Knot/ splinter prevention question

[DC]

This is a hypothetical question so no pictures. If you are starting to tiller a bow and it has a potential weak spot that you think might need a wrap in order to survive how do you proceed? If you wrap it first then you can't tiller that spot but if you don't wrap it it may not survive tilling. This would be the bowyer's paradox. How do you get around this?

[George Tsoukalas]

If early in the process, it ends up in the garden propping up tomatoes.
Jawge

[PEARL DRUMS]

Like Jawgey poo, I don't spend time on that stuff anymore. I burn it up or give it to people who like the abuse. If I don't fell 100% sure, I don't touch it.

[SLIMBOB]

Having a lasting infatuation with character bows and all that that entails some staves will have challenges. Like PD I won’t spend a lot of time on a lost cause, but a knot or a wooptu doo, I just leave extra meat on the bone on a problem spot. Keep it a little flat if needed. If it’s got to be wrapped just to get it tillered I would just as soon it go ahead and break now versus after I put a finish on it.

[bradsmith2010]

I will wrap it....tiller through the wrap if needed...rewrap and proceed

[DC]

What do you wrap it with Brad? Something cheap and easy? You wouldn't do the sinew/hide glue for something you might cut off would you?

[bradsmith2010]

I have done it with sinew,, maybe linen would be easier,, with super glue,,
I found I didnt have to tiller through the wrap that many times maybe once or twice,,

[Sidewinder]

I guess my question is what kind of weak spot? That says a lot to whether or not you scrap it or build through it. My first inclination is like Jawge and PD said but if you are in a bow wood desert then you may not have the luxury of scrapping a stave. I see your profile says Vancouver Island so I'm sure you have access to Yew or Vine maple or ocean spray, no?

[DC]

Like I said, it's a hypothetical question. I have lots of wood, that's not a problem. Every once in a while on here someone will get the advice to "do a wrap, that'll hold 'er". I just wondered what they should do if they weren't finished tillering.

[bradsmith2010]

this is an example of when I might do that,,
you have a bow and some run off and knot toward the tip,, it might hold, but you get paranoid,,
so you think ok Ill wrap it while I tiller,, you narrow it a much as you think you need to,,
but as you tiller,, it becomes apparent that the tip needs to be more narrow,, so you tiller through the wrap,, re wrap the area and finish the bow,, maybe it would hold without the wrap,, but you just got a feeling better to not take a chance on this one,, oh yes I have more wood, but a friend gave it to me and I bragged I would make him a bow out of it,, soooooo,, I went to the extra trouble ,,,no big deal,, bow making is fun,,

[bjrogg]

I have only wrapped one so far. It was a bend through handle I narrowed up handle area and like Brad said, I was worried about the run off. It might have held but the wrap was covered anyway. Wasn't one of my favorite bows though. I like building character bows to, but I like to remove wood I don't trust and get to wood grain I do trust. To me wood that is just going to run off in a knot isn't doing anything but adding weight and keeping a area from bending I can get to bend. I trust wood grain that goes around a knot, but I don't feel the wood of the knot itself does anything for me. I'm not sure I'm explaining that very well. It would be easier to show what I mean than explain it. I don't like wood I don't trust though. I'd rather make a light bow or firewood than a bow I don't trust. I do have some with drying checks I considered wrapping but I just used super glue and so far haven't had a failure.  Might be a spot I'd use a wrap though.
Bjrogg