Watch a noob build a bow! sapwood black locust real time report. DONE!

[blackhawk]

Glad i could help ya out with that drawknife

How thick are those tips?..it looks like you might have enough meat to be ok,and if not you can glue a thin underlay over it after you clean it up. I prob woodve just gone for a simpler design like those mentioned first before dabbling with a recurve.

[IsaacW]

Cool stuff.  I am always interested in sapwood and whitewood usage.  I think we too often overlook woods that are very usable, just because it isn't what is traditionally done or because we do not know how to appropriately use it.

Just this past  weekend I took a stick of locust that I cut down last summer and made a little bow for my girls (5 y.o. and 3 y.o.).  The have been loving it but only have one arrow... a broken one of mine.  I need to make up a few of their own now.

[gutpile]

you got plenty of wood on the splintered one...even to amke a static which is what I would do..next time when trying to get that radical a bend..boil it instead of steam..for every 1/4 inch boil 25 minutes...you got to work fast so have everything in place..gut

[Jodocus]

Hi all.

I' am not getting anywhere. I sat at it some today, rasped and scraped and cut some preliminary nocks(?) to put a string on. Compared to the holmegaard bow I did before it feels and looks really fragile already. Like a child's ski of old with warts. But actually it is still quite stiff. I intend to make it about 30 pounds at 26 inches drawn. But when I pull it to 20 pounds, it hardly bends (pic).

I don't want to draw further now, cause I think it is still wet from the steaming. I'll let it sit now for a couple of days before tillering, think about how to do the tips and maybe work some on them. I like this piece of wood. For a moment I was sorry to have curved the tips. That was when it flipped on the tillering tree as I pulled it the first time and it jumped down on my head, ouch  It's got three major knots and a couple of smaller ones.

One thing in noticed is it does twist to the side when bent (see cowhorns pic). The bow is not completely straight by itself, it retained some of the bend that I had tried to steam out. Do I correct this by taking wood from the belly on the side to the right in the pic? Or do I have to steam it again?

[Jodocus]

Ok, it's been in a sunny, windy place for two days, and I've put it on the tillering tree and pulled it to 35 pounds. It about bends to bracing height. I tried to use a tillering gizmo, but the areas betwen the nots are a bit short for it to really work. I feel they don't bend at all  . As far as i can see, the right (upper) limb is still too stiff. Is that right?.

I thought I'd make it 30 pounds, but that was just a number. How can I find a suitable draw-weight for it? I'm a bit undecided how to proceed, mainly because I'm afraid to make a mistake. I'm scared of those knots  , they disrupt the bend a lot.

But I'm quite pleased with the wood. For as thin as is is, it is strong and snappy. 

[PEARL DRUMS]

The right limb has zero movement. Look at your limbs only. Not the wall, the lines on the wall or where your tips land. Concentrate on the limbs only. You should get your width taper done prior to tillering.

[Jodocus]

Thank you Pearl drums. I had a suspicion that upper limb was still too stiff. By suggesting I get my width tapering done before tillering, do you mean it does not look finished? I left some excess width near the tips because I was not sure wether to steam or cut them straight. I've cut them straight. The twist is better now, but still clearly there. The rest I had planned to leave as wide as it is, unless I get scared to make it any thinner, in wich case I want to make it narrower instead for tillering. Is that a bad idea?

I may need to be told basics, so don't hesitate to criticise 

[gutpile]

you can correct the lil bit of twist with dry heat....or leave it...I would dry heat it though.....gut

[DarkSoul]

Ok--I've said this before, but since you're not listening, I'll repeat it again:

The wood is still wet! STOP BENDING this stave, or you risk serious string follow! Leave it to dry for at least another three weeks!

[Jodocus]

Ok, I guess I heard it pretty well this time  . And I guess you are right, It's taken some set already. It's just hard to wait if ALL your wood is actually still wet... One of the reasons I started with the sapwood piece, so I could just let the others sit and dry.

But yeah, I'm not really getting around to it for a couple of days now anyway. Though I severly doubt I'll be patient enough to wait for two or three weeks. I have roughed out three more bows already, who are all also waiting to dry. Just gonna do some more then. 

[DarkSoul]

Well, if you have plenty of wood, you can deliberately choose to sacrifice one stave to make a bow that you know will take some set. I wouldn't use a prime quality stave for this 'experiment', but if you have plenty of the wood available, then what do you have to lose?

[PEARL DRUMS]

I rushed through my first few with wet staves and they are all dogs and never leave the rack, sentimental value keeps them from the fire. I understand your enthusiasm totally, but it doesnt make a good bow. Good wood makes good bows. Ask yourself this. Do you want just A bow? Or a GOOD bow? As far as you have this piece reduced it will only take 2-3 weeks to dry down.  Take a breath and let her dry some, you will never regret it.

[Jodocus]

Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate the infos, and I also agree with you. No disrespect meant if I have hard time taking you advice. It's like you said, pearl, there is just so much enthusiasm to get going. I REALLY wish someone would have warned me a year ago to set aside some wood to dry....    And since you said you too rushed trough the first few, I'm sure you now what I mean.

Now I don't expect this to become a good bow, mainly because, hey, it's my second attempt. But I do want to make a decent bow for sure, I'll do the best I can. I have enough of that wood, but I do save the better pieces for when I'm more experienced, and the wood is reasonably seasoned.

So, to make it short: Yes, I will allow it to dry for a while. Thank you for convincing stubborn old me 

[IsaacW]

Well... my real question still sits with this:  What will become of a bow made of locust with sapwood?  Will it work and be good or will it be junk? I have a lot of small locust and the idea of using it as a whitewood and not chasing down to the heartwood would be cool.  I did this for my daughters' bow but this is small and not pulling much weight.  A real bow may be different.

[Jodocus]

Hey Isaac

I noticed this question spurs interest in the communitiy. But on the other hand, I'm afraid it won't be answered here, since I simply don't feel I can make a bow as good as to say it was the woods fault if it shoots poorly.
However, I will set aside a piece of that sapwood, let it season thoroughly, and when I feel I know what I'm doing, I shall make two bows of the same design, one heart- and one sapwood. That, however, is still some time off...
 
Till then, someone else might have to work on your question. All I can say at the moment: the transition from sap- to heartwood looks really, really good.
Those 5 to 10 year old locust stems are readily available, since they make excellent and durable fenceposts. So give it a try.