Black walnut flat bow, need advice

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm about to start tillering a black walnut bow. It is layed out in a basic flat bow design. It is 2" wide till mid limb tapers to 1/2". The limbs are 28" long and the whole bow is 65 1/4". I like the two toned looking bows so I chased a ring so that there is about 1/4" of sapwood with the heart wood. It has a couple of ring violations in the last third of one limb, do you think I need to back it with anything or do you think that burnishing it will be enough to hold it together, I don't plan to have it bending much in that area of the limb. I just thought that I might try paper backing it for a little assurance, will white copy paper work? I have never worked with walnut so I don't know what it can take. Another problem I have is is that one limb deflexes at the fade then is straight and the other reflexes at the fade at the same angle. I'm wondering if I can steam it to make both limbs straight with each other. I know walnut is not the strongest wood and I am going to try getting a 60 lbs at 27" draw out of the 28" limbs so I don't want the added stress of the reflex. Do you all that have experience with walnut, think steaming it will work? Not thinking, I already shaped out the handle so the limbs are stuck at the deflex being the top and the reflex being the bottom. I put it this way because I figured that if I can't do anything to fix the reflex and deflex then the stronger reflexed limb will be on bottom. But it can still be turned into a straight handled bow if need be, right now it is shaped like my glass recurve's handle. I can hit things well with it so I figured I would try to copy the feel of it and see if it will work, It will have a shallow cut in shelf, just enough to hold the arrow. One last thing, how should I treat it tension wise? Sorry if this is a lot of questions, just a lot of things I am wondering about before I start bending it. Thanks for any and all advice.

In the first pic I have the spot where the ring violation is and the last pic should be a pic of the violation. The other two show the deflex and reflex and the handle shape that I went with.

Kyle

[Jmilbrandt]

I think the ring violations might be ok but you might want to try for a lower weight. Or if your worried back it with rawhide or fabric or chase the lowest ring you cut into. I would never heat treat a bow in tension though! I wouldn't mess with the reflex or deflex. It will even out as you tiller. My main concern would be your handle design. I'm not sure that will hold up at sixty pounds. Even if you went thirty five I think it will flex alot.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Don't worry I wasn't going to heat treat the back, I don't plan to heat treat any of it unless heat treat the belly does help. I'm not too worried about the handle. One of my first bows had a narrower and shallower handle that I cut a shelf into and it was about 60lbs and the shelf never flexed though it was made out of white ash with osage overlays on the back and belly of the handle. I think I cut the shelf in a little under 3/8". On this bow the spot I plan to cut in is 1 1/4" wide by 2 1/4" deep. So if I cut the shelf in about 3/8" will still leave the handle about 7/8" wide and still thicker than some handles that I have made, if the width is a little narrow then the depth that the handle is should be enough to stiffen up that spot. But if the handle does break at the shelf then it'll be a good bow to try a takedown with.

[RBLusthaus]

I have never had any luck in using walnut.  I have broken more than few staves trying.  They always break in tension, as walnut it not so strong in that regard. 

Possibly - you may try trapping the belly.  I have not tried that - - and I will if ever I try my hand at walnut again.

Good Luck

[Jmilbrandt]

If you're ok with the handle, what I would do is chase a ring down to the lowest one you violated. Black walnut is soft shouldn't take long. Then either start tillering or if you're ambitious heat treat maybe 2" of reflex into it. Good luck!