What would you do with this stave?

[Hilongbow]

Aloha all,

I'm looking at my last white ash stave I have from my old home in NY and wondering what kind of bow I should make with it. It is 70.5” long, 2.75" at the wider end, 1.75" at the narrower end, about 2 inches thick along it's length, and wide enough in the middle third for about 2.5" in width. It has a few small knots that I hopefully can avoid or incorporate, and mostly straight grain with some slight waves when looked at from the side. Maybe a little bit of propeller twist too.

I don't have any particular plans for this stave other than to try something new, so I'm open to pretty much anything. I think I might exclude recurves, just because I'm not a huge fan. I don't really care how long it ends up being, as long as the length doesn't hinder performance with extra mass. Target weight would be somewhere in the 40-45# range, but less is ok. My draw length is between 24" and 27" depending on the style of bow (I mostly tend towards the lower end of that range).

I was thinking maybe some sort of lever bow? Or an ELB style (though I have a piece of guava that I might use for this instead)? I already made a basic flatbow design with the sister stave, so maybe something other than that, though it's not off the table. I'd like to see it send an arrow off with authority, maybe something that works well for long range target shooting.

Thanks for any ideas!

[bassman]

Well since your open to any thing  stick it on a form, and fire harden it over a pit. You may get some interesting results.  My friend Pa. Steve did one for sure, and liked the end result. Just a thought for some thing different. I just fire hardened a Birch bow by Steve's request ,and will check performance this morning ,and compare it to some Of my Birch bows at the same basic poundage that I heated treated with a heat gun, and compare. I will be shooting it through a Chrony.

[Azmdted]

Bassman:  I'm looking forward to seeing your results.

[Hilongbow]

I would consider a fire hardening (if someone can explain the process) but I do also have the ability to heat treat with a gun. I have a lot of patience and can do a long slow treat with the gun easily while watching TV or something. Still, any ideas on designs? I'm browsing through my TBBs for ideas too.

[NicAzana]

right now, I’m working on an elm flatbow that will be like one of Tim Baker’s “mantra bows” from TBB4. 68-70 inch long. Parallel limbs for the inner 25% of the working limb, then straight taper to the tips. I’m planning to narrow the tips to a sorta eiffeltower shape, and it will have a stiff mid section, stiff tips, and arc-of-the-circle tiller in between. Sorta combining elements of the american flatbow, pyramid and mollegabet styles.

[Hilongbow]

Nic, are you starting with a straight side profile? After browsing through some TBB sections yesterday, I was kinda leaning toward something of that style if I start with a straight side profile. I haven't gotten through the sections yet that look at reflexed, setback, or r/d profiles.

[Hawkdancer]

What the heck!  Research "original/primitive" ash bows!  Or follow your dreams!
Hawkdancer

[NicAzana]

yeah, thats the idea. Straight stave - or in my case some natural reflex along the whole limb.

[Hilongbow]

I went with this profile. It took a while to rough out, I don't work very fast! 69" overall, 4" handle, 3" fades, last 8-9" or so nonbending (ie levers). 2 1/4" wide at the fades for 3" then tapering in an Eiffel tower shape to about 5/8" to 3/4". I'm planning to focus the bend more at the widest part, is that a good strategy? Any tips on tillering this front profile would be very helpful. I'm working on floor tillering and plan to heat treat and induce an inch or two of reflex after I get to brace height. I'll be happy with anything from 35# to 50#, don't really care too much. Thanks in advance!

[Fox]

Dang! That's nice.... I wanna make one  ... I love the look of pyramid bows..

-Fox

[Eric Krewson]

I have made a pyirimid bow or two with stiff tips but only 6" or so. Not having made a lever bow like yours I can only offer an unfounded opinion as a bowmaker. I would spread the tiller over the entire working section, bending mostly in the widest part may cause it to be hingy.

[Selfbowman]

I agree Eric. Arvin

[Hilongbow]

Ok, I can do that! I hope to report back within a few months with a finished bow.

Fun side note, I counted back the rings on this stave and found that this tree was a 1-2" diameter sapling in the 1950s and 1960s when my mom's uncles were hunting in these woods when they lived in the area for a few years before moving farther north. I wonder if they ever walked next to it or noticed it.

[bownarra]

Pyramid tiller eg. circular with the parallel section out of the fades slightly stiffer Leave reducing the outer limbs until the bow is fully tillered then reduce as much as you dare. Width first, then shoulders, then thickness over the last 6 inches to the nock.
Good luck.
It will shoot beautifully if you get the tiller right.