Hickory backing - what to do with it?

[Freeflynick]

Hello! So a few weeks into the working from home period I saw Kramer Ammons "Build a bow for $15" video on a random popup, and have now just finished bow #4. #1 and #3 broke, 2 was a plain red oak longbow which is OK but weak, and #4 is red oak backed with fiberglass tape and seems to be OK too.
I ordered two 6' x 1-3/8" x 1/8" hickory backing strips but am at a bit of a loss on what to do with them!! I have searched these forums and is the consensus not to bother if I am going to do another red oak board design? Can anyone point me either to a good hickory backed red oak design, or give me some advice on what I could use instead of red oak (and where to find some in a lockdown).

Given my limited skillset I am still looking at cheap materials. Local Home Depot only seems to stock red oak or poplar. I have a decent looking piece of poplar, but after breaking one early on I am a little reluctant to try another.

I would like to try something with some simple curves soon, but haven't really looked into that yet (any advice on good beginners guides for first reflex tip bow would be great!).

Anyway - thanks for any and all input/advice. I am really enjoying these first steps on what I see as a long road! I still have only fired about 100 arrows in my life so dont really know what I am aiming at as far as a "good bow", but I'm really excited for the moment when I feel it for the first time from a bow I have made!

Cheers!

Nick

[peacefullymadewarbows]

I don't see any reason you can't back Red Oak with hickory. At 1/8" thick I don't think it would be too thick to over power the oak. It would for sure make a very durable long lasting bow. What's the dimensions on the red oak you have available to you? Also what are your goals with your next bow in terms of draw length and weight?

[Hamish]

1 &3/8" wide backing  is going to limit your bow design with a belly wood like red oak, to bend through the handle longbows with flat bellies. Nothing wrong with that type of bow, though.
With a tropical hardwood, that has a better resistance to compression like ipe , lemonwood, bulletwood, your available backing width will allow almost any style of bow to be made.

Its worth getting some good belly wood if you can.

[Bob Barnes]

if you have the red oak, likely in the 1 1/2" width or a bit wider...and you have 1 1/8" inch wide hickory...maybe you could back the red oak with the hickory centered on the back, glued with some deflex and reflex...and then just treat the narrow hickory like a trapped back?  Just a thought...

[bownarra]

I don't see any reason you can't back Red Oak with hickory. At 1/8" thick I don't think it would be too thick to over power the oak. It would for sure make a very durable long lasting bow. What's the dimensions on the red oak you have available to you? Also what are your goals with your next bow in terms of draw length and weight?

It isn't about thickness it is about the two woods resistance to stretching or compressing that matters.
Hickory is very resistant to stretch.
Red oak is not particularly resistant to compression.
Not a good combo.
There is no need to back most woods IF you select a board with straight grain in the first place.
Fg tape is also not a good backing for a wooden bellied bow. Again it is about matching properties of the two materials.
Glass is about 40x as stiff as wood.....
If you must back your red oak because it hasn't got straight grain then simply use a piece of linen cloth or rawhide.

[TRiggs]

Why not pic up 2 more backing strips stain one dark and sandwich between the other 2 then glue it up if you want some curves to it you can add it in with a very simple form and it will stay once it dries that should make a nice bow.

[Freeflynick]

 I like the idea of the laminated strips.....will keep that in mind.  But I found some ipe to use instead. Thanks!