She go tick--she go tock--then she go BOOM!

[Comancheria]

I would not make a very good politician--because I believe in 'fessing up, even when the truth hurts.  I had got my 70 inch red oak pyramid board bow to the tillering stage and it was bending evenly and at 20 inch draw, appeared to be headed for about 55 # @ 28".  I was getting some outstanding hands-on tutoring from Bubby, but I now realize, looking at that fatal last picture, that I failed miserably in following his advice. 

I needed to take more wood off from mid-limb out, but I now know I did not take enough off those areas before working the bow up to FD.  I got it on the stick, cranked it up to 28 (exercising it faithfully at every change, mind you, but as I looked at it, it began to make noises like a squirrel that has gobbled down half a pound of dried pinto beans. 😳.  So I pulled it quickly off the tillering stick, and examined it--no splinters.  But when I tried it on the bathroom scale, it was between 35 and 38# @ 28". 

It was obvious that something had gone very wrong down inside the wood.  I considered halting the build and backing the bow--but decided I wanted to see what was going on.  So I put it back in the stick at 28"--for photo, and...Mount Saint Helens!😝

She broke in the fade of what was to be the lower limb.  Clean break--no sign of what I would think tension would do to it--splitting the limb lengthwise--instead, the break went straight through from back to belly.

Bub suggested perhaps it was due to dry rot--but there was no white powdery substance in evidence.? The wood did look darned dry, and there were tiny perforations when you looked at either piece, head on into the small, quarter-sawn growth rings.

But my theory at this point is that the near-handle wood was just having to work too hard due to the fact that I had not thinned down the outer limbs enough to get them into the act and helping--prior to going to 28".

My new plan is to follow the dimensions of your build-along, Bubby.  And it turns out I was wrong when I said the nearest source of maple and hickory boards was 200 miles away in Austin or Houston. A small town 45 miles to the north has a hardwood store--so in January, I will try a different wood and build it a little shorter and a full 2 inches wide.  Oh, and tiller a lot more gingerly!  That sucker may be whip-ended when I get through taking wood off! 😊

Cheers,

Russ

[tattoo dave]

Happens to the best of us Russ. The making of a bow is the best part anyway, now ya get to go try it again. Share some progress pics next time, get some more eyes on it. That always helps me anyway.

Tattoo Dave

[Comancheria]

Thanks, Dave.  It was a good learning experience.  With no computer and only the iphone, I struggle to pick up the URL from the hosting site--but I will get there!  Don't get me wrong--I had GREAT help--just didn't follow advice.  Oddly enough, I started at the rate of movement that Los Angles against the state of Nevada--then sped up in the latter stages. 

A couple of observations as a first-timer:

The Nicholson # 49 and 50 rasps are wonderful tools to work with--smooth as silk.

Bub rightly recommended I switch to scraping in the latter stages. I had been using a cabinet scraper--but at his suggestion, I tried a sharp, very stiff fixed blade knife--and it worked like a charm. 

But readimg back over my "tillering" thread, it is obvious that Bub's and Sprimgbuck's warnings were prophetic.  I took it to full draw waaaaay too quickly!

Russ

[bubby]

Dont worry Russ, you have the right attitude, i have confidence you get one shooting sonner than later.

[George Tsoukalas]

That area at the fades can be problematic with glued on handles. It is good bubby is looking over your shoulder.
When I hear of boards breaking I wonder how the grain was.
Jawge

[Comancheria]

You ar right, Jawge--Bubby is golden--message after message.  I dreaded telling him.  Having all of y'all's help is kinda like having Ruth, Dimmagio, and Mantle show up at your Little League game and striking out! 😊

The grain really looked good (to my partially trained eye).  There were a couple of runoffs but they took a long time to leave the edge.  Right now, I am looking at the SIDE of the fades--both the broken one and the other--hard to describe, but what was previously relatively straight grain is now CURVED..from back, inward toward the belly.  Exactly where the 3/4 inch handle (if you can call it that--then evening out to parallel again when the fade ends.  Not sure, but it rally looks as if that area was under tremendous strain.  Gee, ya think?😀

[PEARL DRUMS]

Can you get ahold of hickory boards, or white oak or pecan?

[bubby]

Pearl he lives in a coastal hi humidity area , i told him to try and get some maple because of that

[Comancheria]

Chris,

I can get hickory and maple from HD online and have it delivered 35 miles away at the store.  Have not checked on the others.  This summer, I intend to cut a whole bunch of pecan, small liveoak (SD=82) and Post Oak, which is a white oak variety--and mesquite (for when I am skilled enough to work with it backed).  But those of course will be staves.  In the meantime--at least a year, my current thinking is to keep working with boards of various varieties and dimensions--starting with Bubby's build along.  If I get a decent looking maple of hickory from Home Depot, I will leave it a self, but if the grain looks wonky, I may have to back it.

Later on--just to be stubborn, I am going to make another of 1 1/2 inch red oak, better disciplined this time--just to see if I can break another one.  😊

Best regards,

Russ

[DC]

If you order wood online like that and it turns out to be crap are you stuck with it? I don't think I would buy a board unless I have it in my hot little hands. 

[Comancheria]

Bubby,

What I didn't tell you that while it is coastal and humid where I live, (3/4 mile from the Gulf) where I hunt is 90 miles further inland, is quite a bit less subtropical--hotter'n the fires of Hell, but drier.  And of course, the bow will be inside most of the time--in a house we keep dry for our beloved grand piano (not us 😊).  So my plan is to order a maple board and build a bow according to your plan.  Then, if that goes well, I'll try an identical bow from Hickory--just for a test case. I can get a .75x5.5x8' for $25, which will give me a little leeway as to where to place the bow--and maybe even get two bows out of it.

Best regards,

Russ

[Comancheria]

Totally agree, DC.  But HD and Lowes will take it back no questions asked.  I bought an avocado tree from them and the deer in my back yard ate all the leaves the first night then chewed off all the bark the second night.  I called Lowes and was honest about what happened and they said to bring it back--for either store credit or a refund

Still your point is valid: the odds of getting good--let alone perfect--grain are low.  Very low.  I figure in either case, I'll return it or back it.  For that matter, as some have pointed out already, my choice of grain may not be so good anyway.😛

Russ

[JW_Halverson]

When you hear the dreaded tick and the horrifying tock, you know the clock is running out on the bow!

[Comancheria]

JW: 😊