Maple Padauk Jatoba Trilam

[Halfbow]

I really like the Pyramidish / Holmie hybrid. Hopefully it shoots as good as it looks. If so you got a hit on that one.

It's not the fastest bow I've ever made, but it's nice. Minimal handshock, consistent, and a competent speed.

I have found jatoba to be one of the fastest woods ( low hysteresis) that I have ever worked with but I have had so many problems with it developing chrysals that I quite working with it. Hard to beat when everything works out.

Yeah I also think jatoba is an unusually fast wood. If you can get it to cooperate with you, it seems to have a very good stiffness to weight ratio. Of course the design of this one isn't ideal to show that. This bow started as a bit of an experiment in a super thick backing strip, and perhaps all that maple is part of the reason I had no problems with crysals. Maybe having the weaker wood take all the tension let the back stretch out more, rather than the back compressing the belly?

[ty_in_ND]

Beautiful work! The colors are very striking. I have a padauk board that I wanna take a shot at someday (got it after Bubby posted a bamboo backed padauk longbow a few years ago). Good save with using the jatoba belly.

As to jatoba having a tendency to chrysal, would it be worth it to try a sinew backing?

[Halfbow]

Thanks everyone.

Have you ever tried one without arrow shelf? Lately I make them all without, it's no need for me at all!

I have and I actually really like it. Makes me feel more connected to the shot when the arrow is on my hand. When it came to shelf decision time on this bow, I decided to go with a shelf because it was the less permanent decision. I could always grind it off later if I decided I didn't want it. Maybe next time I should just realize I will never actually get around to grinding it off later. :p

Beautiful work! The colors are very striking. I have a padauk board that I wanna take a shot at someday (got it after Bubby posted a bamboo backed padauk longbow a few years ago). Good save with using the jatoba belly.

As to jatoba having a tendency to chrysal, would it be worth it to try a sinew backing?

I haven't had good luck with padauk at all. It did worse than crysal, it cracked all the way through on the belly for no reason that I could see. But it is a really beautiful wood. I wish you better luck than me! I have no idea if jatoba would do well on a sinewed bow. My worry is... if the bow was short enough to make the sinew worth it, then the jatoba wouldn't be happy about bending that far. But if you got it to work, I bet it would be fast!