Author Topic: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?  (Read 7997 times)

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cool_98_555

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Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« on: April 09, 2013, 10:57:16 am »
I have just acquired a very good osage board at 1" thick and 72" long.  Grain is very good, with only 2 runoffs on the back.  Thinking of backing it with bamboo (strip is 1/4" thick).  For this warbow I want 100# @ 30".  Thinking of having handle area at 1.5" wide by 1.25" thick (bamboo backing included) and tapering out to .5" wide by .5" thick tips.  Is .5" thick enough to start tillering for 100#,  or should I start with .75 in thickness at tips?  Any other recommendations for width at handle are encouraged.  Thank you for your help!

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2013, 11:26:07 am »
You would probably be fine with those dimensions for a boo backed laminate.
With a stave it's better to keep some extra width to allow you to move the nocks from side to side if necessary to stop any sideways bend/twist.
I normally rough out to 30mm square at the grip and 20 mm square at the tip. keeping the 30x30 for about 6" or so either side of centre and then taperinging out to the tips. I also go by the rough guide of 2mm thickness change every 6" along the limb.
Once it's flexing then it's down to eye and feel of course.
Roughing it out square gives some extra thickness and prevents you coming out light, and when I say 30x30 I mean that's where I draw the line, and I say outside of it, not on it.
The boo will need to be nice and flat on the gluing face and prob a bit thinner at the tips.
Hope that helps.
Oh, and glue it up with 1 or 2" of reflex, 'cos it'll pull a bit out when you tiller it.
Del
« Last Edit: April 09, 2013, 11:29:18 am by Del the cat »
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Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2013, 05:20:37 pm »
Your bow will end up 70" ntn once you cut the nocks on a 72" stave. That's ambitious for 100#@30". Certainly possible with bamboo/osage, but your tiller will have to be spot on throughout. I'd go with 1.25" wide, not 1.5", especially if you want a rounded belly.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2013, 05:26:55 pm »
Your bow will end up 70" ntn once you cut the nocks on a 72" stave. That's ambitious for 100#@30". Certainly possible with bamboo/osage, but your tiller will have to be spot on throughout. I'd go with 1.25" wide, not 1.5", especially if you want a rounded belly.
Why the heck would you lose 2" ???
If you do a horn nock correctly you can easilly just come down less than 1/2" at each end, even allowing a second groove for a stringer on the top nock.
If you are really careful you could probably get away with 71.5" ntn !
You can glue a block on the back of tips for temporary nocks during tillering.
Mind I agree that a bit more length would be nice.
Look at my Horn Nock Instructional ob myblog, you can see how close the gooves are to the tip.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=horn+nock
Del
« Last Edit: April 09, 2013, 05:29:56 pm by Del the cat »
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Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2013, 05:33:44 pm »
I usually lose 3/4" to 1" off each tip when I add overlays and cut the nocks.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2013, 05:58:37 pm »
I usually lose 3/4" to 1" off each tip when I add overlays and cut the nocks.
Yeah, that's the advantage of a horn nock that goes right round the tip and adds support and strength, you can almost treat it as an extension on the tip of the bow.
I make sure the groove is actually cut where there is still wood underneath but it can get pretty close to the tip of the wood.
I daresay it would be possible to take it out beyond the wood, but I wouldn't want to try it on a 100# bow!
Del
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Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2013, 06:37:36 pm »
Even with glue on horn nocks (which I don't do often), I don't extend the nock groove beyond the wood, especially on warbows.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2013, 06:57:08 pm »
Even with glue on horn nocks (which I don't do often), I don't extend the nock groove beyond the wood, especially on warbows.
That's what I said diddle I? *
There's a world of difference between "Not extending beyond the wood" , and throwing away an inch of limb tip!
I'll quit now while I'm behind ;)
Del

*From an old English Joke:-
Man goes into the butcher's shop and says"I'll have a pound of kiddly please"
Butcher says, "Kiddly? Surely you mean Kidney?"
Man says "That's what I said, diddle I?"
 ::)
« Last Edit: April 09, 2013, 07:00:30 pm by Del the cat »
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2013, 09:46:21 pm »
Look at my Horn Nock Instructional ob myblog, you can see how close the gooves are to the tip.

One thing I hate about making the nocks super close to the wood, is that my hitch knot always will dig into the wood right below the knock and make a dent. This every happen to anybody?
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2013, 02:42:44 pm »
Even with glue on horn nocks (which I don't do often), I don't extend the nock groove beyond the wood, especially on warbows.
That's what I said diddle I? *
There's a world of difference between "Not extending beyond the wood" , and throwing away an inch of limb tip!
I'll quit now while I'm behind ;)
Del

*From an old English Joke:-
Man goes into the butcher's shop and says"I'll have a pound of kiddly please"
Butcher says, "Kiddly? Surely you mean Kidney?"
Man says "That's what I said, diddle I?"
 ::)


I don't throw away an inch of limb tip, but I do measure  in 1" from the end of the tip overlay to cut my string grooves. What do you do?
Even with horn tips, I still measure back at least 1" into the wood of the limb tip on each end. This means my bows become 2" shorter ntn than when they started. Like I said, what do you do? I don't think extending any tip overlay or horn nock beyond the wood of the tip is good practice. In my books it's too weak, but I've been wrong before.
Even looking at the Mary Rose bows close up, I could see the remnants of the string grooves at least an inch down the limb from the tips.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2013, 02:48:49 pm by adb »

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2013, 02:53:20 pm »
I've already posted a link to a blog entry showing exactly what I do as a 2 part 'how to do horn nocks'.
It took a good deal of time and effort to video and post it.
Here's the link again...
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/horn-nock-instructional-part-1.html
Del
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Offline bubby

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2013, 06:54:44 pm »
I've already posted a link to a blog entry showing exactly what I do as a 2 part 'how to do horn nocks'.
It took a good deal of time and effort to video and post it.


I think this means we better watch it ::) :laugh:
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2013, 07:05:56 pm »
I've already posted a link to a blog entry showing exactly what I do as a 2 part 'how to do horn nocks'.
It took a good deal of time and effort to video and post it.
Here's the link again...
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/horn-nock-instructional-part-1.html
Del

Sorry, Del... didn't see your link, but I'll definitely check it out! Thanks.

Offline adb

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2013, 07:11:13 pm »
OK... checked your link... awesome. That's how I do it myself. But, as far as I can see, you're still 'using' at least an inch of each limb tip to fit your nock, thereby ending up with a bow about 2" shorter than the stave you started with. Yes?

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Bamboo Backed Osage Warbow?
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2013, 07:20:02 pm »
No,No For pities sake NO! :'(
Look at the picture of the temporary nock and the groove filed into the back of the bow!!!!!!, it's about 1/4" away from the tip!!!!!!
I stick some tape on the back of the bow and measure 6" from the temporary nock and draw a big pencil line .
When the horn is stuck on I measure the 6" back from the pencil line and file the groove into the horn... so it's still 1/4" from the end of the wood.
Ok there is an extra 1" of horn sticking out the tip, and maybe 1" on the grip side of the groove, but nock groove to nock groove is exactly the same as it was before I stuck on the horn.
I'm not sure if you are teasing me now ::), or if you need to go sit on the naughty step ;)
Del
« Last Edit: April 10, 2013, 07:26:22 pm by Del the cat »
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