Moso bamboo works good

[Mike Mecredy]

Everyone, I've read not to use moso 'boo for backing bows because it doesn't work well. But a few weeks back I found a deal for 25 moso slats for $100 and I bought them to give them the test.  It performs as well as any other bamboo, in fact it may even be better since it has less nodes.  

So just in case you're ever wondering, yes it works.  

-Mike

[AALLFAB]

did you use it in limb cores or just back a self bow or what did you do exactly and what all testing did you do to determine it is as good as Tonkin cane or another bamboo. Jim

[Shaun]

Moso makes fine backing for BBO's. In fact, many bows that claim to have Tonkin backing are likely Moso as Tonkin seldom gets larger than 2" diameter. John Strutevan (sp) has used it for years and makes some of the finest BBO bows around.

[Mike Mecredy]

I forgot to mention; the bow is bamboo backed osage board, 4" "z" spliced in handle, 1" wide, 6" handle area, 66" nock to nock, 45# @ 28". It took minimum follow as well, maybe 1" at the most.  I've made dozens of these and this one's about the best so far.    

I got the stuff from cali bamboo, 2" wide strips, 6' long, 25 slats fro $100.  It was all very pristine, with few tool marks/defect on the rind.  The shipping was $30 or so. I've also gotten boo from rattan and bamboo works that wasn't quite as well handled as this, but they're still good too.  Their's is tiawan 'boo I think.

As for testing, Jim, I went through the same tillering proceedures as I always do, (scrape, brace with long string, draw to 1# less than desired draw weight, once I get within 3 inches of the draw length, I go to a standard string, and do the same thing, and repeat until I got 45# @ 28" with a 6" brace ht. ) I sanded down so I saw no tool marks, strung it up, got a 6" brace ht. and took it out and shot it.  It performs as well as any other boo backed bow as I've ever made.  I don't have a chronograph but I was shooting it at 30 yrds with a 500 gr arrow and the cast was fast enough and plenty flat to see it performs good.

The thing I see that's an improvment over the other breeds I've used, is the fact that in it's entire length it only has 4 nodes.  Granted the nodes themselves are tough, but the places on each side of the nodes are a little weaker than the rest of it.  I've used some with nodes 9 inches apart and had 7 nodes on the back, and for me the less the better.

[Dean Marlow]

I get my bamboo from Cali bamboo also. Can't beat the price either. Never had one lift a splinter yet. Dean

[B M A]

Good information Mike.  Thank you.  Brock

[dutchwarbow]

moso bamboo is what I use indeed  

Nick

[Bob Barnes]

it's all I ever use...
Bob

[No-sage]

Moso works for a bow.... but other bamboos work better.

Try some Madake or some Hachiku sometime.  I think you'll look at Moso differently.

[PZee]

Hey Nick,

Was looking at your BBB last night after I read this post. Have your bows taken any set?

Thanks  Pete

[dutchwarbow]

Pete, yes they take set. quite a bit more than ipe. But this stuff is elastic!!!

glue in 10" of reflex on a 60" bow, you may walk away with 'only' 6". But it will be a great shooter.

james parker has made a bbb that was 54" long, stiff siyahs and handle, drawing 60#@30". this is it:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,12437.0.html

my 58" recurve that draws 60#@29" has taken 3" of set. but shoots nice! It's my second BBB, and I'm far from perfectioning this technique.

big advantage of boo is it's elasticity. You can make really short bows wich still perform nicely. Plus, if you glue a nice shape into then, they look so incredibly awesome...  

Nick

[michaelschwister]

I have made about 30 bows with moso, and all have cracked/splintered off the back over time.  I do make my bows @70#, so this may affect the outcome.  I now use madake. If it also splinters it will be back to plain ol air backed osage = bulletproof.

[Paul/KS]

A bow that matches the above description just arrived here today...
Guess I'll need to do some field testing...  :D

[Roy from Pa]

I have tried Moso, yes it makes Bow's. Sometimes you get lucky. But I will use Maso.

[Mike Mecredy]

Keep in mind here; even when talking about a bamboo backed wood bow, long and narrow, with a round belly cross section, there are many variables.  They aren't all made the same. Some long narrow and thick, some long wide and thin, some short wide and flat etc etc.  The ratio of wood thickness to bamboo thickness for instance.  If you leave the bamboo too thick it will actually work against it's self.  In a bow with one glue line, the inside of the bamboo can actually put additional strain on the back if it's too thick, and excess compression on the belly.  But if you keep the bamboo thin like a backing should be, about 3/16" thick or less and the majority of the total thickness wood, the back won't be strain as much and compression force tolerable.  Unfortunately I found this out fairly recently through trial and error.  A uniform thickness in the bamboo backing is important too; keep it paralell, leave the tapering to the wood.  The last several I made I used a lamination grinder to flaten and thin the slats and when I feed it through I put it on a strip of 1/2" styro foam insulation and took off about 1/16" at a time.  This way the part with the nodes didn't end up thinner than the parts without nodes keeping the thickness uniform without weak spots.  (As it feed through the lam grinder, the nodes sank into the styrofoam the result was a perfectly flat backing strip) The strips I use for backing I can effortlessly roll it in a hoop almost like Fiberglass.  
I also like to keep those bows 68" or longer, and limit the draw weight to 50# @ 28" and under.