Southern Community Bow

[bullcreekboy]

It sounds like maybe the stave has finally arrived. Greg, there is a layer of cambrium still on the back that needs to be scraped off. Manny said it comes off real easy with a scraper.

[GregB]

Okay Shannon, I'll clean up, sand and burnish the back before anything else. Unless burnishing might cause someone a problem later on with applying backing...if so, please let me know. Pardon me, I forget who is getting the bow after Pappy and I finish with it.

I havn't picked it up yet, but plan to check it out and see if I think it could use some more reflex or not. If so, I'll floor tiller it before putting it on a form. After I take it off the form I'm going to wait so Pappy can take the lead for final tillering. Looking forward to getting started!

[GregB]

I've got the stave, and it looks like it ought to make a really nice bow.

It's 68" long, a little longer then we typically make our bows which run anywhere from 60-66". Pyramid style starting from 1-5/8" at the fades down 11/16" at the tips. I'll probably make the tips 7/16" and after relaying out, remove the excess limb width from the fades down. The fades are running a little longer also then we generally make ours, so it might be best to leave it at 68", or no less then maybe 66". I can easily make out the cambrium layer, so hopefully it should be easy to remove...almost tempted to use a drawknife but I'll start off with a scrapper and see.

Right now the limb thickness is 1" at the fades down to 5/8" at the tips. Being a pyramid bow, the final full-length limb thickness should be fairly constant from the fades out. I think I'll play it safe to begin with and layout a thickness at the fades of 5/8" down to 1/2" at the tips after I've first removed the cambrium layer. This should prepare the stave for putting on a form and adding a little reflex, but mostly to put some curvature in some flat spots along the limbs. The stave has 2" of reflex now, but not with a consistant curve full length of the limbs. Most of the reflex is due to a couple of short spots in each limb instead of full length.

If the wood (Guava)acts much like hickory, I think we should be okay with what I've discussed. If anyone with experience with guava thinks I should proceed differently, please feel free to speak up or forever hold your peace...cause I'm itchin' to get started!

[GregB]

Is anybody out there...?

I've got the bow just beginning to bend some while floor tillering. Just about ready to put on the form and try to get more constant curvature full length of the limbs. Had to take a little break, seems like guava will wear you out to!

[bullcreekboy]

Greg,
Was the cambrium layer easy to get off? Does it work like hickory? It sounds like you have it coming along nicely. It seems to be a pretty dense wood.

[Justin Snyder]

Is anybody out there...?

I've got the bow just beginning to bend some while floor tillering. Just about ready to put on the form and try to get more constant curvature full length of the limbs. Had to take a little break, seems like guava will wear you out to!

I'm no expert, (Ive only worked on one guava stave before) but be carefull heating it.  Go over it with a scraper or something to get it smooth.  I left mine a little rough because it was just a roughed out stave and it scorched the heck out of it. I had to cut 4" off each end.  I have never had that problem with Osage.  After I got it nice and smooth it seemed to heat and reflex with no problems. I couldn't scorch it if I wanted to.  Justin

[GregB]

Okay, I've got my son helping with posting some pictures...hope it works!

Showing the bow with part of the cambrium layer removed, used drawknife and scrapper. One of the pictures is showing the bow with the original reflex in it. Then after thinning the limb thickness, I put it on the form and really threw the heat to it. Hopefully it will take more curvature after removing, I'll leave it on the form until tomorrow afternoon.

Comments welcome!

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[bullcreekboy]

Lookin good Greg. Whats all that yellar stuff behind the guava LOL. Have you talked to Pappy to see how the hog hunt is going?

[GregB]

Bullcreekboy, the cambrium layer came off really easy...used drawknife to get off the bulk of it, then a scrapper and some sanding. I havn't heard from Pappy other then his wife told me they made it to Oklahoma without problems. That "yellar stuff" hopefully will be some finished osage bows one of these days.

Justin, it scorched a little but not very bad. I had scrapped out all the rasp marks after reducing the thickness. Most if not all of the scorched spots should be removed by tillering. I rubbed in a small amount of cooking oil prior to heating using a paper towell only on the belly and slightly up on the sides. I was careful not to get any on the back. That might have helped some, we usually put oil on white woods and occasionally osage prior to putting on forms.

[Hillbilly]

Lookin' good, Greg, that oughta make a good bow. Looking forward to seeing some pics in the future of that pile of squiggly yaller things, too.

[GregB]

Thanks Hillbilly! I went ahead and took the bow off the form this morning prior to going to work. Didn't want to leave it in my basement all day. Got it sitting over an air vent to hopefully keep it dry.

The reflex changed from 2" prior to putting on the form, to 3-1/8" coming off the form. I'm pleased with how it looks, and it has a better curvature full length of the limbs that should yield a better bow after tillering. I'll do some more floor tillering, but will be conservative. When Pappy returns, he can make his contribution by final tillering...I'll act as a second set of eyes. I'll probably shape the handle some more after tillering.

[GregB]

Not a good picture I'm afraid...got the bow off the form. Worked on floor tillering some more this evening. Also spent some time shaping the handle. Ready for Pappy at this point...he should be home tomorrow. I'm sure we'll work on it this weekend.

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[bullcreekboy]

Looking good Greg. What is your first impression of the wood? Do you think it will hold much of the reflex?

[GregB]

Like someone said, I think the wood works a lot like hickory. It seemed to take reflex well, although I heated it quite a bit. I havn't cut the string notches yet, didn't know for sure if Pappy wanted to leave it 68" or not.

I would guess at this point that after being shot in, it should be somewhere between laying straight to 1" of reflex. I would be pleased with that result. Pappy might want to recurve the tips, if that is something the team would like to see done. New wood for us though...might should be careful?

Who was the bow to go to after Pappy and I are finished with it? Is there a snakeskin or some other backing in its future?

[Pat B]

Greg, The bow looks good so far. Pappy will be pleased with how you set her up for him.  She's gonna be a cool bow.
  I got a package of beautifuly crafted stone heads in the mail today from Cowboy. Thanks Paul.    They are very well made with finely serrated edges and 3 of them are 131grs, 131grs and 128grs. The weight range in the lot of them goes from 74grs to 175grs. Since I will be using 3 different hardwoods for the arrows I will be checking the shaft weights so the points and shafts can be properly matched.   Am I hafting the heads or sending them to Justin with the shafts?    Pat