Black Walnut Bow?

[Bakes168]

We just got some black walnut trees cut down in our yard and I was wondering if it is good wood to make a bow out of.The heart wood is darker and feels kind of dry, but it looks nice.
Also if anyone has any tips on making a bow feel free to tell!
Thanks
Bakes  

[Jerry Jeffer]

I just got this bow made of Hickory and Walnut.
 
 

[bentpole]

Good ole Walnut makes great risers and limbs. Had walnut  limbs on my Mahaska it shot great.Hard and strong that's why they make gun stocks out of it.

[Pat B]

Self bow or glass backed?
   I have made a few BW self bows. I use the white(not so white) wood under the bark as the back and usually you will have a bit of heartwood in the handle. I have also used the heartwood with hickory backing. On an hickory backed BW heartwood ELB I made a few years ago it got some frets in the belly but the bow still shoots well.
  If you make a self bow with BW, follow Paul Comstock's overbuilt design.
   Also, don't allow any white woods(I consider BW a white wood) to lay on the ground for too long. It only takes a few days for fungi to invade and ruin it for self bows.     Pat

[shamus]

Walnut can be made into selfbows ()PatB pretty much covers it), or used as a handle riser for composites.

hickory backed lemonwood bow with walnut riser:

 

[Bakes168]

Thanks guys...
Pat, how do I get Paul's overbuild design?
Bakes

[Pat B]

Basically make it 68" long(for 28" draw), 2" at the fades and out the limbs to the last 6" or so then taper to the tips. You could probably go with 1 3/4" instead of 2".    Another bow would be a Cherokee style, bend through the handle bow of about 1 1/4" to 1 1/2 " for most of its length. This style works well with single side nocks on each end instead of a nock on each side of the limb tips. If your stave has a bit of prop twist you can use the side nocks to help control the twist. With a bow that bends through the handle you are allowing the entire bow to handle the stresses instead of each limb.       Pat

ps. Paul Comstock has a great little book, "The Bent Stick"(inexpensive) that explains this and other methods for the weaker white woods.