40-45# Osage rough dimensions

[dane lund]

Gentlemen,
Just got my first Osage stave, I've reduced to a single ring. Beautiful straight grained, a few pin knots and some propeller twist, 70" long.
I'd like to build this one for myself, around 40-45# at 27".

What would be a good set of rough dimensions before I start the tillering process?
Thanks in advance.

[bradsmith2010]

this is just a rough starting point,,
1 1/2 wide at mid limb  ,, tapered at the tips,,, narrow or bendy handle what ever you like
leave the bow 68 inches long,,
if you miss the weight you have some flexibility in the bow length
if it shoots great at 68 you can leave it,, or shorten and tiller to desired weight
also,, I would leave the bow a little wider than 1 1/2 on roughing it out,, incase you need to work around something unseen,,, or just for a margin of error,, and go to final dimension
later in the tiller process   

[wizardgoat]

What style of bow do you want to make?

[dane lund]

Wiz,

Just a rigid handle bow that's not to heavy for an old fart like me to shoot on a primitive course.
When finishing scraping down to a single ring, I discovered a crack, about 6" long, right in the middle of the stave, going all the way out to the end.
Looks like it's going to be a 64" bow now.

[bradsmith2010]

is it a crack or check,, can you go down another ring and get rid of it,,
64 inches would be ok too,,just dont have quite as much room for error for tiller correction

[Hamish]

If the check doesn't run off the edge of the limb it should be okay to incorporate into a full length bow.
Also if osage isn't fully seasoned it will check on the back. Always a good idea to keep 2 coats of shellac or something similar on the back once you have taken it down to a growth ring.
 Hamish

[dane lund]

The stave is well seasoned. Several years. The crack seems to go all the way through.
Technically, I guess the tips don't bend, so maybe it mould still be ok?

[Pat B]

Does the crack run with the grain? Is it discolored or does it look fresh?
 Any time I expose a new back ring I seal it with shellac. What you choose to seal with isn't as important as actually sealing. I've had well seasoned staves check when a new back ring was exposed so now I seal them all.
 BradSmith's dimensions are a good starting point. If you find the limbs getting too thin you can reduce the width to tiller and reduce weight.
 Posting pics of your wok will help us help you.

[wizardgoat]

64" is plenty of length to get your 27 draw.
You should figure how to post pics, you'd get more help out of everyone regarding that check.
I just roughed out a 60" Osage stave, with 3" fades, 1 5/8" at the widest tapering to3/8"
I'm going for heavy # though.
You could go 1.5" at the widest, or even less

[dane lund]

OK,  heres the crack.  from back of stave and end.  I still have to reduce this very end 3 more rings.  I quit when I saw I might have to cut it off.
Do you think I can leave this on the static tip?

[mikekeswick]

The advice about sealing the back is very good advice EVEN if it's well seasoned.
I would go 1 1/2 inch wide at the widest. You can always narrow it later.
The crack shouldn't be a problem just fill it with the thinnest superglue you can find. Don't use 'normal' superglue look for ultra low viscosity stuff.

[Pappy]

Very sound advice all around,I wouldn't worry about the check/crack it may be mostly gone by the time the bow is laid out or at least in a non bending area. 
   Pappy

[bradsmith2010]

yes I think advise given is right on,,,,,, keep in mind the check is showing how the grain is running,, not the way the stave is cut out,, so follow the grain the best you can when you are laying out the center line,,, not the edges of the stave,,,  and it looks like where you went down in rings, the check is less of an issue as well,,,may disappear as Pappy said,, just because it is check all the way on the end,, does not indicate how far it goes in the other part of the stave

[dane lund]

OK guys, I've got it laid out with the centerline following the grain of the stave. 

Wow, it has way more curve, and way more prop twist than I thought.  With the tips where they are now,  the string doesn't even touch the handle at center.  Can I get all this twist out, make the string center out, AND make the tips line up?

May have bitten off more than I can chew.

[Joec123able]

Yes you should be able to get the tips and handle lined up even when it looks like that but it's gonna be a huge pain lol there's nothing I hate worse than a bow that has a side ways bend to it such a pain to fix most of the time