Author Topic: Wood too dry?(edit.) Any help???  (Read 1021 times)

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Offline ionicmuffin

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Wood too dry?(edit.) Any help???
« on: September 24, 2012, 05:14:22 pm »
ok guys, i was working on a red oak board bow for my friends birthday. i had it all laid out and floor tillered. i had it on a very low brace height of about 2 inches after getting it good to go with a longer string. then as i pulled to a bit past 10 inches it went snap! At first i thought i had done something wrong in the lay out or something.(which was 62" ntn, 4" tips, 4"handle 1"wide x3/4 inch thick. 1 inch fades at about 1.5" and tapering down to 1/2 inch. The thickness was 5/8" to 3/8".) But then i realized that the whole time i kept thinking about how light it felt. and then i dawned on me! was the wood too dry??? i didnt think much of it at the time, but now i look back i really think that may have been it after all it is kiln dried wood that came from lowes. What do you all think?      -NEW {The 3 hr bow i posted earlier had been sitting outside all summer in the shade so it must have gained a bit of moisture during that time because it worked out just fine and is a sweet shooter}
« Last Edit: September 24, 2012, 06:41:08 pm by ionicmuffin »
Amo innectis arcus- I love crafting bows (latin)

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Wood too dry?(edit.) Any help???
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2012, 07:40:54 pm »
Board bows are usually broken because of poor grain and without photos it is tough to say but that's what it sounds like.  Choose straight grain tip to tip. Walk away if you can't find a suitabw board and go back another day. No knots allowed. No matter how small. Go for the red oak or hickory. Boards are kiln dried but they hydrate to the moisture around them pretty quickly within a week or 2. Regarding design...make a bend in the handle bow similar to the one on my site. I go step by step. You can make it 1 3/8 " wide for 45-50#. if you want. Do not narrow the handle. Leave it 1 3/8". Questions welcomed. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/boardbowbuildalong.html
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!