Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dylanholderman on January 23, 2015, 01:01:29 am

Title: backed bow question
Post by: dylanholderman on January 23, 2015, 01:01:29 am: hey just real quick i have a piece of lumber 3 1/2in square that i want to use for the belly of a backed bow.

i can saw it to get either flat sawn or quarter sawn boards out of it, how would you guys cut it? :)
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: DarkSoul on January 23, 2015, 09:17:42 am: For laminated bow, either flat sawn, quarter sawn or rift sawn is fine. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: adb on January 23, 2015, 09:23:40 am: What kind of wood is it?
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: dylanholderman on January 23, 2015, 10:38:04 am: thanks darksoul ;D

adb the wood is compression pine
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 23, 2015, 10:46:27 am: Compression pine? Never heard of such a thing. Good luck and wear safety glasses my friend.
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: wizardgoat on January 23, 2015, 11:22:18 am: Don't waste your time with pine!
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: DavidV on January 23, 2015, 11:43:40 am: Seems I've heard about compression pine used in bows before. Keep going, compression wood is pretty strong -- in compression.
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: adb on January 23, 2015, 12:24:33 pm: Quote from: PEARL DRUMS on January 23, 2015, 10:46:27 am
Compression pine? Never heard of such a thing. Good luck and wear safety glasses my friend.

+1.
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: blackhawk on January 23, 2015, 12:58:29 pm: Did you cut this tree and lumber it your self? If not then how do you know it came from the compression side of the tree? And what kind of pine are you talking about? Ain't no species called compression. Either way its a waste of your time and not recommended like everyone else is telling you. Especially if your new to this. Go find an already proven bow wood...tons of woods are proven. Where are you located at?
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: PatM on January 23, 2015, 01:07:29 pm: True compression Pine(or any other softwood) is well known for having fantastic qualities as a belly wood. It completely re-defines what you may think of a particular tree as a bow wood.
All of the Northern Eurasian laminated bows were made with a belly of this wood and a birch or similar backing.
It also apparently benefits from being at a higher moisture content.
Title: Re: backed bow question
Post by: dylanholderman on January 23, 2015, 01:20:16 pm: i have made two bows from sugar maple one from hophornbeam and i am working on a osage bows as well.
i have a bunch more maple and slippery elm in my garage and a few more staves of hophornbeam too.
the piece of pine i have is a 3 1/2 by 3 1/3 block i got from work, fairly fine growth rings and pretty dense compered to the rest of the wood there. it looks like compression wood based on the color and like i said its denser than the other wood at work. i plan on backing it with some of the maple i have.

if it fails than it fails, i'm experimenting for the most part wont learn anything if i don't try new things 8)

P.S. i'm in central ohio O:)