Bow backing

[dusty rightwing]

Other than Bamboo or hickory, is there any other wood that can used as a backing?

[bjansen]

Ive seen Ash and osage used as backing strips.

[dusty rightwing]

If you use osage on a osage do you have to worry about grain oriention?

[Pat B]

elm, hard maple, ash... actually any tension strong wood can be used as a backing.

[dusty rightwing]

Thanks guys,that gives me some variety.

[Bow-n-Head]

Pat; Help Ols.  Does an edge-grain osage board need to be backed? Can it be backed with an edge-grain osage backing strip - !8"+?  Thanx;  Ray

[Bow-n-Head]

Pat Ooops. That's 1/8" plus

[John Scifres]

I have backed an osage core with edgegrained osage backing.  It worked OK but bamboo and hickory work better IMO.

I have also made several edgegrained selfbows.  They are cool but you have to watch out for pins or other imperfection that will cut all the way across the bow in this orientation.

[Pat B]

I've never used osage for backing so I'd go with what John says.

[Bow-n-Head]

Pat, thanx for the reply.  John: Did the edge grain osage have less/more string-follow than O-self bow?  Did it perform any better/worse? Thanx, Ray

[John Scifres]

Hard tellin' with limited experience but I think there are better choices.  Thin hickory or bamboo are my choices.  Still worth doing just because it's cool.  Edge grained osage self bows are unique.  I'm sure they are shooting somewhere around draw weight + 100 fps.