new to bowmaking, question on osage, locust, ash

[richpierce]

Hello, I am new to primitive archery but have good woodworking skills (felling, splitting, working down with drawknife, spokeshaves, scrapers etc).  I am excited to get started.

I have:
A locust pole 6" in diameter and about 7' tall, straight, cut this spring, I think.  I debarked it and painted it and it's not checking.
A hickory stave 6' tall cut last fall, quartered, seasoned over the winter
An ash stave 6' tall cut 2 years ago, quartered
A found osage orange log- seasoned, not much checking visible, 7 feet long, 6" on one end, 4" on the other. Rings like a bell.

I'm going to order the Traditional Bowyer's Bible volumes 1-3- seems to be what folks are recommending.

Which piece of wood should be selected for my first bow?  The hickory, locust, or ash?  Is it crazy to work on more than one at a time?

[DanaM]

First get the TBB books and read up, make a tillering tree and get yer tools all set.
I would start with the ash or hickory, as you don't have to chase a ring on these. The wood under the bark is
the back of the bow. Save the osage and locust for a later bow when you have some experience.
Remember to take yer time patience is necessary. If you get stuck ask someone will help you and pictures are appreciated.
Welcome to the community
A subscription to PA is also recommended.

[George Tsoukalas]

Hickory is very tough. Hope the bark has been reomoved. You could get the stave to near bow dimensions  but leave the handle full width and the nocks a little wider. I know you have no idea of measurements. I'll refer you to my site. Locust needs to have the sapwood removed. Adds another variable. Ash is very weak in compression. I'm not a fan of it. Jawge

[richpierce]

Thanks, guys, will work the hickory first.  I had an ash bow fail on me (only tried to make a bow once before and it snapped).  When I get time I'll quarter the locust and take it down to heartwood and re-seal it.

[Hillbilly]

I like white ash myself, dunno why it gets a bad rap. Made several bows from it and never had a chrysal or broken bow from it, sure can't say the same for locust, although I like it too.

[nugget]

The second bow i ever made was locust.Loved it. Osage is still my favorite. Slows me down. Makes me pay more attention to it.I have had bad luck with Hickory so far. I am sure it is my fault though.I do not have aproblem with working on multiple bows at a time. Keeps me busy.
Good luck
            T.J. aka nugget

[Stickhead]

Osage made a great first wood for me.  And if it's crazy to work on more than one at a time, then lock me up.

[richpierce]

Here are the staves I am working on.  The ash stave is 3 years old, been in the house a long time.  The hickory stave is a year old.  The locust was rescued from trees trimmed at a powerline and I assume they were cut in the spring because th bark slipped off easily.  The osage piece was a down, dead, seasoned log with bark rotted off.  It is very sound.  I don't know why I am working on 4 staves at a time except I like working with different types of wood.

I started working the locust log last night.  I split it in half, discovered one half has checks, so I chopped and shaved all the sapwood off the good stave.  I'll let that one rest a bit before doing more with it.

Here are the whitewood staves, top is the locust one, just in the half-round with sapwood removed.  Second is the hickory, which took a natural bend after splitting out.  Bottom is the ash stave with one limb roughed in. 



The locust piece has a check started at one end that has me worried and a couple borer holes and a knot or two.

Here is the osage piece halved with a few rings removed from the backside.  It also has a couple borer holes.





They are all going to be challenging and maybe imperfect but if I get shooting bows out of them I'll be happy.  I have highest hope for the hickory stave.

[GregB]

I've never seen a perfect stave, so dive on in!

If possible, I'd try to either avoid the borer holes, or get them in a non-bending section of the bow...or at least try and put them in the center of the limb width. You might want to first get the stave you decide to work with slightly bending at floor tiller, and then do any tweaking to remove propellor or ensure the string is centered on the handle using dry heat and maybe use a form if you have one. Can add reflex at the same time if you wish.