First selfbow.

[donrhudy]

I want to build my first selfbow for a ten year old grandaughter.  If I was home in my native Texas I'd use osage orange, but I'm an expatriot stuck in Indiana, a good-enough state but not Texas.  I have a 150 acres of woods from which to choose wood.  I've been thinking of elm, but how would birch do?  Birch grows very straight in these woods.  I also could choose hickory or walnut.  For my own hunting I now use a Jerry Hill bow, and for my second bow I believe I will use it for a model.

What advice do you have for me. 

[DanaM]

For a 10 year old I think any hardwood will work just fine, hickory is tough but so is elm. I would
find something with very straight grain and knot free. But anything you cut is gonna have to dry so why not go to lumberyard and
but a red oak board, back it with linen or silk and start makin a bow and workiing on your tillering skills.

Check out Jawges site for lots of good info.

http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

[cowboy]

Move back to TX and use osage . Naw, that's some good sound advice Dana gave you. A couple of boards would be a lot cheaper in time and effort if first tiller doesn't work out ..

[donrhudy]

Gracias, guys.  Gonna do it.

donrhudy

[lowell]

I think elm would be a good choice but would also think there would be osage on Indiana??

[DanaM]

Elm is tough stuff if ya don't want it send it to me