Starting over. Board choice

[Keith Wolfe]

I have two boards to choose from. A pecan that i chased the rings or a quote"premium" piece of hickory i paid $20 for. Doesn't look too premium to me. The pecan is 2" wide and "premium hickory" is 1.5. Im thinking pecan. Growth ring has about 1" of reflex on top limb. I don't have backing strips and gotta roll with one as is.

Here's pecan.

Here's the "premium" hickory

[Forwardhandle]

Me personaly sense its a lighter draw & weight would take the hickory !

[Pat B]

Not much difference in pecan and hickory. Both are Carya genera. Looks like lots of run-offs on both pieces. How is the side grain? It is as important as the back grain.

[Keith Wolfe]

[Keith Wolfe]

That's the pecan. No runoffs 1st two back, next two belly. Yeah, i don't care what type of hickory. Choosing grain and growth rings. The 1.5" board has definite runoffs

[Keith Wolfe]

Top limb sides

Bottom limb sides

[Keith Wolfe]

From tips

Bottom

Top

[Wolftrail]

Didn't know ya could chase a ring on a board,  even so I broke my fair share of boards even having no run-off etc...laminate or otherwise, they just seem to break.  I can truly appreciate a good stave to work on.

[George Tsoukalas]

I have had success with big box red oak. I look for boards that ideally have straight grain from tip to tip. I allow 2 run outs per limb for a bend in the handle bow of 50#. For less weight more run outs are allowed. This is for unbacked bows...self-bows.

I look at the edge grain and the face grain. No knots...no matter how small. I see run outs on your boards but can't see how many.

You can always back it and hope for  the best. I've used linen, silk and burlap in that order and I would rate them in that order.

Jawge

[Keith Wolfe]

 Thanks!!! I got two new blanks, a stave, and backing strips in transit so shortly I'll have more options. Will post when they arrive. The first one may arrive tomorrow!!!

[Keith Wolfe]

Ok, I'm going to lay out my options as they started to arrive this evening. I'll have two staves to choose from, the previous two shown in this post we'll call pecan board and not so premium pignut board. Yet to come in the next couple of days is a floor tillered hickory self bow blank, 2 maple backings and two hickory backings that could be paired with any of the above options. Just got to get 45lbs  out of a 68" pyramid, 2" wide at fades(Or 1.875" if I use Stave B)  nocks .5" and .5" from the tips. Ill have some stave questions if i roll with stave A. Or B. As to how smooth to make backs, what to do with natural grooves and pits in the back here and there, and whether I'll need to straighten slight curve to the side, or will that work it's self out in tillering and bending/training the wood. Ok, Here's stave A. It also has slight natural reflex I would leave in. I'll get pics of B later

[Keith Wolfe]

If anyone has picsnof how smooth you work the backs 9n a hickory stave to compare apples to apples, I'd appreciate seeing those pics. Thanks

[Keith Wolfe]

More of Stave A.

[Keith Wolfe]

Here is stave B. I can go 1.875" wide with B where stave A. Is over 3". Already smoothed the back on B. The lines on sides and ends are 7/8ths inch from the back. In the pics of the staves side by side Stave A. Is the wider/shorter one. Both are Hickory from stave dealer Marc on etsy. High price but I'm ok with that since the quality seems to be there. Since this bow is for a important business client, I could use one of these where normally I would save them for myself!!!!!