which wood should i choose?

[SiongSA]

Hey there,

I came across this warehouse in my area that stocks dozens of different exotic woods which inspired me to make a self bow again. the choices i have are : A.Cherry, Ash, Walnut, Hickory, Maple, Red & White Oak and Purple heart. There's a lot of potential in these woods that much i know, considering I mainly use basic handtools (knife, scraper,file etc I have a very primitive setup) , i'm not going to back the bow and i plan to steam heat reflex tips; What is the best wood in your opinion? I don't want it to be too hard, save my tools, and it should respond well to steam bending and take little set.

All response appreciated,
Thanks

[dwardo]

I would look for the best individual stave based on condition, grain etc.
Rather than chose a species 

[SiongSA]

That makes sense. Do you have any links for unbacked self bow build-alongs?

[dwardo]

Hit "main discussion area" up top then "build alongs and how too"
Loads of them in there 

[DarkSoul]

I'd pick the straightest grained and least expensive board of one of the following species: ash, hickory, maple and white oak. These four species are all easy to steam bend and very workable with hand tools. Whether a bow takes set or not, depends on many factors. But the wood species itself has little to do with the amount of set that a bow takes. It has more to do with the skill of the bowyer and the execution of a well chosen design.

[Wiley]

Hickory, white oak, maple, and ash would be my primary considerations, in no particular order of preference, mainly going for the straightest grained boards with the least defects among them that I could find in the inventory.

I recently made my first bow, a red oak unbacked mollegabet. My current project is a white oak. I'm liking the white oak better so far. Seems a lot harder than the red oak, but a nice piece of red oak can make a bow.

I hope you enjoy working with north american hardwoods. With a nice enough board and suitable design they all have the potential for making a self bow.

[Blaflair2]

Personally I'd go for a nice piece of Purple Heart and back it with a thin strip of ash or maple

[DarkSoul]

Purpleheart is very difficult to work with, with hand tools. It dulls your tools quickly and requires a lot of effort to remove all tool marks. It is also pretty lousy in compression since it lacks elasticity. It is a very poor choice for the topic starter, in my opinion.
Have you worked with purpleheart, Blaflair?

[Marc St Louis]

I would choose the White Oak.  It is a ring porous wood so if you get 2" dimensional lumber you can easily chase a ring.

[bubby]

I would choose the White Oak.  It is a ring porous wood so if you get 2" dimensional lumber you can easily chase a ring.






plus it is really hard to break white oak

[Renacs]

Get a common board. And if u have the funds get the p. H.

[Wiley]

He is working with hand tools, and wants a wood that is easy on them. Purple heart isn't easy to work with, hard on tools, most of the people that try to make a self bow from it break at least a few before they have one survive. It's probably more expensive than all the other woods where he is buying the lumber. The only thing it has going for it in my opinion is it's unique color. If I wanted a purple bow I would stain a white wood a deep purple. For the price of a piece of purple heart, he could probably get twice as much of any of the other woods, and not break nearly as many in the process of trying to get a bow out of them.

I might buy a small amount of purple heart to make a purple heart riser, or tip overlays. As a self bow wood, so very many better options that are less likely to end in failure.

[George Tsoukalas]

Most of those woods are not exotic unless you live in another country. As far as I now mpst are indigenous to the USA and Canada except possibly purpleheart.
Hickory and the oaks will make you a nice bow if straight grained with no knots at all. They are pretty available in my parts.
Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html