making glass bow from my longbow

[tishtail]

this maybe a stupid question but i will ask i make all my bows self,or longbows never tried a glass bow can i use a one piece bowblank that shape and glass cover it will it be the same as a multi lam bow say i want to make a all yew longbow with a riser underglass is this possible are there ay advantages to this i know cost isn't one maybe just durabilty and speed thanks LjT

[Apex Predator]

Putting glass on the back of an all wood bow can work, but your tiller better be spot on.  Even then, many woods can't stand the force exerted on the belly by the strong tension strength of the glass.

[tishtail]

thanks for reply so your telling me just be perfect or build from dementional lumber thanks LjT

[Pat B]

Like Marty said it can be done but I wouldn't advise it. You can add a glass belly also and have better success but you would be better served to build a glass bow and not try to make a selfbow work with glass on it.

[red hill]

tishtail, I was thinking of something similar.  I'm glad you asked your question.  I wonder if glass would work with a thin lamination between the glass and the core wood?? Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Stan

[JD_Archer]

Composites as a core is a waste IMO. if used as backing it needs to be balanced belly and back. i suppose that if you used osage or Ipe on the belly a very thin glass around .020 could be used on the back in a deep core long bow.

[Pat B]

If you are looking to increase performance of your selfbow there are better options than backing with glass. The chance of overpowering the belly are too great with just using a glass back. All bow woods are stronger in tension than compression so a glass belly would be more appropriate but I still wouldn't do it. It just isn't necessary.
  I know a few bowyers(I believe Dryad, James Parker, et al) that tried a few years ago using glass backs on their "selfbows" but abandoned the idea because of overpowering problems. If boo can overpower bow wood and it has some stretch then you can imagine how glass, with no stretch will be.

[red hill]

Thanks, guys.
I have two osage billets-36" x 5/8"- that I will have to splice. I thought glass would be a help as a backing.  Perhaps I should use hickory.
Thanks,
Stan

[Pat B]

Stan, hickory backed osage makes a great bow. Many of my hunting bows in the past have been hickory backed osage. The hickory will support the splice on the back also.

[red hill]

Thanks, Pat.
I had read your posts and knew you liked hickory on osage.
I'm still learning, primarily from TG and other sites on the web.  Have read some of TBB and a few other books though.
Thanks,
Stan