Bamboo bow?

[Kegan]

Making my first bamboo bow with the really nice strip I got from Nokswimmer. I wanted a Hill style bow, 70" long, 1 1/2" wide in the middle two feet, tapering to 3/8" half pin nocks. 2" or so of string follow, pulling about 90# at 27". Bamboo flooring for the belly, and Titebond II to glue it up. D tiller, glued up straight for string follow and stability and ease in tillering. Questions: 1) would I have to temper the belly to prevent excessive (more than 3") string follow and to reach weight? 2) How thick do you think the bow would have to be to pull 90#? would 1" thick in the middle and 3/8" at the tips be enough? 3) Is there anything special I need to know about bamboo that won't work with the above design? I have never worked bamboo, so I'm open for anyhting that could help me. All I know it's light, but the density varies in the piece, seems stronger in tension than compression, and is usually on a hardwood belly. Anyhting you guys can tell me would be really helpful .

[Andrea S]

I wish I could help you out, but....90#?? Holy crap!!!  It might be a little easier for you to make if you lower the poundage a bit.

[Hillbilly]

Do you have horizontal or vertical bamboo flooring?

[Rich Saffold]

Kegan, I've never seen flooring good enough to produce that bow without a foot of set..I'd take the approach of making the best bow you can with the materials you got especially since it will be a first bow..

[michbowguy]

ive made a couple and it can be done.
with that weight you want vert only for belly lam.
i believe i used the FULL thickness for the belly, this meant running flooring under planer to remove store finish and then scuffing it up with a rasp.
i like tb3 foe this tho. 2 will work three has better gap filling properties than the faster tb2.
butter up the raw boo,and fully wrap with innertube material, u could use something else but this is realy good stuff.
then after it all buttered up and now wrapped with rubber innertube,clamp the handle down...not to tight to squeeze out glue, but  to hold firmly in place...
then put the ends in a perry reflex, by lifting up the tips and putting a 4x4 block under each tip, then keep in a heated dryier enviorment for AT LEAST 3 DAYS.

then you can unclamp and glue on power lam on back if you want but you can just put on a couple of 1/4 inch pcs of your favorite hardwood for a built up riser.

make sure you keep riser fades long and gradual. and when working boo flooring go slowly as a couple of strokes can remove alot of weight!

it will have about an inch, maybe a little more at 90 lbs, just dont get too thin on the tips and dont make them whippy!
it will work.

i made one a while back with no power lam and it had little string follow and it was like 65" and 76# @27-28.
and i took it easy on that one. dont underestimate wood flooring, sometimes you get good stuff, sometimes you get bad....just like any other wood outthere!

got to pic site...its the pics from #15-#24
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=213734659/PictureID=4570076775/a=124547775_121231216/t_=124547775




jamie

[Far East Archer]

If you haven't gotten the flooring yet, I got a tip for ya to make sure you get the densest for your bow. Look at the end of the board and see which board has the most fiber density. These ones will appear darker on the ends and the fibers will be tighter together. Since you cant heat treat the flooring or it will come apart, some reflex will help the set from going over board.

[Kegan]

Sounds like my assumptions were right- I'd be better off with a hickory belly. I should be able to get a hickory board sometime next week- and I have a good amount of experience with it.

Thanks for all the advice guys !

[bcbull]

kegan ,  well if ya want to get it to 90#  man thats a lotta bow  i have a suggestion go with ipe on the belly  im sure rich will chime in here  iv made a lot of em bamboo/ipe cant beat it  in my book  good luck