Bows for covered wagon?

[Bibbyman]

We have a request to saw some material to make bows for a covered wagon.  The guy first asked for hickory 1x6 by 16' with no knots.  I told him I didn't think their was such a thing as hickory with no knots. He said ash would work.  As we had no ash logs,  let alone a clear one 16' long,  his third choice was white oak.  We can do that and agreed to make a couple for him to try. 

He asked for 1x6 so he could split them down and make 1x3s. Then plane them down to 5/8 by 2-3/4".  I think he'd be better off if we sawed them 3/4" x 3" and make them from the center line of the log to equalize stress.

I'm thinking red elm or sycamore may work as well.

Any wagon makers out there with covered wagon bow experience?

[hardtailjohn]

I use white oak...because that's what I can get. Never had one break prematurely yet.

[Al_Smith]

I know nothing about a covered wagon but I should think with white oaks ability to bend once steamed it would be a good choice .I only assume it has to be steamed .

[sprucebunny]

We used white oak to steam for boat ribs 2x3".

[beenthere]

Rather doubt sawn material was used for the early covered wagons. More likely some small diam saplings were cut green, bent, and dried in place.  But then these are more modern times.  ;D

[Bibbyman]

Rather doubt sawn material was used for the early covered wagons. More likely some small diam saplings were cut green, bent, and dried in place.  But then these are more modern times.  ;D

I would think splitting a pole down the center and then smooth and flatten with draw knife would be something like the pioneers would do.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Quarter sawn White Oak, but your idea for Red Elm would probably be almost as good.  Is he going to steam or fire bend them? I also think you should call him and ask to saw them as you thought best 3/4" x 3".

[tyb525]

I have sawn a few knotless hickorys, however they were 10'... not 16'. Elm and white oak should work well. I'm not sure how sycamore bends.

[Knute]

I wonder if basswood would work. One of our old neighbors told me his wagon racks were made of basswood.

[Bibbyman]

I have sawn a few knotless hickorys, however they were 10'... not 16'. Elm and white oak should work well. I'm not sure how sycamore bends.

It may be possible to find a pignut hickory deep in the woods that could make some knot free boards.

[mesquite buckeye]

Hackberry is as bendy as elm if you can get it.

[two tired]

Bibby we use 3/4" x 1 1/2" for the ox wagon, bend it as soon as possible after it is sawn.

[hackberry jake]

Around here it wouldn't be hard to get knot free scaly bark hickory, they usually grow straighter with less limbs than the other hickories we have.

[Al_Smith]

The hickorys are the same here .Some skinny as a rail and 80 feet tall .

As far as historical accuracy the glory days of the Conestoga wagon was 1820 to 1840 . By that period of time there obviously were saw mills so it's not out of the realm of possibibley the staves could have been sawn and steamed .

[scottmtfarm]

I used to help a guy make covered wagons used for modern wagon trains.  We used White Oak and hickory with hickory being prefered, but none of the bows were 16'.  Most were only 10'.  They were cut on on the sawmill as 10/4 slabs and then ripped in 1/2" by 2 1/2" strips.  They were planned lightly, run through a table router to give the top corners a rounded profile, soaked in water, and wrapped over a wooded form to dry.  Whatever wood you used it must have good grain and free of knots or the bows will break.  I have one of the wagons in the shed at home.  I will try to take a close up pic of the bows if you would like.

[hardtailjohn]

Rather doubt sawn material was used for the early covered wagons. More likely some small diam saplings were cut green, bent, and dried in place.  But then these are more modern times.  ;D

Actually, if you look at the bow brackets, it's sawn lumber that was used.

[beenthere]

And what year do you think that was?

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Much of the wagon work done in this country was all saw work (some riven, then planned.)  Pit sawn in the early 1600's through 1700's then moving to sash and circle mill by 1800-1820.

[Handy Andy]

  My grandpa used to go around driving his wagon behind a team of horses, I remember him stopping at our house and my sister and I rode with him over to his sisters house.  My sis was older, and she sat on the seat with Grampa, but I was scared to sit on the seat so rode in the back.  My aunt said he used to put boards in the brackets and throw a tarp over the wagon and go fishing for a few days, and sleep under the wagon. That was his idea of a vacation.