stoked about three free seasoned ash staves

[rockrush69]

 Just got a fCebook message from my ex s dad saying he was bringing me three ash staves from two big logs he has had drying for two years down with him when he comes to florida from wisconsin in a month .... he already debarked them and is splitting them up this week.  Says they are straight with no limbs ..... never worked with ash and am stoked to work a new wood . YES !!!!!!!!!!!! any good lay outs or models for an ash bow ... short long flat elb ect

[huisme]

My favorite ash bow was a mollegabet, but I've made a few ELBs too. If you trap it enough you can make pretty much whatever you want. It's very tension-strong, so even with flat designs it could use a little trapping to avoid set.

Heat treat every chance you get 

[rockrush69]

I hear this term alot and dont wanna look stupid so i never ask ... but that is stupid in its self .. so hear goes ... what is traping ... Is it heat treating it ?

[skarhand]

I have wondered the same thing...I have a suspicion that it is short for Trapezoid, as in angle the back sides to give it a trapezoidial cross section, but confirmation would be nice.

[Weylin]

if you "trap" the back you are making the back narrower than the belly. This creates a trapezoidal cross-section if you were to cut through your bow and look at the end of the wood. This is something you do to woods that are much stronger in tension than compression, essentially reducing the surface area on the back in order to increase surface area on the compression weak belly.

[rockrush69]

Ok cool thanks

[huisme]

+1 Weylin.

It's a pretty nice look too, especially if the back is darker or lighter than the rest of the bow. I've got a vine maple character bow I'm going to post as soon as I've got pics that has a nice two-tone trapped back.