Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: darren1968 on December 17, 2008, 07:27:58 pm
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Hi all. Can anyone tell me if Beech can be used for board bow building. Secondly, what is the difference between a Flat bow and a Board bow? are they not the same thing?
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Sure if you can find straight grained boards. A board bow can be a flatbow. My site has board info. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
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Darren, I started a Beech bow a month or so ago.......took a cut off one side to make the pyramid shape. I bent the off cut to see what I could expect of the bow and BANG!! The bending and failure characteristics of the offcut, and the shape of the splinters convinced me to use the rest of the bow blank for wooden spoons. If you make a beech bow, then only flex and shoot the darned thing if you have a hard had and full face protection!!
piper
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I'd back the first one. Someone got a baord from what they thought was hronbeam- good tough wood whatever it was- but left it unbacked. Like islandpiper- BANG. A simple backing would have held it and left one wicked bow I'm sure.
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Beech should work fine if its a decent board, you back it and make sure the design is right. I wouldn't do a pyramid limb.
I think keeping the limbs 2" wide and parrallel for a min 2/3rds the length then tapering to the nocks would be a better design.
Also keep the length at a min of 68" for a 28" draw length.
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beech-like most anything else-can be used to make bows, and it is even less bad than some other materials. however i wouldnt expect to be able to push the material all that far as its limits are, well, limiting. i have made a beech bow or two but stuck with reasonably low draw weights as the heavier bows i tried crushed their own bellies. the lesson i took from that is that it is very important to have a great tiller on a beech bow or the slightest hinge crysal, crush, and break. i wouldnt suggest it for a first bow. backed it may be alright, but as the belly is the weak point even backing it may not be a silver bullet. you could always just to try and see what happens or make one or two other board bows of at least similar dimensions to nail the design characteristics and then give it a go. SOM
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Darren,
I hope you will go ahead and make a bow of beech. I have been wondering about it for a long time and have yet to see pictures of a beech bow.
Go for it!
Jim