Where to buy backing

[stinkbelly]

I have recently begun to build a board bow and I am looking for some backing material.  I think I decided to use hickory but I am looking for the best/cheapest place to buy a piece or two.

The main cost seems to be with the shipping.  I was just quoted $25 for shipping.  I know it is long and expensive to ship but that doubles the cost.  

I am in the DFW, Texas area.  Would there be a place to pick some up locally?  I wouldn't even know where to start.

[Pat B]

Both Pine Hollow and 3Rivers carry hickory backings(both sponsors). You could have the supplier cut the backing in half to reduce the cost of shipping. A simple scarf joint and an overlay will join them back and keep them together.

[RomeoWhiskey]

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Bow+Building+Backings+%26+Lumber++Hickory+Backing_c49_s130_p0_i4431_product.html

Shipping is usually reasonable.

Your best bet would likely be to find a hard wood lumber supplier local to you and buy some hickory and cut it down yourself.  I'd suggest actually going to the facility yourself and explaining what your needs are so they'll let you look through the stack yourself so you can pick out a knot free straight grained board.  Rip it down to 1/8" thick strips and that should work as a backing.

Alternatively, go with bamboo.  You can get moso bamboo slats from  http://www.calibamboo.com/bambooslats.html  and they have free shipping.  The slats come in 72" by 1.75" slats and work really well for backing if you grind them down to 1/8" thick as well.  Takes a little more work than hickory, but I think the outcome is a bit better.

Of course this is coming from a guy who has predominant glass bow building experience.  The learned masters around here may provide better advice.

[Living_waters]

If it is hickory you want, Pat has told you straight, both suppliers will give you a premium piece of hickory. There are some **** sources but you really take your chances on getting a good piece of hickory. The grain on your backing strip needs to be perfect otherwise you might as well go with something else or nothing at all. Boo is a good backing material for some core woods.
What are you using as your board material?
Linen and silk are good backings for oak and maple medium weight board bows and it is cheap. 10 bucks will buy you enough backing from a fabric store to back 20 bows. I have a 58# silk backed board bow that was one of the first I made that is still perfect, I get it out every now and then to shoot just because and I bet it has shot well into the 5 figures of arrows.

[Living_waters]

oops sorry I used the auction site word, but I thought if you used it as a cuss word it would be ok LOL

[stinkbelly]

I am using red oak as the board.  I looked into silk and linen and almost went that way, but I don't know if I will like the finished look of it.  I know I will like the look of hickory and I love the look of bamboo.

[okie64]

If you have access to a tablesaw then I would suggest visiting a local lumber supplier and picking out a couple of hickory boards to rip down yourself. Hickory is fairly cheap lumber, for what one backing strip costs you can buy a couple of 1"x10"s at the lumberyard. Just make sure theres no knots and fairly straight grain.

[George Tsoukalas]

Silk and linen can be painted with designs. I've also used burlap. Never did a wood backing. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/