Just finished this, my third longbow and first made with osage orange.    Got the stave (and the snakeskin) from a fellow Primitive Archer forumite here in Missouri.
Turned out pretty nice; it's a 45# pull at 28".  Smooth draw, and almost no hand-shock on release.
That snakeskin is a blacksnake, mostly applied to cover up numerous small tool marks that I was afraid to sand down too far.
The ring that forms the back of the bow was rather thin, and I didn't want to thin it any further.

Next....I'm thinking recurve....http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7da30b3127cce835d2fc44e2000000015108AcNGzh...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7da30b3127cce835d2fd64e3200000015108AcNGzh...

Very nice! 
Any other details?  Like did you do tip overlays, total length, or anything?  I really like the snake skin backing.  You did an excellent job on it.

I'm working on my second red oak board bow (linen backed) , then I'm thinking about trying to do a bamboo backed ipe (brazilian walnut) bow, loosely based of off of this:

http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/ipe7.htm

Maybe sometime in the future I'll do a fiberglass/wood laminate bow, it would be a fun (but expensive) project.
As you can see, I'm not doing this quite as traditionally as you are.

I'd like to thank you and CanDo, and others who have posted bow pictures, again for giving me the extra little nudge I needed to get into bowyering, even though I have done very little of it so far.

Very nice indeed, I like it 

I didn't use any tip overlays (though they do look nice) since this particular stave was rather "crowned".  That is, rounded. I'd have had to cut too deeply into the outer ring to make a flat gluing surface.
Maybe the next one.

I did a lot of research before working with the snakeskin.  Web "authorities" recommended everything from modern synthetic glues like Titebond II or III, to traditional "hide glue" techniques.

I went with the Knox gelatin method.  Knox is essentially hide glue (yechh, right?) and you just mix up a stiff mixture in a double boiler (you have to keep it warm) and apply with a paintbrush to bow and the skin.
Lay the pieces out carefully and smooth out any bubbles, then wrap the whole thing with cloth tape or elastic bandage.  A couple of days to dry, then you can cut away the excess with a sharp knife and clean up the edges with a fine file.
Oh, you have to remove the scales too.  (they're very loose, you just go over the skin with the sticky side of some duct tape.
Apply final finish and you're done!

Compound bows were invented in the 1950s or 60s, You must mean composite bows. 
   This is a compound bow:

     

I'm going to pass it on here- Do it!  This is a great website for beginners :

http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/

I used the instructions for the red oak board bow for my first two. 


A member here said something about bundle bows (for survival situations), I don't remember who.  I haven't done it.

http://www.primitiveways.com/bow_and_arrow.html

[quote]Compound bows were invented in the 1950s or 60s, You must mean composite bows[/quote]

Yep certainly did ;-)

I've heard of the cams/pulleys referred to as "training wheels."  There are some people who seem to despise compound bows.  I've shot one maybe 5 times or so.  They certainly are fun to shoot, but they really aren't bows.  I don't have anything against them, it's just that they aren't at all in the same league.  Plus, a good chunk of the fun, to me at least, is planning and making the bow, although I have just started doing that.  Not many people make their own compounds.