Black Locust fix?

[bassman211]

Locust.

[Bearded.Jake]

Just an update, and a couple other questions if anyone is able to help again!

the tips are looking okay with the cracks in one end basically gone and the other end glued up and looks alright. 

Now I am unsure about correcting the alignment.  one tip is about 1 1/2" - 2" out of alignment and the bend is about mid limb.  I am wondering if this is too much and needs to be corrected or not, and if so, then when is the right time to do it.  Around the floor tillered stage or near the end of tillering?  I have seen people do both I think but I dont know which is best.

Also, I cleaned up an island i left over a knot and found it to be punky all the way through, so I ended taking it all out. I am wondering if anyone has tips for finishing a knot hole through the bow, and if this one looks alright?

thanks for any help, again!

[Hamish]

I would cut shallow nocks, start tillering until you can get a string on it. Then you can see how much you really need to bend to get it to line up. The thinner limbs will be easier to correct with heat.

You can also manipulate the nocks a little, making one side deeper, same again for the handle area.

[bjrogg]

I would cut shallow nocks, start tillering until you can get a string on it. Then you can see how much you really need to bend to get it to line up. The thinner limbs will be easier to correct with heat.

You can also manipulate the nocks a little, making one side deeper, same again for the handle area.

Me too.

I wouldn’t worry about the knot hole either. It looks good.

[Bearded.Jake]

I would cut shallow nocks, start tillering until you can get a string on it. Then you can see how much you really need to bend to get it to line up. The thinner limbs will be easier to correct with heat.

You can also manipulate the nocks a little, making one side deeper, same again for the handle area.

Me too.

I wouldn’t worry about the knot hole either. It looks good.

Thanks so much! Hopefully I will get this thing bending nice!

[bjrogg]

When you do heat correction take your time. Let the heat soak in good. You should be able to feel the wood give up. Don’t force it. I’ve never tried black locust. Not sure how much heat it takes.

Good luck

Bjrogg

[Bearded.Jake]

hello again, all!

If anyone is able to comment on this one again, Id be grateful!

After a long hiatus, I have finally done some more work on this bow.  This is only my second attempt at a split stave bow.. I have a lot of trouble tillering especially with the dips and curves. So, of course I started getting way lighter than I wanted, but still not confident I have it bending well.  Iv only pulled it 24" where it pulls ~40lbs. 
I wanted to see if I could add a bit of weight so I figured id try a little heat treating, which Ive read black locust does well with, generally.  I thought I was heating pretty slowly but of course I started to se a small crack on the edge of the belly near the handle. It was so faint you could barely see it but now more noticeable after stringing and drawing. Im wondering if it will affect the longevity of the bow (which might not matter considering my tiller anyway).  I cant really do more tillering and its also on the side and cant really narrow the bow at this point (the belly is also semi hollow).  I also heat treated for nearly an hour (I did the whole length at once) and just barely have any colour change.  It had a bit of natural deflex and maybe an inch of string follow, now sits just about straight unbraced, but ive only strung it up for the photo.
Also I think maybe I have it bending too much in the inner thirds and not enough near the tips for the profile of the bow?

I hoping someone might have some more advice about all this.  Its always a bit discouraging to keep making mistakes on your only current bow candidate.

Thanks again.

[Muskyman]

I don’t have the experience of many others on here but, I think the bend looks okay. I’m assuming the tips are reflexed a little. Only advice I might give on the crack is fill it with thin super glue. Other folks on here might have a different take on it..  Good luck either way.

[bassman211]

Looks like your bow is starting to belly fret. Locust is a wood that will do that quite easily if your tiller is off. I have had that happen with locust  over the years. Maybe try some other wood like hickory, elm, white oak, and make your bows wider, and longer until you get the feel of tillering a stave bow. Then you can again test your tillering skills with black locust, and it will test your skills as a bow maker maybe more than any other wood. Good luck in your journey.