87" 100# Ache Ash bow

[selfbow joe]

Very nice looking bow

[loefflerchuck]

Looks like I need to work on my 100# form

[Badger]

  This is really an interesting bow for several reasons, great performance, unusually long and made from what is considered a second string bow wood. A real good example of matching up materials draw weight and demensions. I deal with this quite a bit building elbs for a flight shooting class. I find for lighter weight bows of moderate to light weights I often have to use lighter weight woods to get the performance I am looking for. At 87" long 100# is really a "Light Bow". Good bow to study here.

[wizardgoat]

i love seeing bows that are not recreated often.
Great bow Chuck, you sure got your bang for your buck
from that ash lumber

[---GUTSHOT--->]

What a beast of a bow!! Nice job

[Stick Bender]

Great bow. Chuck beautiful Monster !

[PeteC]

Incredible!          God Bless

[BowEd]

Way to go Chuck...I'd definitely call that a man sized bow.No doubt about it.Who's gonna break down first?The bow or the man.
I've only pulled a bow to 85 pounds once or twice.Was'nt the most pleasant experience,but I'm sure I wasnt using the proper muscles either.

[loefflerchuck]

Badger- Good point. Yes, with 87" to work with the only stress on my mind was unseen ash borer damage. The growth rings on the stave I used were so big that even with the round cross section the back was a single ring for the prominent crown. I want to make one a little shorter and lighter for me to really test. I've also got my first real attempt at a flight bow in the works. I'm already in Utah and may be able to make it to the shoot in Wendover. I'm making no claims of being in the top rankings. Just think it would be fun to see how a juniper sapwood bow can perform and learn a lot for the next shoot.

Ryan- Yes, I was getting a bit discouraged spending so much time looking through all the walnut, hickory, maple, white oak... and only finding lumber unsuitable for bows. Then 1 $96 ash board that so far has made 4 bows, 32 arrows, 2 cores and a half dozen arrows for you and 4-5 staves left. The perfect piece of lumber. Every stave is a single ring on the back.

Thanks everybody.

[bradsmith2010]

how do you like the ash arrows,, do you cut them with a band saw first,,

[Onebowonder]

That's an interesting theory Badger.  I'm hoping I understand it correctly.  Does it mean to suggest that after a certain point, the density of the wood becomes a detriment to it's functionality?  Meaning that there are functional dimensions below which the material properties of a denser wood are less performance effective than a less dense species of wood might be.  Density is a function of volume, so as we reach toward the minimum volume dimensions of the bow, a higher density wood's performance is more negatively impacted by the increased mass than it might be positively impacted by the increased elasticity or strength.  ...am I even close here?

OneBow

Sweet bow Chuck!  That thing is huge.  I'm pretty sure it would effectively minimize a passing Conquistador's desire to stop and plant a banner in the name of his despot king!

[loefflerchuck]

Brad, I recently invested a few hundred in a set up to turn all my own shafts of any size. So far I've used poplar and ash. I have more of that plus doug fir, hickory and white oak now. I plan on cutting some aspen and getting birch boards. These are all proven arrow woods. I think people have tried most wood species and many don't make great arrows for many reasons. So far I like ash for heavy arrows. I have much to learn and much more testing. I have a stack of arrow wood seasoning in a rafter. I imagine the longer that wood sits in the rafter the better the arrows will be when I turn them out.