Primitive Archer

It's my 3rd maple bow and It's also my 3rd attempt at a D bow.

@willie I used the elliptical profile on p.274 of TBB vol1 as a guide for the tiller profile. Last D bow was too bendy at the handle section and I spot treated it that way.  I was more careful this time around and like the tiller better. There is some near handle character that throws off the tiller picture just a little.

I have had issues with chrysals on the belly previously that appeared after heat treatment, so I decided to wait on this one.

The hand shock is pretty minimal since the tips are narrow.

I've been trying to keep mass in mind (and a scale handy) while tillering more recently. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but my bows seem to come in on the heavier side. The wood is mostly around 8% moisture. This one "should" have been around 13-14oz according to the formula. But I feel like had I lightened the tips even more it would have been to whip tillered. And going narrower mid limb would have been risky.

I'm not sure how much knobbiness and character in a stave can add weight, or how significantly wood density affects that within a species. I've hear tight ringed hard woods are not the best as the early/late wood ratio is high. I think this tree was at least 40 and tight ringed for sure. I am working on a group of staves that I harvested years ago and my wood selection criteria has evolved since. This stave has quite a bit more character than is visible!

Good looking bow, very nice work, beautiful wood to boot.
 Pappy

@ Hamish
sugar (or sometimes called rock) maple is up there with the better whitewoods.

@robert
did you plan for a circular tiller? sometimes bendy handles can start bending, more than planned, in the handle area during the last few inches of tillering.  If you were thinking of heat tempering, I would considering the middle third (thru the handle area)

Like the primitive look!

Dang thats a nice one! Im glad you submitted it!

I agree.  Your bow has taken very little set, has a great tiller, and the workmanship shows experience.     I have only made a few bendy handle bows but never a narrow one.  It looks like it would be pleasant to shoot.