Whats my limit on Oak?

[Stalkingfox]

So I have some gorgeous Oak possibly Red Oak I think, but I like my limbs thinner instead than wide. Im looking at 1 1/2" and was wondering if itll work for a bow thats 55-56" long? Im unfamiliar with Oaks for bows. I know it wouldnt work so well with Hackberry.

[ionicmuffin]

well, heres what ive experienced, if your going to do thinner with oak, you should heat treat the limbs, i can guarantee that the weight will bump significantly, and should avoid set. I think that normally 1.75-2 inches is what oak needs, however, the heat treating will allow you to go thinner and take little set, also flipping tips is a good idea.

[PEARL DRUMS]

It doesnt matter what you like. You build and design according to the wood. If you build just what you like and not what the wood needs, you got a long road ahead of you.......

Flipping tips adds stress to the limbs.

[Stalkingfox]

Exactly what I was asking Pearl. Im not sure what the limits were with oaks and wondered how thin I could get the limbs, Im new to building and designs and mostly learning through hard experience. (mostly because I dont have the resources to teach me otherwise.) another reason why Im here on PA.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I consider hackbery twice the bow wood oak is. So if you feel hackberry wont handle your idea, I doubt oak will.

[Stalkingfox]

Really!?  I really need to find a chart or guide on what bows work with which designs best. I appreciate the input guys!

[ionicmuffin]

theres a lot of truth to what pearl says, i have a hickory bow that is 1.5 at the widest and its taken a lot of set, and its only 38-42 lbs. at 29" it was a bit disappointing, but i think hickory is normally better at 1.75" wide. Something else to consider when making a bow, if the wood is more tension strong, then you dont want to round the belly as much, make it a flat ish belly. and if the wood is a strong compression wood, then you should round the belly. thats probably whats wrong with my hickory, its got quite a rounded belly, and since hickory is stronger in tension that compression then that makes sense that it would take a lot of set. Oaks ive heard are tension strong. so you could trap the back and make it 2" wide at the fades for the belly and 1.75 or 1.5 on the back, this would help keep the wood balanced. i wouldn't round the belly of oak very much at all, a very mild rounding is alright, but very mild.

[bubby]

onemississipp.googlepges.com/bowwoods
this is tim bakers list of non bow wood, borderline wood and tru bow woods

[Ifrit617]

I've made one ELB long bow from oak that was 1 1/8" wide. Interesting enough, it was the only oak bow that I have built that has not chrysaled on me and has shot 1000's of arrows. About 1 3/4" set but it was a target bow to begin with and still shot good so I didn't mind.

Jon

[Pat B]

For a bow that short and 1 1/2" wide I'd go with an Eastern Woodland style bendy handle bow for 28" draw. If your stave was 66" to 68" I think 1 1/2" would work OK but being that short will really put stress on a bow wood that can't take that much stress.

[Stalkingfox]

Any pics on that eastern woodland style Pat? I googled it and didnt catch much. Mostly cud=s Im not sure what Im looking for lol

[Pat B]

I'll see what I can find and post them. 

[KShip85]

Is this wood the stuff I sent?  If so I do think it is a white oak and not a red oak like I originally thought.  Only reason I bring that up is its my understanding that white oak is significantly stronger than red oak.  I believe in on of the bowyer's bibles white oak is said to break at or after the point which hickory will go.  Might vary between subspecies though.  I'm no expert, just regurgitating what I've heard/read.

Kip 

[Dan K]

If you want to know for sure if you have red or white oak, look closely at the rays (small brown streaks in the surface grain.)  Red oak almost always has very short rays and white oak is much longer.  By short I mean around 1/8" to 1/4" and long is more like an inch or greater.  Some of the most beautiful red colored oak I've seen was actually white oak so don't judge by color.

[Dictionary]

The handle is a hair or so under 1 1/2 inches wide and it is pretty much about 1 1/2 at midlimb and tapers slightly as you get to the tips. Thats pretty much eastern woodlands design. Bends in handle and is very durable and functional.  For 56 inches, i wouldnt push oak to achieve 28 in draw though. Maybe shorten the draw to like 25 or 26.