Chokecherry Bow - 50#@30"

[burtonridr]

A few of you may have been following along with the chokecherry experiment/build (found here with build pics... http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,63850.0.html). I was shooting for at least 45# draw weight, managed to meet that goal while learning a few things along the way. This was the first bow I successfully built out of chokecherry. Chokecherry seems to have a slight twist to the grain and tears pretty easily. You can avoid tearing if you make your shaving strokes in the opposite direction. The reason I assume it has twisting grain is because, for example, I can shave down the right side of the top limb starting at the handle, but to shave down the left side of the top limb I would have to shave towards the handle to prevent tearing. Grain twist is the only thing I can think of that would cause this? Maybe someone else knows what is going on?

This was also the first bow I've made leaving the bark on, which turned out beautiful, just below the outside surface of the bark on chokecherry is a grain pattern about 1mm thick. If you shave to much you loose the grain pattern. I also discovered that you wont get that pattern if you try to shave the outter bark while the wood is still wet, so keep that in mind if you want to try to keep the pattern.

Another first for me is doing a tip overlay, this has an elk antler tip overlay. I think it turned out pretty good, but I might get a belt sander before doing it again to save time.

Here is the final result. 50#@30"

[burtonridr]

Few more pics

Notice the string alignment, the bow is almost center shot on the arrow rest.

[burtonridr]

Last one

[DC]

Looks real nice. Do you think we could have a sideways view of it unbraced?

[burtonridr]

Thanks DC

Here are a few more showing the profile a little better, 2 unbraced and 2 braced

[DC]

It looks to me like most of your bend is in the inner part of the limb. Maybe next time try to get a little more of the limb working. See what others have to say. Good job.

[sleek]

Looks like it took a lot of set. Id bet it would be better if next time you start with a more dried stave.  Also, looks like all the set in inner 3rd, where all the bending is taking place.

[simk]

hi burtonridr, nice one - thanks for showing. +1 for sleek & DC. chokecherry is said to be good bowwod also here in europe. the tearing issue in fact is caused by limb twist and the avoiding-technique you describe is correct. this technique is necessary with almost every wood no matter how clean the staves seem to be. even the slightest twist makes it neccessary. learning by doing  cheers

[burtonridr]

DC / sleek,

Thanks for the feedback, everyone here has a great eye for that stuff. I half suspected that was the case, I guess my thinking was that I would work only that part of the limbs and a little of the outer since each limb had a knot or two at about 2/3 down the limb. Plus, I still dont fully understand how to correctly tiller a reflex/deflex. Should the limb work evenly out the entire length? should the tips remain stiffer like a mollegabet?

Oh and when you have a knot mid limb like that, I think I remember reading in the TBB (or somewhere) that you should keep the limb thicker in that area, how close can you work a limb next to a knot? Can you work it through the knot?

Sorry for all the questions I still have a lot to learn, but it shoots, and my bother was thrilled with it. I think it will live mostly as a wall hanger, I dont think he is seriously into archery 

[burtonridr]

hi burtonridr, nice one - thanks for showing. +1 for sleek & DC. chokecherry is said to be good bowwod also here in europe. the tearing issue in fact is caused by limb twist and the avoiding-technique you describe is correct. this technique is necessary with almost every wood no matter how clean the staves seem to be. even the slightest twist makes it neccessary. learning by doing  cheers

Simk, thanks for clearing the grain twist, glad it is in nearly every stave and not just everyone I've cut 

[DC]

I'm not really confident that I'm tillering the D/R's right either but it seems that an even bend would reduce the strain along the whole limb. I took the most average bow out of my collection and put it on the tree at full brace. I outlined the curve with chalk. My back board is a blackboard. Then I pulled it to near full draw and quickly outlined that curve. I measured between the two curves every 6". I figure the same measurements should be about right for any shape bow. I'm open to disagreement.