode]

frode, yup plain ol' hedgeapple ...
now go hit up them farmers in the spring and start making shavings

Will do, plus it's always a bonus to make something from somebody else's "trash".

Frode,
     You know I build mine from "boards" sort-of....I have no heartburn with walnut at all. Haven't hacked into any cherry YET but heres a couple picks of walnut bows...no backing, no heat, and no belly failures. Walnut may not be the Ferrari in the stable but it makes a sound, dependable, hard hitting hunting bow.
half eye

Very nice, half eye, very nice!  Those mollegabets are really starting to grow on me.
Frode

[rkeltner]

i'm in indy, too, so i can tell you that we have good woods available, but getting them can be tricky! most often i just keep my eyes open for trees downed by storms, being cut down for one reason or another, (construction sites are a good source!) or doing cold knocking on doors. (sir/ma'am, would you be willing to allow me to cut down and clear the mess from that tree in your fence? no, really, i'll do it for free!)