Best way to saw log?

[macbow]

When taking a,log to the mill what is,the best cut for laminated wood bows?
Rift , flat, quarter?

[Pat B]

Ron, each one will have a different grain configuration. On my Treadway bow Mike put edge grain elm on the belly and flat grain elm on the back sort of a camo effect. I really don't think it matters under glass. Edge grain or bias grain for wood lam bows.

[J.F. Miller]

if you are talking core woods for backed wooden bows or tri-lams, any grain orientation will work, with quarter sawn being the most desirable  because it is the most stable and predictable, but it has to be clean. whenever I have osage logs sawn for board stock I take them to a bandsaw mill and have it slabbed into heavy 5/8" boards. I rip them up myself in order to get the best bow material, not the most board feet of lumber. always plenty of waste when cutting boards into slats.

[Bowjunkie]

I take 'laminated wood bows' to mean 'no glass'. As-in all wooden tri-lams, bamboo backed bows and such. I have made them with flat, rift, and quarter sawn wood and have developed a preference for clear quarter sawn and rift sawn for the reasons Jamie mentioned, they're more stable and predictable, but I won't hesitate to use a good clear flat sawn piece if that seems to be its calling.

The 'fancy' looking flat sawn stuff, or pieces with less desirable growth ring ratios, I reserve for glass bows.

So, if it's good woodbow wood like osage, yew, hophornbeam, etc basically I try to get as many quarter and rift sawn pieces from a log as I can, but try to make as much use of the remaining pieces as possible.

If the tree species is better for glass bows, say like sassafras or cherry, I try to end up with a good balance of quarter and flat sawn pieces.... quarter sawn for the core, and flat sawn for the visible stuff under clear glass.

[J.F. Miller]

and "waste" is often not a total loss. much of the stuff that I cannot or will not use for core material will become risers. some of it will become kindling, but not much.

[macbow]

Thanks everyone.

[Roy from Pa]

If you have them sawn into 2" thick boards by whatever width they may be, then you can orientate them to pretty much get 1/4 sawn, rift sawn, or flat sawn to suit your needs. I prefer 1/4 sawn then rift sawn.

I turned this Osage stave into slats. First with a table saw, then a band saw, then finished them up with a drum sander.