Local Lam materials

[EwokArcher]

Been reading a bunch of posts about making your own lams and lam grinders and im curious about using local materials to make lams.
Buying lams is looking like a minimal cost of 15$ per stick and if I can make my own I'd be able to cut out at least half of the cost per bow.
The first thing I thought of when I started thinking about making my own lams was getting some red oak boards from lowes, seemed like they would be easily accessible, easy to use and very economical.
I have dried hickory, osage, and black locust logs I could saw up but this would be a pain and they all have higher sg.
Any suggestions?
Thanks guys,
Ty

[Roy from Pa]

If I had dry hickory, osage, and black locust logs. I wouldn't even give oak boards a thought.

[Bowjunkie]

Do you have any sawmills or hardwood suppliers within reasonable driving distance? They're good places to check. I've come home with quite a few boards from local places the last month or two.

You can find good boards for lams on **** pretty cheap sometimes. Check out the curly, quilted, and birdseye hard maple there for instance.

[Bowjunkie]

**** is supposed to say the 'big auction site'.

[EwokArcher]

Ok bow junkie thanks for the tip, I live in Oklahoma City there is bound to be something around here.
 Roy I have all the supply I'll ever need for self bows, but I have the fiber glass bug :-/ or maybe that's just another dang fiberglass splinter im still trying to dig out! Ouch

[Roy from Pa]

Cool but I would not use oak. Do as Bowjunkie suggested.

[JamesV]

Red or white oak will make good lams for a glass bow.

[jsweka]

Something to consider is the number of bows you will make per year.  If it's a lot, then yes it is worth making your own lams.  If it's only a couple, it may not be worth it with the associated additional equipment costs and the amount of time it would take to recoup those initial costs.

I have made my own lams for a few bows and those bows turned out fine, but I found grinding lams to be the least satisfying part building a bow.  I don't build that many per year (probably 3 -6), so for me, I'll just buy them from one of the sponsors here.

[Bowjunkie]

I bought all my lams for many hears, but I'm able to grind my own lams for glass bows, trilams, backed bows, backings and such and wished I had the capability years prior.

This weekend was a good 'for instance'... grinding various lams at various tapers, for different kinds of bows, virtually upon whims. Grab a piece of wood, cut, grind, done in minutes... not waiting weeks or months. And suppliers don't always have what I want.

It's not about cost for me cuz I won't recoup any costs on any of my equipment since I don't sell them. It's just that I want to do it myself if I can.

[mater]

I like to experiment with different woods and combinations. You dont see many mulberry,honey locust,walnut,hack-berry,muslewood,beech,sycamore,and many other local woods. And they all make good bows.