AGHHHHHHHHGH!!!!!!

[Taxus brevifolia]

I can't believe what I've done. I already went through the initial shock at the realization I've turn a very promising piece of wood into a kid's bow...

Get this: with just sandpaper, no kidding, I screwed this up with sand paper

I got a little too deep at a handle fade, and by the time I made the whole limb bend evenly the draw weight is less than four lbs at 12" with almost no bend in the other limb. I wouldn't draw it with uneven limbs, but hell it's ruined anyway, so I pulled it a foot with the scale to get a number

So here's where I'm at. I'm not going to waste any more time kicking myself in the a$$. Time to start the next one RIGHT NOW.

Just to be clear: am I correct to assume adding sinew back won't add enough draw weight to make this a good deer bow, will it? I mean is it it worth it to finish the thing?

[stuckinthemud]

Owch.
You could add a backing strip and get some weight back, maybe go for a tri-lam with peri-reflex and call it an experiment??

[Strichev]

That's always sad but you know - if you make bows you ruin bows. I always try and remember myself that wood is a renewable resource and start another project. I wouldn't bother with it. Sinew, lams and such can better be used on a proper undamaged wood.

[Taxus brevifolia]

I've got some yew thats been drying since Feb, maybe I'll start it a little early. It's pretty dry

[dylanholderman]

sorry for your loss.
but its still worth finishing for tiller practice if nothing else, and if it works out find a kid in your neighborhood to give it to.

[BowEd]

Maybe you are doing this but here's what worked for me in the beginning.Get a humidity and temperature gauge.Rough out a bow to 3/4" thick full width limbs.Take it in your house.Let it dry.When it quits losing weight.Wait 1/3 the time more it quit losing weight and then make a bow.It'll lose a tad more yet.I would'nt begin any big bending past floor tiller above 12%.Get it to at least 9% then make a bow.
Here's a moisture/heat graph to go by.

[DC]

Sorry, I have to ask. What kind of sandpaper are you using that will take off that much wood? Even with a power sander you would have to stay in the same spot for a long time.

[Taxus brevifolia]

Just 80 grit from home Depot and a rubber sanding block.

Don't know my own strength I guess

[George Tsoukalas]

There are buildalongs on my site. Take a peek.
http://traditionalarchery101.com
Jawge

[Taxus brevifolia]

Thank you Sir I'll check it out

I'm considering this stave, but I don't know.

https://youtu.be/iHQlo1h8GOE

[bushboy]

I would go with a bamboo backing,it may surprise you!

[Eric Krewson]

Do you use a tillering gizmo?

[Pat B]

What kind of wood is it? How dry was the wood while you were tillering?
 I'd think you would have to really bare down to over tiller a limb with sandpaper. At least I would. Keeping track of where you are with each limb as you tiller is a major part of tillering.

[Taxus brevifolia]

What's a tillering Gizmo?

Gentlemen, these are all reasonable points.
Here's the total pathology, and I'm grateful there's enough interest here to warrant such detail, I'm destined to improve my bowyering skills:
 
Incense cedar
61" nock-to-nock

This species, like juniper, is reputed to be best worked green, beginning asap after splitting. It dries fast. The thing is light as a feather.

Also like juniper, it's quite soft.

After a hard day's work, I got home at midnight and worked on my bow til 5 am. I had the top limb bending nicely, but the bottom limb was way, way too stiff so I went after it. Got it just a hair too thin at the low end of the fade, and by the time I made the limb bend as it should, it was too light. Much, much too light.

So I already kicked my ass. Time to climb back up on that horse, and here it is. I decided to stave out one of my most promising half logs of yew, this time I'm not messing around with knots no matter how well placed they are, nor twist & bend no matter how well I think it'll respond to steam.

[DC]

Maybe working on it in the middle of the night ain't such a good idea.

An old bull and a young bull are resting on a hilltop and a bunch of cows wander into the field below them. The young bull says," Let's run down there and kiss one of those cows." The old bull says, "Let's walk down and kiss them all."