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Author Topic: Unbacked black cherry.  (Read 5656 times)

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Offline IrishJay

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Unbacked black cherry.
« on: December 29, 2018, 05:42:35 pm »
So, I have 2 staves from the same black cherry log, one with deflex, one with reflex. I had pretty good luck with the deflexed stave using linen backing coated in polyester resin, limb tip overlays made with layers of felt coated in resin. It shoots well, and just needs some finish sanding and a few coats of tung oil. 38# @ 28" 67" ntn. Top limb is a little stiff but I didnt want to take anymore off because the draw was already pretty low.





I'm getting ready to start (its clamped into my table clamp cooling from some heat straightening right now) on the larger reflexed stave. Planning a working handle 72" ntn ~50# at 29.5" After the success with the last piece from this tree I'm feeling brave and thinking about leaving this one unbacked. Anyone have any experience with unbacked black cherry?

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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2018, 05:52:53 pm »
Bow looks good. I agree on the bottom limb. You are doing well. Jawge
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2018, 06:00:06 pm »
Thanks Jawge, trying to learn from my prior mistakes so I can move forward and make new ones ;)
« Last Edit: December 29, 2018, 06:03:19 pm by IrishJay »
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline DC

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2018, 06:02:53 pm »
Yup, top limb is stiff but it's a nice curve. Is there any chance you can turn it upside down? This is one of the reasons for leaving the handle til last :D
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2018, 06:04:59 pm »
Alas no, shelf is already cut in. Next time I won't do that until I'm closer to, or at final tiller.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline Pat B

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2018, 06:06:41 pm »
Can you flip the bow over making the top limb the bottom and the bottom the top?
Great minds, DC.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline DC

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2018, 06:29:41 pm »
I've never even seen Black Cherry but I've heard of a lot of unhappy people that tried to make an unbacked cherry bow. At the very least use all 72" and as much width as you can. The reflex is not really your friend in this case.
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Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2018, 06:49:19 pm »
Nice job Jay. I agree about the top limb, but Rome wasn't built in a day. You should be proud of this one. Keep um coming!  )P(
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"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2018, 07:17:08 pm »
Yeah unfortunately I did this before I tillered, so I cant flip it, but I'm pretty happy as is. It's a pretty cool feeling to cut down a tree and take it all the way to a shootable bow. Now just finish sanding, tung oil, and daughters foot prints (I bought an ink pad, I going to make a "camo" pattern on the back with my 1 year old foot prints. ) and this ones done. The other stave is straightening nicely.



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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2018, 07:51:03 pm »
Quote from: IrishJay on December 29, 2018, 06:00:06 pm
Thanks Jawge, trying to learn from my prior mistakes so I can move forward and make new ones ;)

Well, that's the ball game. You are well and truly messed up for life. You have made a shootable bow and have discovered not only it is possible, but YOU can do it. Down the rabbit hole you go, no looking back!  No tree in sight is free from being molested with your eyes, undressing the bark and staring at it's stave-like attributes, you perv! 

Here's to a new year and to new mistakes. (seeing how the old ones are boring and predictable!)
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2018, 08:27:02 pm »
DC, I think it is unbacked black cherry heartwood bows that were the problem and not ones made with the sapwood.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2018, 08:38:05 pm »
I think I'm going to start tillering with it unbacked and just proceed with extreme caution and frequent, thorough inspections of the back. If anything starts to look suspicious I may end up putting backing on at that point.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline Bayou Ben

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2018, 08:46:40 pm »
Nice work Jay.  It’s a great feeling to get your 1st shooter  :BB
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Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2018, 09:44:24 pm »
Well!  Now you've gone and did it!  So, Congratulations!  New and unusual spirits will haunt your dreams causing weird  ideas about how to make this or that stave work!  Welcome to the coven, you have been bewitched, and bitten!
Hawkdancer
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Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
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Offline DC

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Re: Unbacked black cherry.
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2018, 10:20:17 am »
Quote from: Pat B on December 29, 2018, 08:27:02 pm
DC, I think it is unbacked black cherry heartwood bows that were the problem and not ones made with the sapwood.
Good to know. That makes this better :D
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