Opinions on some knots in back

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I've got a couple of knots in the back of black locust that in not sure what I want to do with yet. I've got them cleaned up to one ring but there is still a depression with some bark in it though I got about 90 percent of it cleaned out. I can't decide if I want to leave them as is and soak them well in super glue or fill them with ground antler dust and super glue. What do you all think? After heat treating I had a crack open up in the middle of a knot that I'll do he same to that I do to the other knots. It's small enough that I can just fill it with super glue but in a location and large enough I can open it a little and fill it with antler dust. I've never filled a knot before which is why I'm wanting to try it with this one.

But this bow is a simple black locust flat bow chased to the sap/heart transition layer with a very dark ring right under it. So it's mostly the tan with with some creamy white areas sort of like its piebald and has a dark line bordering  the rounded corners. I've only pulled it to about 12" before heat treating but I can tell it will take a little set. I'm not sure how well I picked the rings. It has a good solid late growth ring for the back then the rest of the rings have lots of early wood compared to the late wood. I'm not sure how well all that crumbly wood will hold up on black locus belly. It sure makes the belly pretty with all those growth rings showing though.

Kyle

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I Guess I forgot the pictures

Kyle

[tattoo dave]

Post a pic if you can Kyle. I'm not super experienced with knots, but I've filled a few on the belly side. They all are holding together fine. Not sure how the back will work out, but I've many people make them work.

Tattoo Dave

[Pat B]

I'd fill those holes with super glue and saw dust, doing a little at a time to be sure you eliminate voids. Then I'd back the bow with rawhide or other suitable backing material.

[Jim Davis]

I don't think the back will be the problem. The holes need to be filled to take the compression on the belly, but the wood flows around the knots on the back and will  take the tension just fine.

As for lots of spring wood on the belly, that's certainly not the best condition. Just make sure the whole limb is bending and that you don't try to get too much weight out of it.

Jim

[Mo_coon-catcher]

There was only one tiny hole that needed cleaned out on the belly. But none of the knot holes go clear through. She's about 1 1/2" wide till mid limb then tapers to 1/2" tips, limbs are 29" from end of fade to nocks. The goal weight was 50 pounds at 29" but I might drop it back to about 40 to reduce some strain and the plan was to get te fades working a bit. I'm hoping to keep from backing if possible to maintain the unique look. But if it needs it I'll put on some rawhide to make her hold up.

Kyle

[crooketarrow]

 I know it's not o'sage but I like to build bows like they are. My answer is build it like it is.

  I was taught if your bow dosn't make it. You shouldn't look at it like a failure. Look at what you learned getting it to it's failure.

[bradsmith2010]

what is the length of the overall  bow nock to nock??

[Mo_coon-catcher]

It's 66" ntn, with 1 3/4" fades, 29" limbs and the rest is a stiff handle.

Kyle

[Pat B]

Discoloration of any kind in any white wood concerns me. That's why I would fill the holes and add a rawhide backing. 

[crooketarrow]

   Back it it's not a selfbow. KISS   keep it simple stupit a backing just one more thing that can go wrong.  If it needs backing you've done something wrong.

  The seeing the knot better looking than seeing a dogs chew bone.

[bradsmith2010]

there is such a variation in black locust,, my experience may not be valid,,
29 inches of draw with some questionable issues, might be pushing it with the stiff handle,, 66 inch bow,,
putting a thin deer hide or goat surely won't hurt anything,, and might make the difference  needed to keep it shooting,, even thin black locust can be bad to crystal when over strained, ,so you might consider reducing the draw a bit,, make the handle more shallow and that will help on that,,,
Pope and Young advocated rawhide backing,, I put a deer hide back on nearly all the bows I made professionally and felt it added to the durability of the bows back,, even helping to endure rough hunting conditions,, or the accidental overdraw,,
that being said I do love and respect the self bow non backed,,,so I am of the school of what is best for each stave,,and I am big on overbuilding on not straining to the max for a hunting bow expected to shoot for decades,,one thing for sure,, what ever approach you decide on ,, you will learn if it is working or not,,

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm thinking that pushing the bow to 29" might bot be too feasible. So I'll tiller out out to my draw length of 27", see how it does and just start a new one for my professor that can take it a little better. If the stave had more solid rings and didn't have te knots in the back I would worry about it making 29" at all. To me it's more the low density belly that worries me the most for the limb length.

Kyle

[John Scifres]

I doubt that any filling will hold on the back like that.  As you draw the bow, you will separate even the strongest of putties.  And it really will do nothing for structure as the back tenses, not compresses.  Now if you add something that will help with tension, you could save it.  Sinew would be my choice if I thought the stave was worth the trouble.  Filling the holes prior to sinewing would not be a bad idea.

I'm not sure what you mean as far as the earlywood being on the belly.  It has almost no compression strength so it will come off naturally as you tiller.  You have just started tillering this so you really don't know what the belly is going to look like until you finish.