Wood Selection Can Someone Help

[DaveMac]

Hi first time post (hope to make my first bow),

I was wondering if I could ask for some advice on wood selection for a board bow.

Firstly I need to say that the availability of hard wood seems to be very different in the UK than in the US. Our hardware stores only stock soft wood, so I have had to go to a timber (lumber) yard and have boards cut from a much larger piece of wood. As such I have not been able to examine the boards in much detail, having only seen the side profile of a 15"x4"x15ft block of Ash (hickory, red oak etc not available).

I've ended up with 3 boards 1 1/2" x 1 27/32" at 6 ft long, none of them are good but I would like some help picking the best.

Board A
   

So this board is the lightest of the three (I realize that the proportion of late growth is low). The grain seems to run sort of diagonally across the board. It seems to have one small knot on the face which I think will be the back. Not sure if I could plane this away as the side has a couple of knots in the same place. Image shows the corner.

     

Board B

This board is slightly heavier approx 300g and is very similar in the end grain.

     

 The grain goes wavy towards the end of the board. I could cut at this point and have around 60" left

   

Board C

This is the heaviest board and the end grain looks the best but the grain on the face of the board is the worst

   

Is any of these boards suitable to make a board bow from? I was hoping not to need to back the bow, but I fear that it will be necessary (and probably wise seeing as its my first attempt)

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Roy from Pa]

This will help you.

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000122

[George Tsoukalas]

No knots and straight grain tip to tip is the best scenario. I look at the edge grain. The butt end tells you the type of cut.  You can look at the face of the board for plain sawn (=) and rift sawn (that's what you have). For 1/4 sawn you need to look at the edge grain and it has to be perfectly straight.  More on my site. Jawge

[DaveMac]

Thankyou both for posting :-) I have visited your pages Jawge and read quite a bit. I have a couple of books and have done some web research, so I know what the ideal is. I also know what I have is not ideal :-D I presume that some factors are more important than others, I was hoping someone mght be able to tell me if I could make a working bow with what I have and if so which board is best from the ones I have. Or do I have 18ft of firewood :-D

[Draffish]

Hi dave welcome to trad know what your going through mate I have been having the same issues in the end I've gone for the option of looking along the road sides and speaking to local tree surgeons for any suitable limbs and splitting and drying and make some staves. The wood I have been trying to get hold of at moment is ash (not rohan as it is too soft) field maple ( not sycamore ) and possibly oak might be worth looking for cherry and plum not sure how they will work but look good and I think will do as a core have fun what ever you decide
The guys on here know their stuff so you will be in good hands
By the way where in uk are you?

[macbow]

I think I'd give "B" a try. Where you were considering cutting to make it 60 inches I'd still leave it close to 68" since the bad spot will end up close to the ends it can be left stiff for a,static tip.
Might have to lay out the bow at,a angle to the boards cut to get the best grain.

Keep in mind that I really only build Bamboo backed bows .
Ash is a decent wood choice.

Need more input from the self bow board guys.

[LittleBen]

I think 1.5" sounds pretty narrow but probably ok if you keep the draw weight to a reasonably level, say 40# .... what weight and draw length are you shooting for?

[DaveMac]

@ Draffish I'm from Liverpool.
@ Littleben Sorry I wrote the dimensions the wrong way around its 1.5 " deep and very near 2" wide. Not long started  shooting my bow is 30# at 28" and my draw length is 28.5"

I was thinking B was the best then A and use C for risers etc.

Thanks for the input guys

[LittleBen]

Sounds good. 2" wide I think shoudl be fine with ash.

Just referenced the TBB volume I, which says:

for a 66" bow pulling 50# @ 28", the suggested width for ash is 1 3/4" wide. I think thats probably considering a perfect tiller and a perfect piece of wood.

I think I'd use the full width of the board and either make it a pyrimidal shape, or go full width from the fades to mid limb, then taper to 3/8" nockls or something like that

You can always narrow it later but you can't put any wood back on.

[DaveMac]

Originally posted by macbow:

Might have to lay out the bow at,a angle to the boards cut to get the best grain.

I thought about this, however the wood seems to have a curve in it. I'm worried that if I cut the board at an angle it will cause a twist