A question on one of my more...ambitious projects

[KShip85]

Ok, well here is something that I have been working on off and on now for a little while.  Got the idea from TBB3 for the design and just decided to try all kinds of different wood in it, if nothing else it might at least look purdy, lol.  Anyway...the main core is cherry taken from a board, I was going to use a piece I had cut but it was less than pristine.  My thought with using it for the core was that it is a nice wood in terms of looks and also has a great hystersis value, and I was hoping with sinew on the back and horn on the belly I would negate some of cherry's issues with crysaling and breaking in tension.  The outer limbs are ERC with what I believe to be silver maple at the tips.  The thought here was use something nice and light, and then the cedar was also a nice looking contrast I thought.  The joint of the ERC and silver maple I am planning on reinforcing some how, possible with a sinew cord going from branch to branch to deal with the tension stress that is going to be there.  The glued section joining the limbs together is a rectangular dogwood piece.  I am having second thoughts about its strength and plan to reinforce both sides of the joint with some edge grain shagbark hickory pieces I have had laying around.  The handle is laminated layers of walnut, cedar and osage on the cherry core.  Part of me is concerned about the cedar limbs blowing even though they should not bend because the back rings are violated and this stuff has proven brittle at times to me in the past.  I am thinking about gluing a strip of something over them to help with the tension, maybe let the top hickory joint reinforcement run the length of the limb...I dunno.  Anyway there it is, I question posting this because I think I am insane for even trying it with any expectation of it holding together at all, but I guess experimenting is part of the fun of it.  I have some sinew laying around here (had more but my lovely little beagle found it after my wife put the bags I had shredded in a box of "my stuff" on the floor...they were on the desk for a reason...lol) but I will probably need more.  Also I have some horn and am completely unsure of where to go with it, this is my first trek into the composite bow world and I think i went off the deep end...anyway any help, general advice, or "stop now you fool it will never work"s are appreciated as I have no idea where to go from here.  She's a mutt for sure, but you have to admit she is a pretty mutt  lol.  Thanks again all.

Kip

[Hojo]

My vote goes to:  "stop now you fool it will never work."   
Those silver maple tips scare me.  Good luck with it if you decide to keep going. 

[Pappy]

No advice,never done anything like that before.Good luck,one thing you are for sure right about it will be pretty if it stays in one piece. I really doubt it does but I have seen a lot of projects on here
that I didn't think would make it and they did.Go for it and keep us updated on how it is going.
   Pappy

[Kviljo]

I would cut of the recurves and sinew it, tiller, and shoot it. If you want to make a horn bow, duplicate an old bow which have been developed to put the materials to the best use.

The splices between the inner and outer limbs are not going to be able to take any kind of stretch withouth having the transverse glue lines fail. I would put some wood over them on the back side too.

Such projects are fun to do from time to time, as one learns a lot from them!

[KenH]

  I missed the first picture, and from the second (back) photo  I thought you had made a pieced together Mollegabet - but then I noticed the siyahs.  Frankly I don't think they'll work either.  The angle is too extreme, and the glue surface seems far too small. Your 'keystone' splices are interesting but you'd get more glued surface with a V or W joint.  I don't know why you bothereed choosing woods for contrast and color, when they'll be covered by sinew and and outer cover.

[Parnell]

I applaud you fo trying something different!  Even if it doesn't work, it's all for learning and sure is interesting.

[RyanY]

Thats pretty sweet looking. I would have chosen hickory but whatev. If anything make sure you do some reenforcement on those splices and back the cherry with something. What's the length? If its long enough it might be able to work.

[The Gopher]

my first thought was, "this will never work in a million years"

my second thought was, "these are all the exact same responses people gave rich when he started his first carved bow", look at rich's carved bows now!

although i still think that the glue line will fail, i have a different opinion of what can and can't be thought of as impossible... Thanks Rich!

[Jesse]

I too aplaud you for trying something different. Im afraid you are right however that like said those glue lines just wont hold. I dont think short glue lines on the end grain like that even hold well on non flexing items like furniture.   Im no pro but if it were mine I would redesign the siyahs or remove them . Also as mentioned apply a backing and a belly lamination. You might end up with a really heavy bow though to avoid going through the belly lam while tillering.  Good luck though I hope it works out. Would be one of a king for sure