Layout Question

[IrishJay]

So I'm looking at this apple stave trying to decide how I'm going to work it once its dry. There is one ring violation on it in the pencil shaded area at the bottom of the pic. To cut that off I'll have to run the edge where the vertical pencil line is, but that will go right through a small knot. I'm not really sure where to go with it.

[StickMark]

if you go on the inside, meaning you cut the knot off, you will have a narrow bow,  meaning a lighter draw weight bow, or an Indian D bow.  If you go on the outside, work super carefully.  Why? Because the ring around a knot may want to go deep  into your bow width.  Rasp carefully, and then sand it down.

BTW, in my humble opinion,  shooting of the hand works well.   Cut in arrow shelves can come later.  Someone on this site said that more deer have fallen to bend in the handle bows, and for good reason.  They don't look fancy, basically a well tillered stick, but they hunt good, and are becoming a real favorite of mind because they tell you when you are at full draw.

[IrishJay]

If I go inside it will take the width down to about 1 1/8" stave it thick though ove 1" a long to whole length.

[George Tsoukalas]

How long is the stave and what is your draw length?
If you cut off the violated area how long would the stave be?
Can you show a close up of the violation?
Jawge

[IrishJay]

Violation is mid stave, stave is 68" my draw is 29.5"

[IrishJay]

I sand off the pencil marks and post a better pic of it tomorrow.

[George Tsoukalas]

ok

[Morgan]

BTW, in my humble opinion,  shooting of the hand works well.   Cut in arrow shelves can come later.  Someone on this site said that more deer have fallen to bend in the handle bows, and for good reason.  They don't look fancy, basically a well tillered stick, but they hunt good, and are becoming a real favorite of mind because they tell you when you are at full draw.

+1
Never worked Apple, but I’d bet you can get a hunting weight D bow out of it @ 1 1/8” wide especially if you have 68” to work with. Lots of elm, hickory, and other white wood bows the native Americans made were that narrow.

[gutpile]

if violation is mid stave put it in handle and no worries... area doesnt bend ..gut

[Jim Davis]

Agree with Gutpile. Also I observe the regrettable fact that so many short time and first time bowyers try to work with marginal wood, making the learning curve into a vertical wall.

[Pat B]

I agree Jim. If someone settle for anything that looks like it might make a bow without considering the downfalls, deadwood, too many branches and wood that is not appropriate for bows they are spinning their bow building tires. There is too much great info here to not take it. Also study the woods the local Natives used for bows and use that. And, there is always Lowe's, Home Depot, Maynard's or your local lumber yard for boards.
 Use this stave to learn to chase a ring. Go very slowly and gingerly with your drawknife or scraper. Take your time, one growth ring at as time until you get to a good back ring.  Now while it is green it should be easier to work. If you start feeling anxious or frustrated set it down and walk away til later. If you think it's too much work, find another more suitable hobby.
 Years back a friend gave me 3 "firewood" osage staves. They had about every malady you can imaging in a bow stave. I used them as a learning experience that winter and by spring I had 5 shootable bows, not pretty, not much weight but pretty well tillered and all shooters. Those 3 initial staves taught me more about working bow wood than anything previously.

[George Tsoukalas]

I learned  a lot with marginal wood too but I wish I had a nice straight stave with no faults to first get a bow and ten experiment. Jawge

[bradsmith2010]

I am not suggesting that this is the right way,, just what I would do,,
I would go outside the knot,, to get the limb width,,
I would also rawhide back the bow since there are some areas that might be questionable,,
then if it broke I would know I did my best,, if it shoots,, thats great too,,... looks like a bow to me,,