Cores wood?

Jlinson · January 21, 2026, 01:35:06 PM

Haven't been here in a while and finally got some breathing room after a new home build and ready for some me time lol.
Last glass build was in 2014 and I kept it pretty conservative on materials, bamboo cores, black glass and rose wood recurve. Getting ready to do a takedown recurve and want to use everything that I have milled off my place and sawmill.
Need opinions on core wood, done have my veneers that will go under clear glass. But need opinions on core wood? I have Red elm, hickory and sasafrass cut dried a d ready to grind, I have some walnut but not really pleased with it, grain has some run out. I have backed hickory with bamboo on a couple long bows and fire hardened an elm bow last year that were good shooters but not used them under glass.
Has anyone used these and have any opinions on them?

kennym · January 21, 2026, 04:55:38 PM

Red elm, hickory are great, I like red elm a bit better. Sassafras I'm not sure about, I know folks use it, but I cut some lams and superglue wouldn't stick them together at bow center so it's off my list...

Superglue sticks to almost everything so I didn't want to try it!

Jlinson · January 21, 2026, 07:06:43 PM

Quote from: kennym on January 21, 2026, 04:55:38 PMRed elm, hickory are great, I like red elm a bit better. Sassafras I'm not sure about, I know folks use it, but I cut some lams and superglue wouldn't stick them together at bow center so it's off my list...

Superglue sticks to almost everything so I didn't want to try it!

Thank you, I wasn't sure about the sasafrass just read someone talking about using it. I'm just blessed with it here, firewood and interior wall covering is about all I have found it's good for.
I hate I waited to build a new bow just in time to read your retirement notification lol

kennym · January 22, 2026, 10:02:59 AM

It was time to slow down and smell the coffee! Grandkids , bow hunting and fishing now !

Kirkll · January 22, 2026, 02:32:52 PM

Quote from: Jlinson on January 21, 2026, 01:35:06 PMHaven't been here in a while and finally got some breathing room after a new home build and ready for some me time lol.
Last glass build was in 2014 and I kept it pretty conservative on materials, bamboo cores, black glass and rose wood recurve. Getting ready to do a takedown recurve and want to use everything that I have milled off my place and sawmill.
Need opinions on core wood, done have my veneers that will go under clear glass. But need opinions on core wood? I have Red elm, hickory and sasafrass cut dried a d ready to grind, I have some walnut but not really pleased with it, grain has some run out. I have backed hickory with bamboo on a couple long bows and fire hardened an elm bow last year that were good shooters but not used them under glass.
Has anyone used these and have any opinions on them?

I can see the appeal of just using wood you have milled off your place, but seriously.... rock hard maple and bamboo is hard to beat in a recurve limb. You can build a whole bunch of bows out of buying 1 - 4/4 X 8" X 10' long, or 12' if you are building one piece bows, and have very little money invested. Maple And bamboo has the best longevity hands down of any core wood out there. Just pick out a nice straight grained piece and rip it on your table saw. .02 cents worth.

Crooked Stic · January 22, 2026, 08:53:35 PM

I have used edge grain sassafras as core light weight not total in the core maybe one out of three lams. And it smells nice when you grind it.

harry 62 · January 28, 2026, 05:36:24 PM

what do you guys think about osage for a core wood?

Kirkll · January 28, 2026, 06:51:42 PM

it would probably work fine, but it's pretty heavy in mass weight and different grain configuration could be a factor in thicker lams.

harry 62 · January 28, 2026, 07:34:41 PM

do you think cedar would hold up?

Kirkll · January 28, 2026, 09:41:28 PM

Quote from: harry 62 on January 28, 2026, 07:34:41 PMdo you think cedar would hold up?

I played with redwood before, which is about as close to red cedar as you can get and quite frankly i think it's just too soft and doesn't have good enough compression strength or shear strength to make decent core wood.

I tried a balsa wood core on some carbon limbs once and they blew up just stringing the limbs.

I built quite a few years ago using old growth CVG douglas fir that held up fine, but that was some rare stock that was originally milled in the early 1900's and very tight vertical grain. I don't think you cab even buy that quality anymore. No more old growth fir hitting the mills.

Crooked Stic · Reply #10 - Re: Cores wood?

Agreed cedar too soft. I would rather have edge grain elm than Osage.