About 15 years ago I was dinking around trying to make a selfbow, with little success and nowhere to turn. So I quit, but not before cutting a 10 inch white ash log from my woods and setting it in the back of the wood shed. I also got two 2x10 inch 10 foot white ash boards from a local logger at the same time. They have the bark on one edge. They are in the wood shed drying too.
A couple weeks ago I was at an outdoor event and bought a partially completed osage self bow from an older native american. It just needs tillered. It was cut in 2004.
Before possibly destroying the osage bow, I figured I should practice on the ash. From what I read, it seems ash and osage perform best in different designs? Any comments here?
The osage appears to be an even taper from the fades to the nock 45 mm to 22 mm. Thickness goes from 18 mm to 9 mm. 68 inches total length.
I am hesitant to start tillering the osage until I get some more experience.
If I want a 45 to 50# bow, how 'hard' is the bow supposed to be before tillering?
Since I have 'enough' ash on hand, should I try to duplicate the osage dimensions and start form there?
I have another about 30 inch diameter white ash log I cut last fall, it was too big for the local fellow with the portable saw mill, so after the snow melts I was going to split it with the chain saw. That log is about 10 feet long. It has been outside all winter, but up off the ground, I figure it should still be good.
Think it is worth cutting into staves and using it for barter?
