Willow deflex-recurve

[Zion]

Well last time i tried a willow bow i thought: willow is extremely strong in tension but in compression it's crap. So i heat treated both limbs and then went to continue floor tilering it. Evidently that wasn't enough because it chrysaled on every inch of the bow! I don't think it's that great of a bow wood  .

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Whereabouts do you live?  Since i've moved to the perpetually grey-and-moist Boston area the red oak bows i've made have taken more string follow then I expected.  The best solution i've found is to heat treat them.

Thank you for coming up with a possible reason to my problem.
I was told by a bowyer that a slightly crowned belly is not bad for an oak bow, plus I made them in the spring, when I could not shoot them cause of rain. They and all my bow wood are stored in the garage.
and I am NOT blaming the wood for my problem.
The bows were made as follows-
All are 1 1/2 inch wide, slightly crowned belly. They have a rectangular cross section- the back is the milled surface of the board. only 3 rings are exposed, all edges are slightly off parallel to the centerline. They were what appeared to be miracle bow wood when I picked them out. I like red oak, and as a bow wood, IMO, it has no equel for cost and availability.
The bows took a consistant 3 inches of set, 70 inches long, sluggish cast. Sort of like wet hickory.
Also lots of handshock, but when I thinned the tips, it dissapeared. The new one I am working on has the following differences- I am trying to make the belly flat, back with rounded corners.
I do love how this went from a question to a "YOU IDIOT" thread. From now on, I will just skype message some friends.
I just wanted to ask a question, Did not expect this to happen.
I have a good red oak bow- it is about 30 inches long with a 14 inch draw, shoots bamboo skewers:D
I want to scale it up. Would tapering from the handle to the tips instead of the last 15 inches make the bow shoot faster? I also am going to make this bow 45-50 pounds, instead of 35.
I am not going to sign this post, and I greatly regret starting this thread.
Maybe a willow bow.... ERC belly or core.

[Joec123able]

When I first started making bows I had no idea about what wood was better "bow wood " I just grabbed what ever tree I found I remember making a crappy diamond willow bow and it worked for me most people say don't even waste your time but yet they've never even used it . I think you should try the willow do the reflex deflex design make the limbs really wide and make it long

[Weylin]

Before you get bent out of shape, I think that some people were mistaking you for someone else, I know I did when i read this the first two times. There is a young fella that goes by 'squirrelslayer' on here and he has worn some people's patience pretty thin. I think at least some of the snippy responses were written with him in mind and not you. Good luck with your bow. 

[Zion]

Apparently board bows can be just as good as stave bows, and oak is not a bad wood. Don't ask me tho, i don't know smack about boards lol. 

I don't see how trying to make a willow bow is an idiot move at all. Expermintattion is part of bow making, so go for it! You'll learn alot and if it is successful you'll prove the idiots dissing on you wrong.

[Rufledt]

I want to scale it up. Would tapering from the handle to the tips instead of the last 15 inches make the bow shoot faster? I also am going to make this bow 45-50 pounds, instead of 35.

You mean like a pyramid shape?  That is a great idea, along with the flat belly, but if you start with a bow 1.5" wide 45-50# is too much.  I made a 45# pyramid shaped red oak bow that narrows from 2.5" wide near the handle, staying this width for about 6", then tapering to the tips.  This bow was 71" ntn, 45# @ 29", trapped back and ended up taking more set than I wanted.  I had not heat treated this bow.  If you are in a similarly damp environment, you could probably do this same design but heat treated to prevent some set.  I always wondered what would have happened if I heat treated the belly and didn't trap the back as much...

[Bryce]

Before you get bent out of shape, I think that some people were mistaking you for someone else, I know I did when i read this the first two times. There is a young fella that goes by 'squirrelslayer' on here and he has worn some people's patience pretty thin. I think at least some of the snippy responses were written with him in mind and not you. Good luck with your bow. 

That's who I thought it was...

[sleek]

My first bow ever, was made for me by my dad. It was a 35# willow oak bow. I was a teen when he made it, and I dont recal the draw length. I do recall It being a decent caster, and it lasted me many many years. It would still be shooting today if I hadnt mis-behaved....

Anyways, willow oak does just fine, couldnt say about any outher oak...

We do have alot of squirels runnin round here...

[vinemaplebows]

I personaly think making the Willow bow is a great idea, not because it's a great wood, but if you can make a shootable bow of willow(and learn from it) tear it up! I don't think you will find a group of guys waiting to cut that one special....willow tree. I do the same thing with flint knapping.....I have literally tons of almost perfect stone, yet I always (for the most part) reach for the crap, it's a challenge to me, and yep I bust most of it!

Let's have a willow bow contest...that would be interesting...

VMB

[randman]

The first bow I ever made I thought was willow. I'll show them "experts" it can be done. It was a right snappy little 20# bow (still is). Typical noob wieght though. Found out later it was actually Hackberry. 

Some of the natives in the SW and Northern Mexico used willow for deflex tipped bows and fed their families just fine. It's all in the design for the use and conditions

[ionicmuffin]

if you look in the Traditional Bowyers Bible 1 you will find that you can make a bow out of ANY wood, granted you have to make the bow really wide if its weaker and thinner if its stronger. one guy made a 6 inch wide pine bow which i guess shot, so basically if you plan to do this then you need to make the bow really wide, as in 4 inches wide or more. you can make a nice one, just be cautious. and on top of that you would probably need to modify the handle section so that there is a hole in the middle for an arrow pass.(not sure how stable it is)

[TRACY]

Make the willow bow and post your progress. Bows have been made from it before. Someone built one out of tree of heaven last year and changed my way of thinking of bow wood.


Tracy

[Sidewinder]

I thought your initial post was Squirrelslayer as well, so appologies are in order for that. He has shown to be a bit imature and has worn alot of the guys out with his.....how shall I say it....?  foolishness, yes thats it, foolishness.
 As far as willow is concerned, I would imagine that it is possible and the above post that recommends making it wider and longer is  a good idea. I have a different approach to bowmaking, I like to stack the deck in my favor by making sure that the wood I'm working with as a species stands a good chance of making a shooter if I do my part. For me I don't have enough time on my hands to waste it on something that is'nt going to produce results. Others like to try everything and to each his own.
 Call me a chicken, but I don't like to fail even though I know that I will from time to time. So I try and make sure that I am at least giving myself a good chance to succeed by using methods and material that have been proven over time. I know that the explorers cast all that to the wind and I am glad there are those out there like that because I have learned alot from there experiences.   Danny

[Parnell]

It sounds like your new into it and I'd say definitely give it a go.  I've made many bows out of less than ideal woods and they shoot.  They aren't as efficient, or dependable for a good turn out, but they shoot and I learned much by making them.  Experimentation is a good thing for a learning curve.  All you've got to lose is the time you put into it but that doesn't change even with osage, because they break at times, also.

Keep it wide, real wide, longer and reflex/recurve the tips.  See what happens, why not? 

[Prarie Bowyer]

Called borrower 904-540-3244 and made arrangements to email the document to him at mrc37@juno.com.  Sent the VA acknowledgement of no inspection.