Author Topic: short osage bow???? (Read 12626 times)

jturkey · « **on:** January 19, 2011, 11:16:20 am »

I have started a short Osage bow it will be 52" inches from N2N and guessing around 60# draw would like to know if it is possible to get a 28 to 29 inch draw length out it. tillering looks good right now and i am up to 23 inches but looks like it is bending an awful lot. I just do not want to draw it if I am not sure it will make the desired draw length. i have several other stave to work with that are longer was wondering on this one. I did build up the handle so i could have a arrow rest using a slice of cherry and Osage for the build up and the handle is rigid.

wildkatt · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2011, 11:29:54 am »

An Indian bowyer Brother of mine says that from an Osage bow your maximum draw is half the length of the bow. so a 52 in. bow has a max draw of 26 inches. since i have 2 Osage bows that are 52 in. one at 55# one at 70# max both sinew backed all my arrows are 26 inch that way i dont ever over draw the bows. Hope this helps

Katt

Pappy · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2011, 11:30:33 am »

That is awful short for that kind of draw,sinew backed it might go that but without flipping the tip or re-curving it the string angle is going to be really bad,may even come off and will probably stack bad also. I would say 25/26 would be the max I would try and that would be pushing it for me.

Not saying it can't be done,but I wouldn't want to do it.

Pappy

jturkey · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2011, 11:42:26 am »

i am sorry i had a typo and did not catch it and i have another question. the n2n is not 52 inches it is 55.5 inches secondly it is a a semi self bow would i have to back it with a draw of 27 to 28 inches from what you guys have already mentioned. it is a present for my dad and i would like to get it right.if i have to back it does anyone know where i can get me some good quality canebrake rattlesnake skins.

Pat B · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2011, 11:50:43 am »

What do you mean..."semi selfbow"?

Pappy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2011, 11:51:34 am »

Thats still pretty short for 28,what do you mean by semi selfbow

Snake skins woun't help hold it together,they will be just for looks.

Pappy

jturkey · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2011, 12:27:29 pm »

selfbows to me are only one piece of wood (my defintion only) this one has a built up laminated handle area. hence my def of semi selfbow . sorry for confusion still learning all the definitions. and thanks for the post i do not want to use sinew on the bow and raw hide would not let the color show through would it. if i would have to back it i think i would use a clear piece of fiberglass that would show the wood clearly.

crooketarrow · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2011, 01:16:18 pm »

I once made a 58"60#@29" but added 3 lavers of sinew. Your's is really short and heavy at such a long draw. If you have a nice straight, knot free stave. Tiller really well you may have a chance. Likely with out sinewing it you end up with a lot of string follow. Try it and see.

jimmy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 20, 2011, 10:36:32 am »

i just made a 55" osage bow, and in my opinion, you just should not draw to 28" on a bow that short. you have to use some common sense, a bow that short is under a lot of stress. when it's overdrawn wood fibers start to break and your bow will start to take on set. why push it? just modify your anchor point when you shoot a bow that short. you don't have to plant your fingers at the corner of your mouth to be accurate. for example, on my short bows i bring the bottom of my palm to the corner of my mouth. with my fingers stretched out i buy myself a good 5-6 inches. instead of drawing 27" i'm only drawing 22". the bow is fine and i'm not worried. you can also eliminate a few inches of draw by bending your elbow on your left arm.

Kegan · « **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2011, 11:32:09 am »

Building both wooden bows and fiberglass laminated bows, I can tell you that trying to back it with fiberglass at any point won't help. You'd need to start off building the bow as a fiberglass laminate to use fiberglass.

Sinew would be your best choice. With sinew it would allow you to do exactly that. Likewise, a well done sinew backing looks great, especially on Osage. I'd make sure it bends through the handle. The past winter I built a 56" hickory D bow with little recurves and a sinew backing. It pulled only about 40# at my almost 30" draw. A little lighter than what you're looking for but hickory isn't as dense or elastic as Osage then either.

bcbull · « **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2011, 11:42:59 am »

if ur gonna put crane break skins on it why u worryin about the sinew blockin the looks ? ???if it was me id just sinew it and bulid it for what it is not a certian weight and if ya need to shorten the draw so be it use the wood as it tells ya to not as ya want each piece is diffrent and a 50 # will kill em just as dead as ^)# brock

koan · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2011, 04:43:17 pm »

My 1st bow is 56"...54" string groove to string groove and it handles 27" of draw no problem...but it does bend in the handle abit.. its 7 yrs old, i shoot it all the time and only took bout 1/8" of set.... osage is amazing stuff! Good luck and give it a try.. its only wood, lol

jturkey · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2011, 11:45:40 pm »

i just saw where you could put skin over sinew that i did not know you could do. bcbull i more worried about the sinew because of the 3 bows that i have seen with it on them i really did not like how they looked at all. great shooters all of them but not much to look at. this is my second selfbow i have madde several maple board bows and they shoot great. 45lbs@30" draw. walnut stained with a riser glued on made of redoak and tips made from the same red oak. was just seeing if the osage could produce this type of draw i used to use osage for pick handle instead of the hickory everyone else did and read alot about it i personally plan on keeping the draw shorter but was making it for my dad and he is a die hard have to pull to the cheeck man. but i do have a nother stave i will start in the morning and it is 64" tip to tip already taken down to a good growth ring.

i might have to trade him out and keep this one for myself. it draws very well now all i need to do is go get me some cane to make some more arrows out of. and learn how to knapp and i'll be set. thank you all for information and i will always keep it in mind. and i love the canbrake skins better than the old diamond backs and copperheads are getting hard to come by.i have a question about fiberglass but i will put that in a deffierent post so i do not forget where it was.

huntinoly · « **Reply #13 on:** January 21, 2011, 01:28:29 am »

I have a 57" ntn osage with a stiff handle that pulls 57# at 27" with no problem if you did a bend thru the handle style bow it should work. Greg

mullet · « **Reply #14 on:** January 21, 2011, 08:32:05 am »

I don't see any problem getting that draw length if you flip the tips and let it bend in the handle. Rawhide or sinew backing wouldn't hurt, either.

Primitive Archer