First Bow Preparation and Some Questions

[Picklegiant]

Hi All,

I am just getting into bow making and after searching the web, I feel like I am ready to make a bow. I have two staves cut: a 54" Ocean Spray 3" diameter, and a 60" Maple. I am planning a 50" recurve hunting bow and a 6o" longbow. The only problem is I that the Ocean Spray was dead ish when I cut it, but the wood is still light yellow, I have included some photos for reference. When would it dry, and when will I know when it is seasoned. Would it be possible to use it not fully dry and dry it later, as I only have the summer to build it, but then time to dry it until mid deer deason. Another problem with the OS is that it has a crack running down the length, and since it is quite thin I am not wanting to split it as it would leave little material for my handle, would there be any way to include this crack, perhaps only in the handle, or work around it? The crack is not deep so it will not interfere with the limbs.

Also and comment on the maple stave would be appreciated

Thanks for the help

http://imgur.com/C7m3giH
Photo 1 is the OS crack
http://imgur.com/JQjuRHr
Photo 2 is OS
http://imgur.com/4rL8KBV
Photo 3 is Maple
http://imgur.com/TJiO4Ur
Photo 3 is Mape gash, when felling the branch it split but i think it will be ok as a limb, will i need to seal the crack while drying

[DC]

Buy a small kitchen scale that will measure in grams. Weigh the stave every few days. When it hasn't lost any weight for a few weeks it's ready to use. All you can do with the OS is follow the split and see what you get. You may have to make a bendy handle bow. I'm a little concerned about it being mostly dead. I don't think OS has much decay resistance.

[Pat B]

Looks like the bow you want to build is probably above your skill level. Have you ever built a selfbow? You will have a better success rate down the road if you start building a 68" straight limb flat bow. Learn how to read and achieve good tiller and after that you can start experimenting with different designs.
 To build a good bow you also need dry wood. If you have more than 9-11% M/C your bow will take on excess set and feel flimsy. You can reduce the stave to floor tiller stage and it will dry quicker. Trying to go beyond floor tiller with wet wood is not a good idea.
 I would not use any standing dead wood to build a bow except osage and maybe yew.

[huisme]

And locust. Half my bows are standing dead locust.

[Picklegiant]

Thanks for the feedback, I will still try to make the bow and it is breaks it breaks. Just to clarify the OS stave was not dead just the top was which I cut off. I will reduce to a floor tiller then dry, but would a crack in the handle be ok or not?

Thanks DC and Pat

[mikekeswick]

Your staves are too short. Pat gave you good advice. Just building it anyway shows you have spirit! BUT you should listen and cut a longer stave.

[DC]

Just out of curiosity what is your draw length? I just noticed in your first post that you plan on hunting with this bow. Does that mean you need 40# or better? OS will take a big bend but 50" is pretty short for a guy that has "Giant" in his name. Can you post a couple more pictures? I would like to see where those knots are in relation to the split.

[Picklegiant]

DC my draw length is only 25" and I'm hoping for a compact OS bow with 45lb draw weight. Ill use the maple for a longer bow. I don't think the size of my staves will be a problem. Also I got the idea for the OS short bow from another post where the bow turned out great. http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=42922.0
This bow also had a crack, would a crack in the back be ok like that

Here are the knots in relation to the crack I know where the back of the bow will be so the crack do not interfere with the bow. Would a knot in the handle be ok though? Also with OS can you keep the bark on

Photo 1 crack and knots

Photo 2 back of the bow in between cracks and knots

Photo 3 the mid point of the belly is just above this knot, handle fades will be in the knot, small crack will be taken out with handle fades

[DC]

You can't have the split or the knots on the back of the bow. Is the full length of the stave 54"? The crack could be OK on the belly. Remember that Zion has many,many OS bows under his belt. He knows how much it will take and what he can get away with. If you were to cut it so that back was the face that shows in the second picture you might make a bow. That said, most OS comes with moss on it but I haven't seen many with fungus. That would scare me off if it were here. I don't know what grows where ever you are. I think I would look for another stave. An OS bow is a long term project. It's a b***h to dry so collect a few staves and try a couple of different methods. Do a Google search on "Primitive Archer Ocean Spray" and you'll get a bunch of different takes on drying it.

What kind of Maple is it? Gordon just did a build on a Vine Maple bow. You can't go wrong following him.

[Picklegiant]

Its a broad leaf maple but I have to wait to dry it, OS in BC Canada doesn't grow big, but i will try to look for another one. Ill try to floor tiller the stave then dry it, can OS have the bark left on, yes it is 54". I work with it for the practice, hopefully it works out

[DC]

BC is where the big OS grows! Most places use it to make arrows

[wizardgoat]

Pickle where do you live?
Biggest OS I've found has been on Vancouver island. I haven't found anything very big on the mainland. As stated already it makes awesome arrows.
OS needs to very dry, or it will take brutal set.
It's very dense wood, and holds moisture deep.
I finished tillering an OS bow that was seasoned as a blank for almost a year and half. Maybe the stress of it being a bow played part but the handle checked wide open. I didn't even fill it in, as long as it goes down the centre of the handle it should be fine.
I've only made 3 OS bows, but plan to make a lot more (if this wood ever dries)
Here is one of them, close to the dimensions your dealing with, cheers
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=50747.0

[Picklegiant]

I live in Vancouver but am on an island north of vancouver island now, I cut the stave here. I have already started to make a blank and decided to make a bendy handle similar to the one in wizard goat link. I have gotten the knots and cracks to disappear. In a bendy handle bow should the handle still be stiffer than the limbs