Planning Next Build. Need Help

[matts2]

I am going to attempt my first all wood laminated bow soon.  It will be a straight 68" ntn.  The woods I have to use are Elm, Black Locust, Bamboo, Hickory, and Walnut.  I can get any thickness out of all of those woods, even veneer size (roughly).  

My goal is 50#.  I would like a nice looking bow obviously but mainly concerned with what I should use for core, back or belly.  Not sure what I will make up for a riser, but it will probably be something with walnut with a few lams in it somewhere.

Thanks

[Art B]

I don't see where you would even need a core with the woods you have. A hickory backing will suffice for all the woods you mentioned. Bamboo on elm will work. Boo on boo makes one fine bow. Bamboo backed BL may even work OK.

But of the woods you have on hand, probably the walnut would be my choice for a core........Art

[matts2]

This is what I am thinking.  Please understand I am still a total rookie at this and still trying to figure out what wood is best for what.  The part I am most concerned about is the walnut veneer on the belly.  Will that work even at a .04 - .06 thickness?

How thick should the rest of these lams be?

 

[matts2]

oh ya, the lams will be parallel cut.

[eflanders]

Matts2:  I recently built a 64" modified Hill style, Hickory backed multilam all-wood bow using Walnut and Black Cherry veneers glued into a mild Perry reflex.  The belly is Black cherry.  My backing was .125", the walnut and cherry veneers were .060" and the cherry belly was .375".  All lams were parallel cut.  This gave me a total stack of .750".  The weight I was shooting for was 45# but it came out far heavier (initially 60# after tiller).  I think the perry reflex glue-up affected the weight more than I thought. To reduce the weight I ended up taking off quite a bit of the belly wood, but this is why I used such a thick belly as I had a funny feeling that I might need some working room...

[matts2]

OK, Totally forgot about having to tiller this thing.  Putting a veneer on there at the start isn't a good idea.  Probably end up scraping it all off anyway.  With some discussion with Brad, we (he) came up with this layout.

 

[4est trekker]

When you say "Planed Both Sides No Ridges," I assume you are intending to plane the back/nodes?  If so, this will fail as a backing.  That method will produce a bamboo core, however.

[matts2]

4est, yes I was made aware of that.  I am going to move the bamboo to the core with the walnut and put hickory on the back.  

So the order will be
Locust (belly)
Walnut
Bamboo
Hickory (back)

Thanks