Making ,and breaking bows

[bassman]

Here is a small example of  bows that broke on me over the years. Were laying in the corner of my work shop, so I figured I would post them to show the learning process that you go through to become a bow builder. You break one don't worry about it . Learn from it ,and build another, and I am not afraid to post them, because we go through it to one degree or another.

[Pat B]

Lots of good lessons to be learned from those bows.

[Del the cat]

There's a Frankenbow in there waiting to be made 
Del

[bassman]

Pat, and Del each bow has a story. The bow on the left is a sinew backed American Horn Beam bow that was 48 inches long, and shot just fine at 22 inches of draw. I wouldn't  let well enough alone, so I made Siyahs with way to sharp an angle and installed, and got a few shots  off ,and it broke. Each bow in the pics are bows I pushed past their limits which is obvious by trying to get more draw length, or speed, or adjusting design etc,etc., and I have made some Franken bows in the past from broken bows. One nice low poundage shooter I have has Osage limbs that I put on a Hickory riser with bolts. Now I can say that on this forum I have posted my  good, my bad bad,and my ugly. Thanks for your replies.

[gutpile]

I buried my first one ..hahahahaha... now I got a few more..one day I'll splice two together...gut

[bassman]

My wife is still using some for tomato stakes, and that is  the truth. Some are getting rotten,but not Osage , Black Locust.

[Del the cat]

My wife is still using some for tomato stakes, and that is  the truth. Some are getting rotten,but not Osage , Black Locust.

LOL ... Yeah, we have some Yew and Ash stakes in the garden too
Del