Bow woods

[M.Hogan]

Just wondering what Australian woods are good form building bows.
I tried to make a self bow this weekend out of a Australian piece of timber (Don't know what timber it was).
I succeed in making the bow and shot it a couple of times before it expoded into 5 pieces.

[ichiban]

the big three bow woods in aus are spotted gum and both red and grey iron bark, that being said there have been many good results with bluegum, blackbutt, silver top ash and golden elm.... there are heeps out there just perform a standard SG test and design the bow around that. or start with wide flat limbs, tiller it to full draw and over weight and reduce width untill a level of set your comfortable with emerges.

[M.Hogan]

Where abouts could i get these woods.
would bunnings have any of the woods you listed?
Can you make bows out of maple, I think I heard someone say you can?

[pdccr]

Some bunnings so stock the spotted gum floorboards although if you have a porters near you they stock them in decking which i find easier to use. I think bunnings might have an all australian hardwood package though...not sure.

[looseplucker]

Monaro Timber in Canberra carries good quantities of spotted gum - I get mine from there - and bamboo poles from bunnings will do.

[Mick Smith]

I haven't tried it yet, but black wattle is supposed to make a good selfbow. Black wattle grows in most areas and it's quite common. There's heaps growing around where I live in southern Victoria, mainly along roadside reserves and beside railway lines.

I'm going to harvest some soon to give it a go myself.

Mick

[M.Hogan]

What about Maple can you use it, I've heard some where you can, I think?

[ichiban]

yah maple is used in most mass produced "traditioanal" laminated bows but there are really 2 types of maple the hard stuff which is good for bow building and the soft stuff which sadly is avilable at magnet mart. the hard stuff goes under many names like rock maple, sugar maple, hard maple, hard rock maple, sugar rock maple, canadian rock maple..... seriously.... basicly if you cant push your finger nail into it then thats the right stuff.

cheers,
Dave

[Mick Smith]

This thread has lots of good info ... http://www.ozbow.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.p ... 269#p23269

Mick