Re: Advice needed - wild plum sapling in progress. Bow finished

[diliviu]

Hello,

I'm working on a wild plum sapling: 67.3 inches ttt (will be around 65.5 ntn), 1.1 max width (at handle; bend in the handle bow), pretty crowned. Mature wood, even if small diameter. I aim for about 42 lb at 28 inches. The wood has 3 inches (2,95 more precisely) of reflex. Taking into account the length, the narrow profile, the crowned back and 2 knots that are stretching my nerves, would you decrease its natural reflex for that 42 at 28? (If I had used any other wood I had worked with I personally would have chosen to decrease reflex.) How much (I wouldn't want to back it)?



Thank you, and
Merry Christmas!

[Badger]

   I would be tempted to straighten out the middle section of the bow. I don't like a bendy handle bow with a reflexed bend through the handle. You could get away with a stiff handle if you wanted. Plum is some amazing wood.

[joachimM]

What Steve said.

one more issue I have had with some of these crowned sapling bows, especially in plum and hawthorn, are lateral pins surfacing at the belly along their length, perpendicular to the bow axis. These are weak spots that sometimes give you nasty hinges after shooting them in. Frustrating.

Joachim

[burn em up chuck]

  interested, keep us in the know

                           chuck

[diliviu]

Thank you for your advice!

I will straighten the middle area and let the handle almost stiff, there is enough length for this.
I hope to come back with the finished bow, ready to shoot.

[Chief RID]

I am watching with interest. Good luck!

[RandyN]

I just finished a Maple sapling bow that almost what you are describing. My sapling might have been a little larger in diameter than yours. I left the reflex in my handle area, went ahead and finished the bow. Finished it out at 48lbs. It shoots great. I left my handle stiff. I didn't remove much wood back to belly in the handle area but I did narrow the grip area down. The handle remained stiff even after the narrowing process. The bow ended with a small amount of string follow at the tips even though I left them a little wider than usual.

My bow also has a couple of pins that are lateral to the limb on the belly side. After final tiller, I coated them with superglue and they seem to be holding fine.

Good Luck

[crooketarrow]

   Leave the reflex and as you tiller,tiller it out. Easy to do with a bend in the handle bow.

[diliviu]

Thank you all for your input!
I made some progress and brought it to brace. It was quite hard for me as my experience and time are limited, and I usually work with cleaner staves. I still need to take off about 10 pounds (to get it to 42-45).



As I see it, I should improve the tillering a little and I have enough room for this. I would take a little from outer limbs and very little from mid limbs and let the handle area get stiffer as it is now.

I like wild plum! Hope to come back soon with it finished.

[TimBo]

Nice - I like that shape!

[diliviu]

I would call it finished. A little stronger than first intended - would be about 50-54 at 28. Drawn only to 24,5 so far, must exercise it a bit more for maximum draw length. I am also a little worried because of the highly crowned back, but hope to stay togetter and come back with a short shooting vid if next weekend weather will be better.

Bend in the handle, 63.4 ntn, 5.8 brace height. Uugly handle wrap
No full draw yet, but if you have any tillering feedback from what it can be seen without FD pic please let me know.

If it won't break at 26+, wild plum will become my favourite wood so far (never tried osage and yew).

Thank you all for your input, this helped me make this bow!

[Bryce]

I prefer plum over some premium bow woods.

It's a great bow wood and has never let me down.