HBO question

[Blue EagleBum]

When chosing osage for a hickory backed osage bow, how much attention do you have to pay to the way the grain on the osage runs?

When chosing the hickory, do you have to have good grain running like a board bow of oak?

I really like osage and my father-in-law has some osage boards he cut on his sawmill. Yes it is nice to have a father-in-law with a sawmill.

[Pat B]

As long as you don't have drastic swirls or bad knots almost any osage will work for a backed bow. For hickory backings you want the same grain as you want for a hickory selfbow.

[Art B]

Couple things I've noticed about osage boards Wes. First, they're usually cut from large diameter logs, and you can get a lot a grain swirls as Pat mentioned. Another thing to look for is light and dark patches in the board. That's a good indication a grain deviation. Even using boards, you still want a good early/late wood ratio.

Just as long as you have nice straight grain for hickory about any configuration will work. Hickory degrades rather easily and you won't know how it's condition until you put it to a test. So to save yourself some heartache down the road, take the time to do a bend/break test on some scrape hickory that you'll be using for your backing. Your test piece should take a great bend without completely breaking into, where as a bad piece will easily snap........Art

[Blue EagleBum]

Thanks a lt for your input. Would bamboo be better than hickory. Or is a totally different beast.
Sorry to ask so many questions, I am currently reading the TTB IV, as time allows. But being pretty new I do have a lot of questions, and tend to question every move I make at this point.
I am very thankful for people like you ( Pat, and Art. ) for sharing your knowledge and for your patience.
Thanks again, Wes.

[Pat B]

Either boo or hickory will work fine. I prefer hickory because it is easier (less work) to do plus IMO it has a better chance of survival.