# board bows and fiberglass



## teech (Jun 26, 2007)

Does it make sense to make a laminated board bow? I have made two board bows but neither lasted very long. I have been using the fiberglass drywall tape for backing but was thinking of buying strips of fiberglass for both sides of the bow. Does this make sense or would it be a waste of time and money? Would this help strengthen it? I'm new to this whole bowbuilding thing but it sure is addictive.


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## MikeByrge (Jan 4, 2005)

I have made several glass-backed / wood-core bows and IMO it is a good way to make and inexpensive durable bow.

Keep in mind that it won't perform any better than an all-natural, backed-bow and it for sure shouldn't be "called" a self bow or allowed in the self-bow class.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Waste of money IMO. Just look for a STRAIGHT grained board, or split out a stave. Such a bow will last years and years and is easy to make. Try these dimensions for a D bow:

62-72" long (depending on desired weight, cut it shorter aftr the bow is finished in 1" increments)

1 1/4" wide in the middle 4 1/2", tapering in straight lines to 5/8" tips (leaving it 1 1/2" wide works better, but may be harder to hold)

5/8" thick at the middle 4 1/2" tapering to 3/8" at the tips

Back it with some silk, linen, or anyhting that doesn't stretch and resists breaking (butcher paer works well). I am hunting this year with such a bow, of hickory, with a sinew back. These bows are much easier to tiller, take less time to make (so you can go slow and still finish it in a weekend). Just keep the grain straight and it'll be fine.

P.S. If you find the handle too hard to hold, put a leather rip on it. If it is still too hard to hold, just build it up with a little bit of cork.


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## teech (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. I am not too worried about being able to call it selfbow at this point, I just want something that won't break in 20 or 30 shots. If the fiberglass would keep it from breaking I would definitely go this route. I have a 72 inch red oak board with straight grain, and was planning on using this. 
I'll use the dimensions Kegan gave, but concerning the backing, would the fiberglass strengthen it more than the other materials mentioned?

Also, any recomendations on breaking the bow in during tillering, such as pulling it to 10 inches 50 times and so on. Is this really important to do?
Thanks


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## MikeByrge (Jan 4, 2005)

I couldn't tell you "how many times" but I do exercise a bow alot during the tillering process. It is important to pull it everytime you take wood off and it is also very important to not "over stress" it while you are tillering. 

Eg. If your target weight is 55# don't every pull it past 55#.

I would NOT back a red oak board with glass, hickory, bamboo or any backing that adds strength to the bow. Red Oak just doesn't have the compression strength to handle a backing.

I've made enough bows to consider myself experienced but I've had very marginal success with red oak. I've seen good red oak bows but I've never been able to make one.

I agree with Kegan...If you can find a good board and back it with rawhide, linen, silk, etc. you can make a good shooting, durable bow in less time and cheaper than backing it with glass. Sometime the problem is finding a board sutiable for making a bow. Hickory is a good choice 'cause evern marginal boards will make a good bow if backed.

Send me a PM...I can get you a piece of hickory if you can't find one locally.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

I agree with Mike- red oak boards are finicky with "hard backings" like fiberglass and wood- especially bamboo, but a red oak stave could handle a hickory backing if done right, though it would be straight grained and wouldn't need a backing.

Of all the backings out there, sinew, rawhide, and even silk, and the best. But a stave or straight grained board is all important. Another thing to help with detering breakage is to build it like the above D, leave it long, and leave it light (45-50# max). Such a bow will take a deer, and won't over stress the wood badly.

My favorite way to break a bow in is to leave it strung over night. These bows are less likely to break when tillering further or (if you are like me) puliing it back to full draw from there. I usually can feel if the wood is ready, and I have yet to have any problems after leaving it strung at brace height over night. 

A backed bow of red oak built by these rules and built SLOWLY will almost definately work.


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## teech (Jun 26, 2007)

I do have access to some hickory and may try cutting some staves and going this route. Another thing I noticed with the bows I've already built, although they weren't very good to begin with since they broke pretty quick, was more string follow than I wanted. What is a normal amount of string follow?


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

A very well built bow will have no string follow. A normal bow however will have couple inches (especially if you're using lighter woods or woods not great in compression). Heating the bellywith a heat gun or over a fire helps remove moisture from the belly and add cast and reduce string follow.


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