white oak elb?

[blackpanem]

would white oak work for an english long bow?

[Ifrit617]

I made a 40 pound one out of red oak... just over an inch wide at the handle straight tapering to 1/2 inch tips... Took about 1.75 inches of set though... a tad much for my personal preferences... A wider bow would be be better for white oak. It would work but probably not the best choice for a narrow bow... JMO..

Jon

[Bryce]

White oak takes a bit of set. I've learned to only make recurves out of it to compensate. But I'm no expert on any type of bow or wood for that matter. All you can do is try and test the limits of the material. I'm sure you could make one but who knows how it will compare.
I say do it. Yah never know till you try. And let us know how it shoots.
Have you Google searched it or even on this forum?

[bubby]

i've had good luck with white oak boards taking little to no set, build one and find out, as tough as it is at least it prolly won't break , Bub

[Weylin]

I don't think anything really "likes" to be an ELB there are just a few woods (yew, osage, etc.) that tolerate the narrow profile of an ELB. My advice would be to build a flatter bellied design with the oak. The ELB design just doesn't play to oak's strengths very well. I'm sure you could make one out of oak but it will take more set than if you had a wider flatter belly.

[mikekeswick]

I don't think anything really "likes" to be an ELB there are just a few woods (yew, osage, etc.) that tolerate the narrow profile of an ELB. My advice would be to build a flatter bellied design with the oak. The ELB design just doesn't play to oak's strengths very well. I'm sure you could make one out of oak but it will take more set than if you had a wider flatter belly.

How about ipe, greeheart, pau amerillo, lemonwood, spindle, hornbeam .....there are plenty of woods that like to be elb's but I agree that white oak or any oak imho are not in the list!
If you do decide to use oak make sure the belly is flat and the back trapped.

[blackpanem]

ok thanks everybody!