Making backings

[Jamekin]

Hello fellas, I'm new to the world of making my own bow(s), but I am fairly well versed in archery, and in woodworking as well. I've been reading the traditional bowyers bible, and started a hickory board bow. I needed to make something.  It's coming along and I'm learning that tillering is tedious. I really would like to get into all wood laminates, either wood backed self bows or maybe full r/d type. Anywho, the questions have probably been asked or explained but I appreciate the time:

Do hickory backings need to be ring oriented or would a straight grained quartersawn work as well?
I think either works and ring oriented is better...

I've got access to some of the prettiest figured walnut..is it destined for risers or can I back it well enough to use it as a bow?

I'll end up using one of these in the upcoming deer season depending on what I can become proficient with. Don't tell anyone but I've been using a compound bow for years.

[Roy from Pa]

Hickory backings are great in straight grain 1/4 sawn.

Walnut is good for a belly lam, but not the best, but it should be straight grain. For belly wood, you do not want grain run on the edges of the bow. It could blow up at a severe grain run out point.

[Forwardhandle]

I just made some hickory backing & belly lam slats from a stave I was told 1/4 sawn was best but it was ok for flat sawn to ,I chose flat as I could get more lams , I have to figure out how to post pics here but I made a BBH with them that turned out great ! If I had a bigger stave I would have gone 1/4 sawn !

[Pat B]

A lot depends on how the hickory was handled off the stump. I've found over the years that any grain configuration makes a good hickory backing. Some of my first hickory backed bows had hickory backings that the grain was all over the place, some straight grain, some bias grain and some flat grain, some even had bad violations and none of them broke. The only hickory backing strip that failed was one that wasn't cared for properly for backing strips.  It was fine for it's original use, a mantle. The way it was stored(for 2 years) was on blocks in a garage in log form. Rot had gotten to it(doesn't take long) and it broke across grain when first stressed.
 I'm not saying to use any grain configuration for backing strips but try to find out how the wood was handled off the stump until you get it.
 Figured wood is beautiful in risers and under glass but, IMO, shouldn't be used it building wood bows, either for backs, bellies or core lams.

[Jamekin]

Thanks for all of the responses. I’ll take my time and get some good straight grained 8/4 hickory to make backings. I’ll just stick to furniture with the figured walnut. The wilder the grain, the better it looks as a table, not the better it performs as a bow... got it.

While on topic, I have quite a bit of white oak (post oak) I had milled and has air dried for a few years. I think most is close to 12% MC,maybe less I haven’t necked since last spring.  It’s not my favorite for furniture, and it’s all 8/4 flat sawn...

Would it possibly make a good backing or bow itself?
Could it be belly wood backed by some hickory or other?