Black Walnut Bow Build

[kybow]

I am off an running on my 2nd bow from a stave. Its a Black Walnut stave 66" long that I want to make a cherokee style D bow. This is my first time posting so let me know if I need to include any thing.  I have read that I need to chase the ring on this wood so thats my starting point.  More to follow!

[tattoo dave]

Lookin forward to seeing the finished stick kybow!!!

Tattoo Dave

[kybow]

Thanks Dave, I'm having fun getting through the first ring (I think I'm scared to go to far to quick!).  I really want to have both sapwood and heartwood on this when its done.

[blackhawk]

Hey chad...I see your takin the harder route and chasing a ring for the sake of having heartwood in the bow. I've never tried chasin walnut before. How is it? And by the way I'm 0 for 2 with walnut 

[kybow]

Chris, it's a pain so far, it's hard seeing where the rings transition. I hope to work on it tomorrow so I will keep you posted and upload some pics. And thanks for telling me that!
- Chad

[Josh B]

Chasing rings on walnut sapwood is tough to be sure!  Good light and a wet rag to swipe across it are the key.  Good luck, Josh

[kybow]

Thanks Josh!

[TRACY]

Looks good so far KY. Chasing a ring on whitewood is tough but not impossible. Looks like you might get a break about half way through the sapwood. Keep it coming!

Tracy

[kybow]

Thanks Tracy, I got the ring chased and changed my design to a traditional self bow instead of the Cherokee style bow.  As you can see in the pics there was a little tear out on the side from the bandsaw! That caused me to go smaller  than the 1 1/2 width that I had layer out for the fades.  Because of that I decided what the hay...I took it down to the specs for the Cherokee bow, so now its a mix of the two.  The wood looks great from the oil i rubbed it down with to straighten it on the caul, hope it stays together!  I'm still floor tillering and will need to build a tillering tree to finish it.  Some of you will notice the shop in the new photos is at Twin Oaks, thanks Pappy!  He let me come down and play in the shop all weekend during the IBO Worlds.  Hot, but had a great time and it never hurts having a few experts around when you need them.  I had a ton of folks stop by and talk to me while I was working, most said that the bow would fail...more motivation to work on it! 

[Adam]

Looking good.  I'd say the only bow that's a failure is one that you don't learn anything from.  Not that it's much consolution when one breaks...

[TRACY]

From the pics I can't see the "failure" yet. And why would it fail?. Looks like it's on it's way to completion. Keep posting!

Tracy

[kybow]

Sorry its been so long since I have posted...busy! I did make a tillering tree!  I have included some recent photos of the bow strung up and wanted some advice on the tiller. There are a few spots that look like hinges to me but the more I look I think its the way the wood is.  Let me have it, what do you all think?

[blackhawk]

Just to clarify....you posted two pics of it on the tree,and I'm assuming they are looking at the bow from each side...correct?

If so,the first(top)draw pic the limb on the right is stiffer n needs scraped from mid limbs to tips,and the other limb does to but not as much. And you can see its stiffer also when you flipped it around to see it from the other side. Loosen that limb up a little first,then start working both limbs again from mid limbs out to the tips.

Glad ya haven't given up yet....keep going

[kybow]

Yes, I did flip the bow around(sorry I should have said that) good eye. Great I will work on that and post some more pics.  And thanks for the insight.