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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: snowbeast on February 08, 2016, 04:05:00 AM
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Good day folks,
I'm really wanting to build my first board bow.
I want to be a member of the community by owning one.
I will be folowing a build along "so now want to build a bow"
I have spent a month reading and now it's time to start building.
My problem is living in South Africa I only have access to the following:
Beech ( euro white, yugo pink)
Ash
Blackwood
Cherry
Kiaat
Mahogany
Maple
Oak (American white, American Red)
Oregon Pine
Swedish redwood
Teak
Rosewood.
Please could you advise me on what is suitable.
I have permission to choose the grain I want.
Thank you in advance!
Bruce :archer:
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I would look at maple, oak, and ash in that order. You listed a couple though that I'm not familiar with.
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Thank you very much bowjunkie. Hopefully choosing the grain this weekend!
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Blackwood will make a bow but I bet even in your country it would be a pricey board bow!
Maple but make sure it's hard maple (acer sacharum), white oak and ash (european?) fraxinus excelsior.
will all make good board bows.
Just make sure they know you want straight grain above any preference for cut. Straight grain is what will give you the integrity to stay in one piece. If the grain is straight the grain orientation doesn't matter.
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I havent used maple or ash, but would readily use white oak, or if you can get access to hickory it is great bow wood
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Blackwood (says mill run) is the cheapest - maybe quality?
Maple is the most expensive, their price list has FAS and Comsel(1) grade, I will enquire when I go in.
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Blackwood is an interesting wood. Very Hard. They make Bagpipe pipes from it.
Back in 2011 inksoup here posted this:
I've taken the ratio of a wood's MOE and MOR, and found the woods thathave the lowest MOE and a comparatively high MOR; basically woods that will bend easily, but not break, which seems to coincide closely with the best woods for making bows. Here's the top woods after sorting for this criteria
MOE Modulus of Elasticity; MOR Modulus of Rupture; bendabiltiy and breakability. Higher MOE = stiffer; Higher MOR = harder to break. Not sure what database of woods he was referring to.
> European Yew
> Osage Orange
> Pacific Yew
> Kiaat
> Chinaberry
> Cebil
> Mansonia
> Turkey Oak
> Makore
> Movingui
> Field Maple
> African Blackwood
> English Walnut
> Alligator Juniper
> Pau Ferro
> Brazilian Rosewood
> Apple
> Aromatic Red Cedar
> Olive
So Blackwood is not as good as Yew, but better than English Walnut or Rosewood for bow building.
The Wood Database has an excellant article about MOE and MOR and appropriate woods for bowmaking, which mentions Blackwood:
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/bow-woods/
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If I had those choices I'd prefer to go with maple, but grain could be a bigger consideration.
I've made 3 successful board bows - my favourite by far is my #50 @ 28 maple Holmegaard style.
Shoots really well.
Unfortunately I only have finished pictures.
Strangely, the two bows that failed were the ones I documented the making of with photos.
I'm working on another maple - no pics!
http://s25.postimg.org/xtt23c53j/P6025851.jpg
http://s25.postimg.org/7zj9dk53j/P6025850.jpg
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oregon pine - is the south african name for "douglas fir"- definitely not suitable for bows!ok for arrows i guess!
speak to someone in the natal midlands area( i have some contacts for you)- and get a chunk of white stinkwood-
for a stave - pull the bark off now( summer) seal back and ends,rough out to size- strap to a board- and get it out of that freaking sun- inside the house somewhere- away from windows and breezes.
treat it like hickory.
acacia nialotica( soet doring) and acacia karoo( karoo doring) will make good bows too- if you can find a piece- might need billets.
lots of mulberry there, never used it- but i believe its quite good!
and lots of nut trees too!
white stinkwood would be my first go to choice!
but mulberry would be very easy to find- and makes an awesome bow to i believe!
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I use nothing but maple with white oak, walnut or cherry as core lams. Maple is readily available in this area and cheap. Choose your board wisely and check the grain for any run offs.
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Thank you for the kind input.
Fujimo, ill contact you in the morning. I have a 04h30 wake up call to go up Winterton/Berg way way for business.
Will be in the midlands next weekend.