OK wood bowyers, got a ?

[kennym]

Can you make an osage backed osage,ie an osage slat with an osage backing strip? Can you give me some dimensions for a bow like this ,and how thick a backing?

[Don Armstrong]

I think this would work good. I think 1/8" backing would be good but some of the guys (that know MUCH more than me) should chime in. I sent you a private message on some wood. Don

[adam]

Kenny,
   I've seen it done before but it was a lightweight bow. I believe it had a 25# draw. If it was me i wouldn't try it. Not saying it won't work, but i would use hickory or bamboo. For backing use somewhere along 1/8 or 3/16.


Adam

[snapper1d]

Kenny I had seen a bowyer once who used a lots of different woods that we would not say were good for backings.He said that there were a lot of good woods that made backings.His thought on it was that a thin backing would help keep splinters down as we know it does but also it works the same on the back thin backing strips.The glue line is what holds both of them together and acts like a ring.A backing strip is always better than none at all.I have made many red oak board bows that had a backing strip cut from the same board and flipped over and glued back on.Crossing grain lines is kind of like the crossed plys of plywood and just gets stronger.That osage backing strip should work fine.The thinner the strip the less room for a splinter to lift and run also.

[talkingcabbage]

Kenny,

I'd go ahead with the osage backing.  Use no more than 1/8" thick, and make sure the grain runs as straight at possible down the entire length of it.  It will work fine.  As far as measurements, use the general sizes for an osage self bow for starters.  Check the other threads about osage self bows to make sure I get this right, but I think 65 ntn, 1.25 wide tapering to 1/2" at the tips, 3/4" thick limbs to the fades, and 1" thick handle.  Again, check these numbers with other threads to make sure I've got them right.  It's been awhile!

Joe

[talkingcabbage]

oh, and make sure your glue joint is really good.  Use Titebond III or Urac, and rough up those surfaces.

Joe

[kennym]

Thanks guys!!

[Pat B]

If I were gonna us osage as a backing I would cut the backing strip directly from the outside of the heartwood of the log or chase an appropriate ring for the outside of the backing strip just like a self bow.
   Art Butner showed me a bow he made with the back being the tension side of the tree and the belly from the compression side of the same tree(I don't remember what specie of tree it was). Cool, good shooting bow.
   Osage is strong in tension but if the back is violated there is a good chance it won't last.
     Pat

[No-sage]

Almost any osage can make a lam bow.  It would take a special tree to be able to cut backing strips from.

I would use a fabric backing for additional piece of mind.

[John Scifres]

I have done it a few times.  Make your backing edge-grained and absolutely clean.  There are better choices for backing but osage sure does work fine.  They look cool too.  I made the one linked below for Mickey Lotz.  I think it is 50# at 26".

  "OBO"

[tim-flood]

it should work just fine BUT finding good osage for a backing is exponentially harder to find than good hickory or bamboo

[razorback]

Will a backing slat cut from the side of a stave work with any bow wood. I was thinking of taking the stave, slice of a clean edge and thin it to about 1/8", then applying it as the backing. Seems like it could work on a stave that needs de-crowning. Could add a lot of nice character as well if the grain looksgood.
Tony.

[shamus]

Yes, you can make a Osage backed Osage bow. Why not?

Thoughts of mine on Osage bow dimensions:  http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/05/osage-flat-bow-dimensions.html

Backing thickness: 1/8th. Use Urac for glue up.

[Roy Steele]

I've did this,works good,keep the backing thin as posble.one sixteeth to an eight.