too short?

[Catnapper]

Hey everyone I have a question. While trying to recurve a piece of osage I broke a tip off. After trimming the other side to match I ended up with a 48 ntn piece of wood. It is 1.25" wide to mid limb then tapers to 1/2" nocks. It has a 4" stiff handle with 2" fades. My question is is it even possible to make this shorty into a decent hunting weight bow or should I just start over?

[John K]

Hey catnapper, got any pics of whats going on ?

I think you might be able to get it bending through the handle, put some pin nocks on it and be able to get a hunting weight bow out of it. If any wood can do it, Osage can, i'm no "expert" so take it for what it worth 

Love to see some pics 

[Catnapper]

I will try to get some pics posted but it won't be for a day or two since my computer kicked the bucket. (my phone won't let me post pics.)  I was thinking I might have to make a bendy handle also. It will be a first for me. It does currently have a bit  of deflex heated into it. (from the original bow design.)

[Badger]

  I would try and deflex it right out of the handle and then reflex or recurve the tips about even with the back of the bow. Might be a bit narrow for 50# at that length but I think it stands a fair shot of pulling it off.

[mullet]

I'd do as Steve said and raise you one, "bend in the handle"

[Catnapper]

I'm liking all of these ideas! Now for the next question.  Assuming all else goes smooth what is the maximum draw length I can expect to achieve? 

[PatM]

Splice some tips in. You can make it any length you want.

[Pat B]

Under ideal circumstances and perfect tiller you should be able to get1/2 the overall length as your draw length. With a sinew back probably a bit more.
  How did you break the tip of an osage stave? 

[4est Trekker]

I was working not too long ago on a really nice 64" osage recurve.  One tip bent perfectly...the other not so much.  In the end, I was left with a stave too short for much.  So, I did just as PatM suggested and built this little siyahed recurve for my brother in law. I used 1/4 sawn ash for the siyahs, a simple tapered butt joint, and Urac. I then wrapped the joints with linen thread and saturated them with glue.  It turned out to be a fast, smooth, sweet shooter. 

[Catnapper]

That is a nice looking bow!  Mine started out as a 60 inch bow. It is my first time trying to bend wood with heat and I think I may have over cooked it and got it to brittle. It snapped off six inches of the tip. I am new to bow making so there may have been other errors as well. Haha but I'm gonna stick with because I love the looks of all the osage recurves I see posted. I'm determined get one under my belt. LOL ( even though my girlfriend is disgruntled with the amount of money I spend on osage)

[mullet]

I think you can get closer to 26". If it was me I'd go for 28"

[criveraville]

Nope.. fix it up.. with splices.. Heres a link on shortbows

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,25626.0.html

And here is a bow that broke while bending, but was saved with a splice

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,25370.0.html

[Justin Snyder]

With a little bit of recurve and some deflex in the handle you can extend the draw length. The deflex in the handle will take a lot of stress off the limbs at full draw. Back it with sinew or bamboo and you can get a lot of bow out of that much wood.

This design could easily get you 30 inches of draw.  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,7923.0.html

[Catnapper]

Well I went ahead and recurved the tips last night and it went well! It was my first successful bending job! I chose this method over the slices because I want to make a recurve with my next stave and figured this would make good practice. I think I will go for 45#@25".  My girlfriend expressed interest in shooting so if successful this will be her bow. One of these days ill make her a plains style bow since she is almost full blood Sioux.  Tonight I will probably take the original handle down and get it bending a bit. And ill try to get some pics up to make this post a little more interesting LOL. I appreciate all the input....thanks guys!       
                                                                                                                                Keith

[blackhawk]

Hmmmm??? Im confused. Your obviously inexperienced and you asked a question wanting an experienced answer. And you got some great answers and had two good options to choose from,but didn't take the advice of any. So why even ask if your not gonna listen to over a hundred years combined experience from guys who have been doing this a long time and have been there done that.          


To even get a chance at getting that bow to 25" now you need to thin the handle down to make it bend in the handle and heat up the handle area and deflex it. And that's still pushing it a lil past the limits,especially for a selfbow. Sinewing it wood give it that chance tho even after thinning the handle and deflexing it. Good luck.

Careful in deflexing a handle area. If your not careful and keep everything lined up straight you'll throw your tips and centerline out and the string will be off the handle.