Osage small diameter decrowned dogsbane fiber backed

[Fox]

new here..... This is my first osage bow, 8th bow, its  63" ntn 1 1/2"  mid limb and decrowned and backed with dogsbane fibers my actaul draw is 26". im a bit worried about it though and need some tiller advice. i will post pics this weekend but in meantime i have a few questions. i would like this to be a hunting bow and was thinking 60# for deer? or should i go lower? right now i shoot a 50# bear archery bow but have not hunted with it yet. how wide should it be at the tips? 1/2"? more less? the stave was a limb only 2" in diameter and the bow has some cracks running up and down the belly right now its on a long string. any advice would be awesome! ... Thanks!

   -Fox

[medicinewheel]

What bow?? 

[Pappy]

Look forward to seeing it, as for weight 50 is more than enough for deer.
 Pappy

[HH~]

Yes, 50 is plenty for whitetails even big ones.

HH~

[M2A]

I'd be interested to hear how you think the dogbane works for a backing after its all finished.

.5" nocks is narrow enough for most styles, but not sure what style your making....  You may consider to leave them a bit wider then narrow them up when you get it to brace height. That would give you the ability to adjust where the string travels relative to the handle.
Mike     

[bassman]

I finished up a 2 inch Osage sapling bow  last fall that ended up 45lbs at 25.5 inch draw , and 58 inches long nock to  nock. The bow is one ,and quarter inches wide coming off the fades to one half wide at the tips. It has 15 knots in it.I had to find the back, and chase a ring.I tillered it to about 95 percent finished, and flipped the tips just a little,and put a light heat treat on it.It held together on the tiller tree at 24 inches. Then I sinew backed it, put fake snake skin over the sinew, and retillered.I will post some pics here if you like. It may give you some idea of what you would like to do with your bow.

[Fox]

I would love to see some pics! thanks for the help guys..... the desighn im basing it off of is the one in TBB the osage flatbow. okay ill go for 50# then.

[aznboi3644]

That decrowned Osage bow in the Bible’s really made me want to procure a small sapling to replicate.  You don’t see decrowned staves often at all.

[Fox]

Heres the pics i promised. i have been taking matereal off for days and it seems like the pundage hasn't changed but a little! is this normal for osage? The bow is about an inch reflex in it and a little flip tip. the backing is kinda odd, think i should leave it or tryan re-do it with rawhide or something? any opinions apreaciated.

 -Fox

[Fox]

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[Fox]

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[sleek]

I'm gonna say, that backing isnt doing you any good all tangled up like that. It needs to be straight laid down, like the strings of a guitar, and laid directly side by side. Also, if the bow has survived this far, you probably dont need a backing at all.

Ok, gonna modify my reply a bit after rereading your post. Because you decrowned the bow, and I dont know if you followed the grain or not when you did it, I cant say whether you need a backing or not. When done right, a decrowned back doesnt need a backing at all.

I still say that your fibers currently on there are doing absolutely no good. I think you should peel them off, sand the back down smooth and give is a picture of how the rings on the back look. That will determine if a back is needed or not.

[Fox]

okay ill see if i can redo the baking.... really about the no no backing?? it has so many ring violations and it decrawned.. badly, i would rather not back it but the growth rings were so tiny and im bad with selfbows. trying to get better though.  thanks for the advice sleek 

  -Fox

[Fox]

How about the tiller any recemondatins?

[sleek]

I modified my reply above because I didnt read your original post carefully.