Board bow making

[mikekeswick]

The hardest thing for you to get right at this point is choosing a good board! Seriously the reason your bows have broken is most likely due to board choice. Look on all four faces of the board, you want straight lines all the way round. If you do this you can forget your drywall tape. To be honest it's a bad choice for a wood bellied bow because it will increase the load on the belly causing more set and a slower bow.
Find a perfect board.
Make a tillering gizmo.
Read up on pyramid bows.
Practise!!!

[paoliguy]

If you have a Menard's around you they have hickory. The other guys don't carry hickory, at least not around southern Indiana.

[nakedfeet]

The hardest thing for you to get right at this point is choosing a good board! Seriously the reason your bows have broken is most likely due to board choice. Look on all four faces of the board, you want straight lines all the way round. If you do this you can forget your drywall tape. To be honest it's a bad choice for a wood bellied bow because it will increase the load on the belly causing more set and a slower bow.
Find a perfect board.
Make a tillering gizmo.
Read up on pyramid bows.
Practise!!!

This is what I was going to say. With a good board you can (and should) ditch the drywall tape backing.

It takes practice, but it's not impossible. Many good bows have been made from bows.