Stave and Board Bows

[ChristopherO]

This site and the Traditional Bower's Bible prompted me to cut and stave my first tree (instead of making firewood) of ash.  Those pieces are now drying in the garage attic.
As they sit my attention is turned to Board Bows and their uses.  Mickey's ,aka, Ferret, webpage was great to learn more about them.  My question is are board bows equal in performance to bows made of staves?  What are the similarities and differences of the two?  Anything you can teach me about them is greatly appreciated.

Oh, by the way, Ferret, was that Paxton Lumber where you purchased you board of Hickory in the pictorial?

[John Scifres]

Boards are wood.  Staves are wood.  Board bows are every bit as good as staves bows, all else being equal.

The best bow woods, osage and yew, don't often come in suitable boards.  But hickory does and it's just one half notch below osage and yew.

Readily available lumber woods like red oak, maple, and poplar don't make (on average) the best bows but they are fine to practice on.

[Lost Arra]

John Scifres                  

I think boards get a undeserved bad rap as a second class bow. Usually from poor board selection which results in a broken bow. Also the grip area is left too rectangular or blocky for my liking. I shape the grip and arrow pass just like a stave bow.

Pecan is also a great bow wood that can be found in a board suitable for a bow. It is in the hickory family. In fact, my first "hickory" board from Paxton's was really pecan.

[ChristopherO]

Thank you, gentlemen, for the feedback.  
I read so much about chasing the ring on staves that it seems odd that a board bow has nothing resembling a ring due to the milling process.  Is this why osage and yew aren't usually used in board bows?

[Dano]

Chris, you may want to look at Jawges site as well, he has some great info on building board bows.
   http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/boards.html

[Lost Arra]

Osage can be used as a board but it requires a backing like bamboo. I think yew is similar as a board (requires backing).

I live in osage country. I don't know squat about yew but I'm getting ready to learn. I picked up some at Mojam. (Thanks Ferret)    

Another good board bow site:
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000043

[John Scifres]

As for chasing a ring, that's why board selection is so critical.  You must find a board with the right grain.  That's the reason you don't have to chase a ring.  

Osage and yew will make board bows, it's just hard to find good boards of either.  Most yew I see is young, big growth ring stuff.  Most osage isn't cut right for board bows.  An unbacked osage board bow almost has to be edge-grain.  Then you have pin knots to worry about.  Osage has lots of those.  Most boards aren't cut for bows.

[dposalski]

At my local wood shop, they have all the hickory and pecan marked with both.  Any easy ways to tell the difference?

I made an oak bow and now made a hickory/pecan? one.  The tension feeling in the hickory compared to the oak was incredible.  It just felt like it wanted to be a bow.

[NorthShoreLB]

A RED OAK bow made from the right board is a much better bow than people like to admit    


...you can make bows from a lot of different types of wood/staves without having to chase a ring,...again a lot of good wood out there        

[John Scifres]

You can treat hickory and pecan the same with regards to making bows.

[ChristopherO]

You gentlemen have been very helpful.  Yes, I've read those links to learn as much as I can before creating kendeling.  
I stopped at the local saw mill this morning to enquire about Hickory.  They will be logging a woods in the next few weeks with pignut Hickory and will call when they are ready to saw it at the mill.  My thoughts after speaking with the man was that 1/4 sawn would be perferable but I notice that plain cut is acceptable, too, by some of those that have written on the subject.  Any preferences in the way the board is produced by those experienced?  I imagine that one style may be more stable and springy than the other.?.
I will probably dry it myself as he lets his lumber kilm dry down below 5% and then naturally lets it collect some moisture.  My concern is that that may make it too brittle for good bow wood.  I might have to pick up a board of his Ash just to whittle on in the mean time.

[NorthShoreLB]

Maybe 3 or 4 will be better, nothing better than practicing with your tools and getting a feeling for bending/tillering the wood, in the beginning I would spend more time working wood than asking to many questions or worrying to much about details, once you get a feel for it Q & Answers will make much more sense  

[Pat B]

Be sure you get the hickory boards as soon as they are cut and store them properly. It doesn't take long for fungi to attack the wood if it isn't cared for properly, especially in the warm moist climate of summer.   Pat

[Shakes.602]

Is it Best to Boo Back a Red Oak Board Blank?

[NorthShoreLB]

Not supposed to,..but if done right it can turn out a real good bow  

[Pat B]

I have hickory backed red oak with excellent results.   Pat

[John Scifres]

I've seen several nice boo backed red oak bows.  Choose your materials carefully.

However, I would not say it is "best" to back them.  Red oak, chosen carefully, makes a fine self bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

Board bows often perform just as well or better than bows from log staves. Thanks, Dano.    Jawge