Author Topic: Question about grain  (Read 2481 times)

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Offline Jefficus

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Question about grain
« on: February 26, 2016, 05:22:05 pm »
I've got some real straight quartersawn boards I'm planning to make bows from.  I've only made flatsawn before, and a question occurred to me:

If grain is basically everything when dealing with something like 1/4 sawn wood for a bow, doesn't tapering to the tips compromise the bow? After all it's basically creating runouts along the slope of the taper.  Yet everybody does it, and it's fine.  Why is that/ why isn't that more of a problem?

It's just got me scratching my head haha.  Thanks all!

Offline Stick Bender

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2016, 05:38:30 pm »
I'm a newer Bower but since your not geting  a lot of response I will  try it's my understanding that as you move farther out to the last third of the limb in most designs  it's doing less of the work & is less stressed  there for grain violations are less of a problem that's why you see in most designs guys will make them as light as possible with out becoming whip ended I think it's TBB 1 design section it's exsplaned in detail  hope that helped maybe some one with more exsperience will chim in.
If you fear failure you will never Try !

Offline bubby

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2016, 06:16:08 pm »
To tell you the truth I don't know why, I do know i have used quarter and riftsawn selfbows, used both for backings and belly and core and never had that issue
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2016, 06:49:39 pm »
It doesn't have to be ZERO runout to be usable, and durable, but it should be minimal. Cutting across straight 'grain'/growth rings to effect width taper is a minimal violation and shouldn't concern you.

It's a matter of degree, and relativity. The more highly stressed any area of the limb is, the less runout we should allow.
Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline Jefficus

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2016, 06:53:45 pm »
Thanks all!

Offline Springbuck

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2016, 05:05:01 pm »
  No, but on QS boards, look very carefully about how the wood grain runs back to front. It's hadrer to see on a QS board, but it'll kill you if it runs back to front and you didn't see it.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2016, 08:13:57 am »
On a 1/4 sawn board, you have to look at the edge grain and it has to be straight tip to tip.
No violations occur when doing a width taper because the fibers are only cut on the end.
Jawge
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If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Jefficus

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Re: Question about grain
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2016, 01:05:05 am »
Thanks George, that makes perfect sense!