1st bow wood questions

[Tradtical Commando]

I am gonna try to make a bow for the first time. On build-alongs I keep seeing red oak. Can I use white oak? I have access to a lot of it.

Also has anyone heard of or used something called "bodak" "bow dark" or something like that?

The main types of wood that I have access to are white oak, black walnut, and maple. Are those doable for someone's first time?

[4est trekker]

White oak makes an excellent, forgiving bow.  The wood you referred to as "bow dark" is actually osage orange, or "bois d'arc".  Many consider this the granddaddy of all bow woods.

[Tradtical Commando]

Awesome, thank you!

[Tradtical Commando]

Ok, can you use... pin oak, sassafras, mulberry, and maple? Or would they only work as Lams? How about riser wood if I wanted to try something with several types of wood?

[Pat B]

You can build a bow with almost any wood as long as you design the bow to utilize the characteristics of the wood properly. Learn the tension values and compression values of the wood you want to use for a bow and design the bow to take advantage of those values.

[Bowjunkie]

Pat offered good advice. Of those you mentioned though, I would choose mulberry.

[Pat B]

I'd also go with the mulberry.

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes you can use white oak. Good wood. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

[Vgo750]

My first "good" shooter was white oak. Im working another white oak selfbow now too...very forgiving stuff.

[Tradtical Commando]

OK thanks for the info. Pat B you just blew my hair back. I know about as little about all of this as a man can...lol Tension and compression values?!? I see already that I am gonna be bugging y'all with a lot of dumb questions!

[tradhunterRN]

Tradtical

You said it brotha! Where can a fella find a good basic build-along for some newbie info? Should I just keep browsing the posts or does anyone have something bookmarked?

[Pat B]

Check out George Tsoukalas' site. It has all you need to know. Just look up 3 posts!
There are a few other sites also around.
Some woods are strong in tension like osage, hickory, locust, yew sapwood and others. Some woods are strong in compression like osage, yew, ipe and others. All woods are stronger in tension than they are in compression. A bow can be built with almost any wood if you design it properly for the wood used. It's up to you to determine which design best fits the tension and compression properties of the wood you choose for the selfbow you plan to build.
 If you use a wood that is tension strong but relatively weak in compression like hickory a trapped cross section(trapezoidal cross section)will lesson the tension and increase the compression properties of that bow. There are other tricks but learn to build bows with proper tiller first then expand your horizons with different styles and types of bows.

[takefive]

I was going to recommend George's site also, but Pat beat me to it.     Sam Harper has some at his Poor Folks Bows site as well and right here on TG if you scroll down the Main Forums page to Topics Archives, there is a Build Alongs section that has a ton of 'em.

[tradhunterRN]

Thank you Pat and takefive!

I actually clicked the link before I posted that, just hadn't read it yet. After reading the website later I realized that I had answered my question    

Thanks again guys!

[Tradtical Commando]

The one I am working on is a cross between the poor folks redwood bow and the "so you want to build a bow" build along on here. Heading to check out George Tsoukalas' site right now. Thankd for all the info!