back me up on tiller... patch installed.

[artcher1]

It's not hard to tell how a stave, billets or even boards grew in the tree Eric. Just study their growth rings. Larger growth ring end indicates stump end and it's smaller ringed end it's top. Very simply.........Art

[echatham]

first one is the bottom limb... and it must have been the bottom of the tree.

[artcher1]

Looks like you're fine there Eric. I suspect that hump outside the handle is preventing even set........Art

[artcher1]

One more thing, at this point, I believe I'd shoot the bow with short draws to check for any upper limb twist. Shooting the bow upright, first with a hard grip, and then with a loose grip to give me a feel of any twisting. Something for you to consider............Art

[echatham]

I'll do that art.  here is where im at... and its break time.  5 3/4" brace, 49@ 23.  bottom limb finally caught up.  limbs are in sync.  top limb is a hair stiff near the tip.  tillering with 220 grit.  just about an inch of reflex left.  sorry for blurry drawn pictures, im pulling with one hand and fumbling with phone with the other.


/IMG_20131123_103329_964_zps136d2d4b.jpg[/img][/URL]



had the wrong picture up for a second... i fixed it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Looks like a brand new osage bow to me.

[echatham]

went over it with a fine tooth comb... err... sunlight and 220 grit.... and got rid of all tool marks.  got it down to 50@ 24 and still dead on.  feelin good about this one.  hope it keeps the straight profile... that was my whole goal for this thing.

[echatham]

well....  ..... this is my first fret.    can i call myself a bowyer yet or do i need to blow it up?  had it at 50@ 25, and was looking it over before sanding some more and i noticed it.  right in the cup of that humpty dumpty crap off the upper fade.  i figure this is as good an opportunity as ever to try a torges patch... just for practice if nothing else.

[TimBo]

It was looking so good...grrr.  Did you see this thread?  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,43473.0.html  It shows a dowel patch for a fret, which looks a lot easier than the Torges patch to me.  Good luck!

[echatham]

i did see that.... but i got my own idea....

[wood_bandit 99]

I would personally glue some extra wood right there. Just the tiniest bit

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id let it dry down. Osage doesnt do that if the tiller is even close.

[echatham]

dry down?  i can't really understand why it happened.  doesn't seem to be bending much there.

[echatham]

[PEARL DRUMS]

Its not dry enough IMO. Ive seen miserably tillered, too short, too narrow osage bows that never had a one. Sit it aside for a few weeks over top of a furnace register. Then temper it. You might get lucky and remove those ruptures. Dont glue a thin piece of wood over it.