Mechanical properties for woods.

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on the mechanical properties of various woods suitable for bow building, specifically seeking information on woods like hard rock maple, yew, bamboo, cocobolo, bolivian rosewood, and bocote. Participants explore what material properties contribute to a wood's effectiveness as a spring, particularly its ability to return to its rest position quickly after being bent.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the difficulty in finding mechanical properties for specific woods used in bow building, contrasting this with the availability of such properties for woods used in construction.
  • Another participant suggests that many archers and bow builders rely on experiential knowledge rather than scientific data regarding the mechanical properties of woods.
  • A participant mentions that modulus, tensile strength, and flexural rupture are relevant properties for understanding how much a wood can bend and its springiness, referencing Hooke's Law.
  • ASTM D143 is proposed as a potential source for determining the mechanical properties of woods, with a suggestion to search for it on Google Scholar.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the availability and importance of scientific data regarding the mechanical properties of woods for bow building. While some emphasize the reliance on experience, others advocate for a more scientific approach.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in available data and the reliance on anecdotal evidence within the bow building community. There is also mention of specific testing standards (ASTM D143) without detailing the outcomes or applicability to the woods in question.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to bow builders, materials scientists, and those researching the mechanical properties of woods in the context of archery and construction.

Thorvald
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Hi.

It is relative easy to find mechanical properties for woods that can be used in building construction. But I would like to find mechanical properties for woods that can be used in bow building. That would be properties for woods such as hard rock maple, yew, bamboo, cocobolo, bolivian rosewood, bocote and such. And an additional question is: What material properties determines if a wood is good as a spring, i.e. when it is bent and released it returns to it's rest position as fast as possible.

Below is some examples of woods from a book I have.

Mechanicalpropertiesofwood.jpg


By the way - I think "Pokkenholt" is Lignum Vitae.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
Maybe, but I doubt it. I am on AIUK (the first link). The two other fora is rather unknown to me. But in general archers and even bow builders (as far as I know) doesn't know the mechanical properties of the woods they are using. Because they go by experience: If the limb is so and so thick, and made of this wood, it gives a draw force of XX lbs. But I'd rather like to go the more scientific route. The closest to something that I might be able to use is this: (Well couldn't get the link, the site didn't work. But it is at www.binghamprojects.com. I have attached it. But this is for the bow as a whole and probably with laminations and with fibreglass. Also it doesn't mention what bow woods the chart is based on.
 

Attachments

modulus pertains to springiness (hookes law) and tensile strength, or even better, flexural rupture will give u an idea of how much it can bend.

I think ASTM D143 has proceedures to determine these values, so u might want to use that as a google scholar search termgood luck
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Local mechanism for nonlocal anticorrelations inside spin theory
  • · Replies 74 ·
3
Replies
74
Views
5K
Need Help Designing Mechanism for Automatic Spring Return
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Undergrad A novel explanation of CKM and PMNS matrix parameters
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Undergrad A contradiction in quantum mechanics
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Mechanical Engineering (BS) Vs. Pursuing Physics PhD
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Mechanical vibration spring/mass help
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Graduate Unveiling the Contextual Nature of Quantum Mechanics
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
Determine the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the table
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
6K
Undergrad Construction of the Roman Onager (catapult)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
21K
Experimental physics: A long time hate has become the love of life
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K