Black Walnut Board Bow

[Greenwood20]

Hello,
Recently, a guy up the road from here gave me a black walnut board and I got a few six foot lengths out of it. I've never worked with BW before and did some research but could use some advice. I wanted to go with the ELB design at 50-55# at 28" and have seen mixed opinions about backing black walnut with hickory (which is what I had intended, likely trapping the backing). I'd hesitate to leave this board unbacked, but should hickory be used? Also, is a rounded belly with BW a definite no?
Thank you

[LittleBen]

In general a rounded belly is a no anytime you're pushing the boundaries.
I think hickory is going to be fine if you trap it to maybe 2/3 or even 1/2 of limb width ideally.
Lastly I think black walnut is not ideally suited to a narrow and/or round belly design. You might get away with it but almost certainly not at 55# and in any width typical of an English longbow unless you go stupidly long like 78" or something.
Personally I'd say if you're set on the BW, then go American style longbow, flat belly, reasonably wide and long with trapped back. Other than that you'll probably need to tiller that thing like a boss.

[Roy from Pa]

Here is a video of a walnut bow.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luQiJuJ9epI&list=UUD0ESYWAUqh8JXKtxJ8Mnvw

[Pat B]

I agree with Ben.
 I didn't watch all of Jimmy's video(that Roy posted) but I would trust anything he has to say on the matter.

[mikkekeswick]

Ash would make a better backing for it. Still trap it though. Hickory can work as i've made a few hickory backed black walnut elb's with flat bellies.

[bubby]

I've built a few and agree a flatbow, pyramid design is best route imo,i'd back it with hard maple made several this way and one backed with paper birch and they did great without trapping the back

[bubby]

now if ya want an elb style bow rip some down and build a tri lam with the walnut as core look's great and you can go narrow that way maple bl walnut yew look's nice

[LittleBen]

or ipe or osage for belly ...

Even something really common like black locust .... or in your area maybe hickory or birch would have a lot better chance than walnut to survive as a belly.

Or think about hophornbeam

[Greenwood20]

Thanks for all the advice. I glued up the trapped hickory backing and it's taking shape as a flat bow (I took inspiration from the video posted by Roy from Pa). I actually finished a bamboo backed ipe ELB this summer and am always working with hickory staves. I have a few more pieces of BW along with ash and maple that could be ripped into backings so I might do some experimenting...