Posted: 3/9/2014 1:12:03 PM EDT
|
Please excuse me if I get some terminologies wrong. I'm primarily a blade maker and I'm currently making a boar spear for a customer. After finishing the shaft for the spear I have some 1 1/2" X 1 1/8" X 5' Ash left over. I've always wanted to try my hand at making a traditional bow. I made a small laminated recurve bow a few years back from cherry that was way too stiff and ended up breaking. Is Ash a good wood for a bow? The piece I have has a nice straight grain. What thickness of arm is optimal for flexibility? I would imagine the thickness would have to taper out from the handle. Thank you for any input you all might have.
|
“If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” ~ Mark Twain
fallenoakforge.blogspot.com
fallenoakforge.blogspot.com
|
I'm not sure if Ash is a good wood for a bow. It seems like it would be too stiff. I haven't been to Primitive Archer in a while, so I dunno if its true or not.
You want a good mix of flexibility and stiffness for a bow. That's why osage and yew and even hickory make good bows. I think Ash may even be too heavy for arrows. |
|
ash isnt the best choice for a bow
but it will make a good bow if the right piece of wood is chosen im guessing this is in board form if so you want it to be quarter sawn lumber with little to no run off from end to end as far as thickness goes every two pieces of wood of the same species of tree made in to identical bows will have slightly different demensions this because growth ring thickness varies the same growth ring can be thicker or thinner in different areas in the circumference of the tree not to mention from top to bottom its going to be thicker/thinner also the current osage bow i am making is only about 62" long and the difference from end to end in the thickness of the same growth ring is quit noticeable there for to get the limbs to bend evenly the limb thickness varies from one limb to the other for the best advise on making a self bow i recomend either getting the TRADITONAL BOWYERS BIBLE series of books,or go to PALEO PLANET . COM some of the best bow makers in the world are there as far as your cherry bow being to stiff,could have been bu that is very common to have happen for cherry when making a self bow cherry is not that great of a bow wood for some reason the old adage of "if it has thornsor grows fruit or nuts it will make a good bow" doesnt apply to cherry |
|
all good bow woods are stiff
what matters is how well it can handle compression and tension also the specific gravity of the wood helps to determine if its a good bow wood woods with low sg dont make good bow woods,nor do woods that cant handle tension and compression |
A little short for a Storm Trooper
Joined:
Jul 2004
Posts:
11743
EE: 100% (1)
PA, USA