All Wood Tri Lam Longbow?

[Osagetree]

Is it possible to have an all wood tri lam bow?
What would be the best wood for the belly?
Any examples out there to look at?

[Scott E]

Check out the Bull at rudderbowsarchery.com
its under bow building and then super staves.

[BamBooBender]

Yes. Javaman (greg coffey) used to make some really sweet ones.

[Ken Allen]

The ones i make i use raw bamboo backing and 4 laminations of osage. Not only is a tri-lam possible  they make some nice shooting bows.

[Jason Jelinek]

I've made them. Hickory on the back, walnut as the core and osage as the belly.  They looked great and I thought they worked well.

Jason

[Mark Smeltzer]

Here are a couple of my lam bows.
Mark
 
 

[Scott E]

Mark how did you make those beautiful bows? They are  realy sweet.i want to make one now.-Scott

[Jeremy]

Raw boo back, boo flooring belly and core:
 

I have a boo backed, osage belly and walnut core trilam as well, but that one still needs the finish.

[Shaun]

I saw and shot a Schultz "Natural" Hill style bow that had bamboo back and several lams - I think bamboo core and osage belly, but may have been all osage lams. I believe the bow is in Charlie Lamb's possesion, maybe he will chime in or you could PM him. This was one seriously shootable and fast bow - not to mention drop dead gorgeous.

[Buck Buckley]

Here is a Bamboo backed Jatoba with an Osage belly
 
 
 

[wingnut]

We build a lot of tri-lam "all natural" bows every year.  Check out the website for some examples.

As far as belly material; select one that is tough enough for the design you have in mind.  1/4 sawn osage is tough to beat in most instances.  If you get too radical, you might consider horn or baleen on the belly to protect it.

Mike

[mike g]

I always thought that a Bow built with a Yew Back, Bamboo core and an Osage Belly would be a good combo....
    I think My next Hill bow will be this combo....

[Scott E]

Does any have or know where I could get information on building a tri lam bow like the ones above.Thanks -Scott

[Jeremy]

Here's a build along I did for the above bow:
  SweetGrass  

This is the type of form I use to glue it up
 

[Mark Smeltzer]

Those Glue ups I did were done with a fire hose clamp. Raw boo back and a core lam and two belly lams.
Ask away scott, I would be happy to help.
Mark

[Scott E]

Did you have to use tapered lams? Do you start with a floor tillered stave and then just glue the belly and back lams on? Thanks for the help -scott

[wingnut-tdy]

In the next couple of months the Traditional Bowyers Bible #4 will be out.  There is a step by step instruction on building multi lam "all natural" bows.  It should help a bunch.

Mike

[Scott E]

I didn't even know they were coming out with a fourth. Thanks for the info Mike.

[Osagetree]

Excellent stuff guy's,,, thanks for the pics.

Now how do you tiller one, maybe from the sides like a glass bow?

[Mark Smeltzer]

I use a combo of tapers and parrallels all depends on what I want the belly to look like when I'm through tillering.

Mark