Giant knot hole Osage bow stave

[bassman211]

I have a stave at 14.5 moisture content nearly floor tillered. I am drying it with warm moving  air. One limb split narrow, so I rounded the belly like an ELB to maintain more strength in that limb, and narrowed the other limb to match. The over length of the stave is 73 inches. I have a good idea how to proceed with the stave, but input from others can be helpful. This is another first for me, so for those of you who have made this style of bow what was ,or is your recipe for a nice shooting well balanced bow.

[bassman211]

132 hits, and no replies. Some body on here must have built a hole in the limb Osage bow at one time or another.

[RyanY]

How bout a pic? Plenty of them built before. Leave a good amount of wood around the hole following the grain. Depending on the size and shape it may or may not bend much. Definitely need pictures to help.

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes leave enough wood on both sides of the knot to match limb thickness. I hope you still can.

Then when tillering leave the knotted area slightly stiffer than the rest of the limb.

Jawge

[BowEd]

Sounds like an interesting build.How big is this hole?

[simk]

This is not a giant, but this is how I handle them. 

[bassman211]

I left plenty of wood on both sides Jawge, and plenty of limb wood yet. Can't post pics. Ryan. Thanks for the the pics. simk.  Nice job. The hole is 1 1/4  inches on the back to a 35 degree angle towards the belly  side. Belly hole is 1 1/2 inches long by a little over an inch wide. Thanks for your help guys. I am shaving it down a little at time while it is drying, so I am OK so far. Their are some  longish limb cracks, but none run off the limbs.