Handle and tip splice orientation

[willie]

I have a couple of approx 2" dia by 3 ft. staves/billets  that will be spliced to make a bendy handle bow. A "v", "z" or "w" is what I see usually done on handles that do not bend, but are there any examples from historical bows that use a scarf type glue joint, on either handle or tips? I am using scarf to describe a glue joint that has the plane of the glue joint from side to side of the limb.
I cannot help but to think about the belly patches I see with the scarf joint running out on the belly. Why not for the back also? I plan to use a good epoxy for the joint and some sort of additional backing to reinforce a decrowned narrower back.

[PatM]

Many old Composite styles used scarf joints in handles and tips.  They were generally wrapped as well though.

[bootboy]

This might be stating the obvious but have you tried to do a google search for.  Its a lot of fun going through all of the hits you'll get with how-to'S and youtube videos of building mongolian, korean, chinese, persian, turkish...etc. bows they all are constructed with various splices the larger number I have found seem to favour the V splice.

If you were thinking of more of a european type of bow then the Saami ...(maybe its just a Finnish bow) have made one from pine and birch. I beleive there was a bowyer here that made a replica of that.  Following that there are a few Russian bows of similar mention.
I dont know if that helped but I hope it did. 

[willie]

Many old Composite styles used scarf joints in handles and tips.  They were generally wrapped as well though.

Pat, any in particular come to mind? Especially concerning handles?

[stuckinthemud]

I just finished a low-stressed longbow, billets and bending handle (by accident!). The 8:1 v-splice held up just fine but I used a patch on the back and this was a huge mistake. Every time the handle started working it popped the back patch straight off. In the end, after at least four different attempts at fixing things, I used Gorilla yellow glue and linen wraps covering almost the entire patch together with a belly patch to stiffen up the centre.  Just the v-splice would have been plenty strong enough.

[Aaron H]

Many old Composite styles used scarf joints in handles and tips.  They were generally wrapped as well though.

Pat, any in particular come to mind? Especially concerning handles?

The Moshcheveya Balka bow had a scarf joint in the handle

[PatM]

Many old Composite styles used scarf joints in handles and tips.  They were generally wrapped as well though.

Pat, any in particular come to mind? Especially concerning handles?

 The bow mentioned by Aaron as well as  the Scythian bows  .  Keep in mind that bone plates also boxed in  these scarf joints in most cases.

[willie]

thks, Pat and Aaron

found a nice detail here....
http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/MB%20Plans%20v2.pdf