I just want to check this plan out before I start on it...

[DRKJHSO]

I posted a few days ago on trying to select a bow wood for a laminate recurve. After some very helpful advice/opinions and help from volume 4 of the Bowyers Bible, I have decided on a hickory back, elm cored, osage bellied wood. I am trying to stay true to the area and not use synthetics or nonnative woods. Im going to follow the same perimeters and instructions as laid out in Bowyers Bible.

I think I will use tip wedges to help solidify the curve and stay away from an aggressive recurve design for this one.

I think I may go out next weekend sometime to find a decent osage, elm, and hickory. (Im still in college and find it hard to find time between that and farming). I think I may have the osage already from some fence posts I cut that are exceptionally straight. Might cut a smaller walnut as well just incase I change my mind on the core. Ill get the wood split, ends sealed, and dried naturally for a few months until planting is done so I can have some time. If not dry, ill stick them in a box. I have the M% and R.H. meters.

Bowyer Bible perimeters: (All Lams 1.75 inch wide)
64" ntn, 55 lbs
-12 inch wedges (.07" at butt)
-Belly lam (.180" parallel)
-Core (.002" taper with 0.19" butt)
-Back (1/32" parallel)
-Riser (18" long @ .3" thick at center)
-Overlay (3*0.3" thick pieces at 12" long)

Bowyers Bible uses Bamboo backing and osage core and belly, so I may be affected in weight with this design. Yet, its my first so Im more concerned about the structure, process, and adventure itself for now. Mostly worried about wood selection and compatibility!

[mikkekeswick]

Just follow the dimensions in the chapter on laminated bows. I've copied that design a few times and it's a great bow.
Your woods will be a great combo.

[Black Mockingbird]

Is this your first ever bow? If so I'd say its to ambitious(especially with no firsthand help around)... Start simple man,n try a few simple selfbows to get the hang of things...tillering a wooden bow is the hardest part,and it would be a shame it turned out broke,hinged,or a 20# bow in the end. On average it usually takes folks several bows and attempts to get the hang of tillering. Its the whole learn to crawl before ya walk,and learn to walk before ya start running adage.

BTW...osage is non native to your state,and was an introduced species  

[DRKJHSO]

Originally posted by Black Mockingbird:
Is this your first ever bow? If so I'd say its to ambitious(especially with no firsthand help around)... Start simple man,n try a few simple selfbows to get the hang of things...tillering a wooden bow is the hardest part,and it would be a shame it turned out broke,hinged,or a 20# bow in the end. On average it usually takes folks several bows and attempts to get the hang of tillering. Its the whole learn to crawl before ya walk,and learn to walk before ya start running adage.

BTW...osage is non native to your state,and was an introduced species    

Ha, true it is. But I see it as native anymore considering how widely its spread and how much it is used for farming purposes. A lot of people still pay good money for hedge posts. We have enough of our own to not need to buy them. But they will make good bows...

As far as your advice, its sound. I just dont feel like I can make a self bow like I can a laminate. I have experience with laminating stuff, but my wood working skills to shape out a bow limb as is are not as good.Ill look into it, but sometimes you gotta hit the ground running!    

[Roy from Pa]

Like Mike said, your wood choice is perfect. I say go for it, nothing ventured nothing gained.

[Black Mockingbird]

Its obvious you are being naive and don't understand...n that's OK.     it happens alot on the forums. Anybody can play with glue..heck my kids can do it. That experience will help you there,but that's the easy part most anyone can do. Tillering is where you make the bow which you have ZERO experience with. That knowledge of knowing how to laminate woods won't help you one bit. A simple selfbow is MUCH easier to attempt at first regradles of what you know before hand,and without any actualk tillering experience. A multi lam recurve is just too much for a first attempt IMO.

Besides it sounds like your harvesting your own wood and have to season it. Which means its going to take some time before its dry and you can use it. While that's drying quick dry a stave or two from it and try to make a simple bow and learn how to tiller. Tiller tiller tiller...that's how a bow is made. I can't emphasize this enough. You wont understand me until you get your hands dirty trying to make a bows limbs bend in a graceful even arc.

Don't listen to Roy...he's just playing Mr nice guy and doesn't want to discourage ya from trying  

[Roy from Pa]

Ah what's a tweety bird know?  

[DRKJHSO]

Originally posted by Black Mockingbird:
Its obvious you are being naive and don't understand...n that's OK.        it happens alot on the forums. Anybody can play with glue..heck my kids can do it. That experience will help you there,but that's the easy part most anyone can do. Tillering is where you make the bow which you have ZERO experience with. That knowledge of knowing how to laminate woods won't help you one bit. A simple selfbow is MUCH easier to attempt at first regradles of what you know before hand,and without any actualk tillering experience. A multi lam recurve is just too much for a first attempt IMO.

Besides it sounds like your harvesting your own wood and have to season it. Which means its going to take some time before its dry and you can use it. While that's drying quick dry a stave or two from it and try to make a simple bow and learn how to tiller. Tiller tiller tiller...that's how a bow is made. I can't emphasize this enough. You wont understand me until you get your hands dirty trying to make a bows limbs bend in a graceful even arc.

Don't listen to Roy...he's just playing Mr nice guy and doesn't want to discourage ya from trying    

:D  Maybe. You probably got it right...If im going to be waiting for a while to get the wood seasoned, I might as well. Boywers has a part in there about roughing out a bow and leaving the limbs parallel on all sides to prevent warping/twisting. Tie down to a 2x4 with spacers and itll dry relatively quick.

Would that be a possibility? Id rather cut down a straight hedge than to cut up one of my beautiful cured posts.    

I understand the tillering by the way. Its more about what I dont realize which is how hard/easy it actually is and the fine details that can only be learned through expirence. The tillering process itself seems relatively simple, but actually getting it right seems like it could be tricky. Ive heard you can use black locust to help one become a very good at tillering. Bad tiller ends up with chrysaling.

[monterey]

Just go ahead and do it!  It's not a major life decision, it's a fun project that may or may not work out.  There are no failures in bow building, only learning experiences.  

[Roy from Pa]

If you sweet talk ole black birdy, he may send you a stave to start on. He's a nice guy like that...

[DRKJHSO]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
If you sweet talk ole black birdy, he may send you a stave to start on. He's a nice guy like that...

Hehe, I may have too! By the way, been looking at some of your work...pretty awesome. Ill be looking at it when Im on my first lam!

[DRKJHSO]

Originally posted by monterey:
Just go ahead and do it!  It's not a major life decision, it's a fun project that may or may not work out.  There are no failures in bow building, only learning experiences.    

Yes, but it is true that it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a self bow while Im waiting on the wood to season. If i quick dry a tillered stave, I can atleast get down to the nitty gritty of learning how that works, even if it does break or check. It would just be expirence before I start in the lam. Good idea, no? Ill definelty try to get that wood cut pretty quick though, assuming I can identify my trees. I only know a few trees, such as good hunting tree, good hiding tree, good squirrel tree...dont know nothing about good bow tree    

[Black Mockingbird]

Hickory n elm saplings n others should be in your area and identifiable in winter. There easy to find,cut down, haul out,and rough down to near bow dimensions to quick dry them...and can make a mean bow. Another option is finding hickory or oak boards at lumber mills/stores. Just make sure you chose the right grain stock. There already dry and you can start work on them immediately while the wood ya cut is drying(the saplings and the ones for your laminate bow) ....    

And Roy's bows are "just OK"    

[Roy from Pa]

Here is a great link on how to chose a board and build a bow.

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000122

[monterey]

Oh, I agree, grab a stave or board and start in.  Just trying to emphasize the value of just jumping in.  The board suggestion is a  good idea.  Inexpensive and immediately available.

[ianpc]

While I have nothing like the talent that these guys have... The amount you learn from trying to get a board from lowes or Home Depot to bend nicely is priceless... I would start there for sure. I wasted a ton of nice wood trying things that I didn't fully understand.

[takefive]

Gotta agree with Black Mockingbird and the others; that is a tough bow to pull off for your first one.  An easier one to do is a bamboo backed osage bow, if you have your heart set on a lam bow.  There are build alongs for that on this site and a good one that I remember has Roy coaching a new bowyer thru making one.  Think that one had an Ipe belly, but you can use osage instead.  One of our sponsors, Echo Archery, was selling bamboo backing for $8 which is a super deal.

The lam bow in TBB4 is a R/D design, not a recurve.  Just curious if you were going to try a recurve off the design or do the R/D build in the future?  Either way, your wood choices for the lams are right on the money.

[takefive]

Here's the one I was thinking of.  It's a great read with tons of info while you're deciding your next move.  He went with a power lam, but you can just go with bamboo and osage as well.

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=009703;p=1

[DRKJHSO]

Ive gone out and sawed a small <6 inch log down. Straight as a arrow with no twists that I could see. I dont plan on it being my bow, but a good practice stave and hopefully a bow for my little bro. Probably will have to put it around 20ish lbs so he can pull it and itll be short, but itll be a good practice I think. Soon as I can get to it, ill hook up the trailer to the 4 wheeler and go cut a few big logs. I did some scouting and there is a few real nice osage logs that are straight with no twists and no knots on the surface. Also need to find that elm/walnut and hickory. Lots of it around, I just dont want to cut a huge tree down.

[DavidV]

Lol osage was very native to this state before the last ice age.

Where in MO are you?