Bow from antique barn wood????

[Slaughter]

I started building our house 3 years ago from recycled barn wood so I have quite a pile of antique lumber (most at least 65yrs old) beside the house. Reading about board bows from red oak etc and starting my first bow from the same has got me thinking about trying to find a board in my pile to make a bow out of.It also has me wondering if this is plausible or just fantasy. Has anyone tried such a thing or does anyone have any advise about this? Other than the obvious (nothing ventured nothing gained).

Thanks in advance for any input or advise.  Tony

[George Tsoukalas]

My Dad was a woodworker and I've made bows from 30 year old red oak. I think you should try to make a bow from that wood provided you can find a straight grained piece with no nail holes or knots. Jawge

[Slaughter]

Thanks Jawge,
I was thinking the same....Most of this stuff is at least 65 yrs like I said alot is more like 75 to 100- yrs.....and its alot of big lumber 2x6s and bigger. How would you go about cutting something like that?

Tony

[welch2]

Try to identify the species of wood if you can .A lot of the old barn wood here in Tennessee is chestnut ,not a good candidate chestnut.
 Big boards.I would try to chase a ring ,and go from there..  When I use old wood or try to rejuvenate a old bow, I work oil into the stave every time I work on it ,right through tillering.


Ralph

[Slaughter]

Thanks Ralph.......Alot of this I have is some species of oak or locust..I'm not sure I understand the process of chasing a ring  and what kind of oil do you recommend?

[Auggie]

Cooking oil will work,and try and find a board with rings like youd see in the tree its self,you dont want the grain runnin off the sides,grain that runs the length is best but it wouldnt hurt to put a backing on it either.

[welch2]

With big older boards like that , chances are some of them were plane sawn. Chasing a ring , is removing wood ,so that a single growth ring becomes the back of the bow.

I use a thin oil while building ,the idea is to get it to soak into the wood (old wood can be very dry and brittle).wd40 works if you want to go petroleum based and if thats what I use I finish the bow with a boned in finish of vasoline (also petroleum based).Going thin oil to thick

Or I use rendered pork fat and bacon grease .Or vegy oil and chrisco   etc.

Ralph

[tom sawyer]

Personally I'd just find a board with straight grain (judeged from all four sides) and make a board bow.  Rip your 2x6 into 2"x1" strips, glue on an 8" handle in the center and tiller.

A fellow I know made some hickory backing strips from some old hickory boards, they've worked great for me so far.

[Slaughter]

Well it sounds as though I should definitely try it......I'll pick a board and then try to post some pics for more advice. Thank you all for the advice so far and please keep it coming.

Tony

[Slaughter]

Ok here are a couple of pics of a piece I cut that looks to be red oak. Let Me have it guys.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[tom sawyer]

Its rift sawn, and from the bit of grain showing in the top pic it looks straight over that section.  But you have to evaluate grain on all four sides and not just the wide side, especially with rift or quartersawn wood.  This is because the annual rings will look fine on rift/quqartersawn wood, but if its cut at an angle to the length you'll not have continuous fibers running on the back of the bow which is a must.  Oak has some very pronounced little flecks/checks running along the grain, look on the side of the board to tell whether your grain is running parallel for the length of the board or at leat each limb.  It doesn't have to be perfect, especially if you choose a conservative design, but it needs to be pretty straight for you to have a high probability of success.

[Slaughter]

The grain runs fairly straight on the sides. a few run offs mainly towards the tips, but no real checks anywhere, and no knots at all (that I can see yet) I think from all Ive read that its worth a shot but was thinking maybe I should rough it out and back it BEFORE I start tillering. Would a simple cherokee style D bow work as a conservative design? If not then what would you suggest? I got 62" out of the board and I dont think I'll need to lose any of that length. I wouldn't be upset if I could make it a bit shorter but as I understand it the longer bows are easier for the beginner.

Tony

[Badger]

I see all kinds of good bow wood in the background of your picture. Steve

[Slaughter]

200 plus acres of it Badger come on down.

[Slaughter]

Ok I've got a blank roughed out of this peice. Should I oil it before I back it or vice versa? or does it really matter as I'll be oiling all through the process?

Tony