Hey, A cabnet maker friend of mine gave me some cherry and oak boards cherry is 70" and some 63" oak same..got about 4 0f each..does cherry make good bow wood and what should I back it with? I was thinking maybe I could back cherry with oak and oak with cherry.. in a perfect world..have I had to many home brews??        

Shawn...

hickory would be better for backing, So would bamboo.

Actually maple or elm might be your best option for backing cherry. Neither are as strong in tension as hickory and not even close to boo so, especially for a new bowyer, maple or elm would be my pick. White oak might also be fine for backing cherry.
  A simple cloth backing will help hold a cherry bow together if that is what you are looking for.       Pat

Thanks, fellas..my friend has several maple boards he offered me..they are trim boards that are 8'x6"x1"..he needs 1 1/4"ripped off them then I can pick up the left over 4 3/4"... I,m lucky to have this wood and will experiment with it but would hate to screw it up..advice is welcome and appreiated...  

Shawn...

You will need to back the cherry but it makes a very nice bow. I have made several backed with rawhide and they are good shooters.

Remember that, concerning backings, you need to be even fussier with grain selection than you would selecting a board bow.

 A fairly long semi-pyramid bow in cherry can be a fast, sweet shooter.

 Red oak has made me a bunch of functional bows, and also likes a pyramid limb, or a kinda wide parallel limb that tapers quickly from about mid-limb.

 linen or burlap makes a good backing for either, but keep the backing thin on the cherry..

Remember that a wood backing needs to be quartersawn so that the grain is straight and parallel with no run offs  white oak make a great backing but shouldn't be more than 3/16" thick for cherry. I agree with Springbuck on a material backing. I've been using canvas from drop clothes which is a cheap source for material for cherry which I use a lot for making bows and if well made they seem to take less set that many domestic woods

black cherry is great in compression for its mass, but weak in tension. I'd back it with rawhide.

Hey,thanks haven't used the cherry yet..and the maple wasn't what I expected but will make arrow boxes out of it any way..started a oak paddle bow, but so far it is hidious...(sp)..I may post pic,s of it at a later date..need to make bbh next then cherry...sorry soo long of story...

Shawn...   :rolleyes: