Boards vs staves ???

[Knosaj]

Do I have this remotely correct? I heard this on you tube some place

A board bow is one made with nice end grain that runs up and down or any angle so long the grain runs the length of the board on all sides (ideally speaking)

A stave is actually split from a trunk or branch that will allow for a flat grained bow where the builder tries to refine the back to only a single grain layer?


To me the method of isolating a section of wood to use for a bow is irrelevant. (Comment not intended to fire up any traditionalist out there)

So do these terms refer to the grain itself?

[tattoo dave]

Good question. I'm looking forward to seeing some answers on this one. They both make a good bow, and they both start out as just a piece of wood as far as I'm concerned.
"Board bow" is typically the name given to a bow that is started from a pre-cut piece of wood. A stave is split from a tree trunk or branch. As far as I've been told anyway. I don't think the grain has anything to do with the term board bow or stave. Maybe someone else has a better definition.

Tattoo Dave

[lostarrow]

Wood  with much grain run off is likely to fail .Some species are more tolerant than others.( Hickory, Hop hornbeam for eg.)
   Staves are  split from trees as you stated ,but not all woods require removal of the sapwood. Woods like Osage benefit from it but  yew prefers to have a couple of rings of sapwood. Most "whitewood"staves (Ash ,Oak ,Hickory, Maple,Hop Hornbeam, etc.) are generally made with the layer under the bark as the back of the bow. 
   To confuse things even more , you could "decrown" a stave  which kind of makes it  a board . You could also use limbs and saplings. Some woods work better than others for this. For example , you would be hard pressed to find a Privet or Lilac big enough to call a log You would likely get one bow from the trunk. Two if you were lucky. Both make excellent bows , however.
  The grain on a bow ,you will find, is of the utmost importance. Why don't you try making a couple. No greater teacher than experience! You'll find lots of help on this site.

[Joec123able]

I'll take a stave over a board every day

[lostarrow]

I'll take a stave over a board every day

 
I just laid out an ash board  ,cut it on the band saw and  planed the saw marks off  in about 15 mins. It is now floor tillered and ready for the long string with a quick addition of temp nocks. Will have it shooting in about 45 mins to an hour. 
   Just saying! sometimes boards have their place

[Knosaj]

I agree, I'll prob be picking up my first chunk of wood in the next couple of days to start this weekend. I held off this past weekend after digging through the lumber until I understood more.

So, a flat bow I am assuming is made with flat grain? I mean "chasing" down the A single grain layer again on the back?

I'm probably all screwed up by now. Lol

[Joec123able]

I'll take a stave over a board every day

 
I just laid out an ash board  ,cut it on the band saw and  planed the saw marks off  in about 15 mins. It is now floor tillered and ready for the long string with a quick addition of temp nocks. Will have it shooting in about 45 mins to an hour. 
   Just saying! sometimes boards have their place

Ok? Lol

[Newindian]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean bit it sounds pretty close
One of the most important things in making a bow is paying attention to grain, you want as little grain runout/ violation of the grain as possible. Most trees don't grow perfectly strait they bend and wiggle and often twist around themselves but boards are always cut in straight sections from the tree regardless of how it is growing so when choosing a board you are essentially looking for one cut from a perfectly straight tree and has been cut with the grain of that perfectly straight tree, I belive your reference to end grain is referring to how the wood is cut in comparison to the growth rings I'm no expert in boards but I belive that most types of cuts will work for a bow but some are preferred.
Now with a stave you don't have to worry about finding perfect grain because they are split and follow the grain naturally with all it's curves and twist, I am not sure what you mean by flat grain, the way the back of a stave bow is prepared varries with species and design usaually the back is prepared either by chasing a growth ring so that only one growth ring is visable along the whole back or by striping of the bark (usually white woods ) so that you use the single growth ring on the out side of the tree that is naturally there. Hope that might clear up some of your confusion.

[Pat B]

A piece of wood designated for building a bow is a stave whether it be a board stave or tree stave. A board stave is sawn out cutting through the grain in most cases and a tree stave is split out following the gain of the wood. Both type of stave are capable of making good bows if you do your part.

[bubby]

To answer your last ? A flatbow is a style/design and has nothing to do with grain orientation, , although grain orientation has everything to do with getting a good bow from a board stave, alot of negativity can be found about board bows, a bias as such, but a properly built board bow will shoot with the best of them, bub

[mwosborn]

Board staves, tree staves - their all wood - and can make good bows.  I like the satisfaction that I get from harvesting my own wood from the area I like in and making a bow out of it.  But I have bought some boards from the box stores and made bows from these too.  Get some wood however you can and build.

[osage outlaw]

To me boards have no personality.   Several years back I picked out a good red oak board and started making a bow.  I got it tillered out and then put it in the corner.  I just couldn't get into it.  I ended up cutting it up for spacers. 

[Pago]

If you follow the logic presented in TBB books there is no difference they both make a good bow one is not superior to another in performance.  I have an ash bow roughed out from a large board, chased a ring and all just like a stave from a tree.  If you live in the desert like me bows from boards help fill the need.

[Wooden Spring]

I build strictly board bows. I try to get quarter sawn lumber when I can (grain is vertical when viewed from the end), but regardless of what "cut" of board you get, just make sure the grain runs straight from end to end.

I personally can't stand stave bows. I used to be an architect, so I like good clean lines, straight, and no character. Besides, stave bows take too long, and quite frankly I'm too lazy for that. In the end, the bullseye has no idea if it was just hit with an arrow flung from a board or a stave... The only difference between boards and staves are purely aesthetics.

[PEARL DRUMS]

The only difference between boards and staves are purely aesthetics.

Considering you build strictly board bows. Are you sure of that?