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Author Topic: this wood refuses to be a bow  (Read 2600 times)

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Offline sleek

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this wood refuses to be a bow
« on: March 12, 2012, 04:52:03 am »
  So, I have a bit of osage. I chased the ring like a champ, no problem. It has a nice even reflex across the entire bow. No tool marks on the back at all. I get it floor tillered great. I brace it and it lifts a splinter. No wories we have all been there before. I CA glue it down, put a wrap and rebrace. It lifts on the other limb. Repeat repair and rebrace. It then lifts a splinter on the first limb. Ok, at this point I am scratchin my head.

  This bow isnt a strong one, maybe 30 lbs at 25 inches I am guessing from only the brace tension. I decide to go and take it down a ring. I do this, check the back carefully. All splinters are gone. Rebrace, and it lifts another dang splinter bigger than any of the others.  I about turned that stave into a dang boomerang at that point. So, after another splinter repair I decide the bew will be a wall hanger as I will NEVER draw it back. Lost all confidence in it.

   A buddy has been begging me for a wall hanger he can brace and leave braced on his wall anyway. I almost got the tiller perfect, and soon as I do, will give it to him. Had I some sinew prepared I would sinew it because the reflex is awsome in this stave but the heck with it.... pics up later...
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mikekeswick

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2012, 05:46:20 am »
What tools are you using to get your ring chased?
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Offline sleek

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2012, 06:01:41 am »
Just a sharp knife as a scraper, like on all the bows I have made before...
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2012, 06:23:19 am »
Sounds like you chased a ring good, did you violate the grain when you layed your bow out?  Was the stave hand split of sawed?  Are the splinters in the middle of the limbs or are they on the edges?
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Offline sleek

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2012, 09:20:07 am »
Stave is from a straigt sapling so no violations... It keeps breaking on the high point of the back at random places along the limb.
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Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

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blackhawk

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2012, 10:05:55 am »
Sounds like too high of a crown on the back for that piece of wood...not all osage is created equal and will make a bow. It breaks too for no reason other than it doesnt wanna be a bow. A few weeks ago i had an osage blow,and the top limb broke in tension for no reason,and broke right off and flew to the ground fairly quick. It was odd because it had been out to 45@27" around 75 times with no problem,but i didnt like it so i decided to reduce its weight down to 35 and give it away. I took 5 pounds off,and was exercising it short pulls,and boom,she went at less than 30 lbs at around 22". Tiller was fine,it wasnt too dry...it just didnt wanna be a bow.
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Offline DarkSoul

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2012, 10:19:38 am »
Quote
I almost got the tiller perfect
How could you have the tiller almost perfect, when the splinters lift when you put the bow to brace? That means you cannot have pulled the bow more than to braceheight, which is not enough usually to got the tiller "almost perfect".

If the splinters lift at the highest point of the crowned back, try to crown the belly as well. Is the belly flat, at the moment? If so, the flat belly is likely to overpower the crowned back. Crown the belly as well, to alleviate the pressure on the back. It's no guarantee of course, but worth a shot.

Maybe a good condidate for a de-crowned back...??
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Offline sleek

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2012, 10:53:10 am »
I will look into perhaps decrowning the back and rounding the belly. Right now it is a high crown anf flat wide belly. Darksoul, I do most my tillering at brace. I dont pull beyond brace untill I like the brace tiller. That saves me allot of trouble usually...
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2012, 11:23:22 am »
 The high crown and the sapwood back are likely the culprits. A backing may help. Some saplings do better than others with a sapwood back. Jawge
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Offline sleek

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2012, 01:32:26 pm »
I was able to take this sapling down to the orange wood for the back. No sapwood involved. I am not sure if there is enough meat on this stick left to round the belly. I will see about trapping the back. I am suprised at this problem I am having because this wood made a nice 40 lb bow for my wife. I dont know why this section of the tree is giving me troubles. To clarify, I call this a sapling because it was about 5 inches in diameter, but it was almost 10 feet tall and very straight. That is why there is no sapwood on the back. The bow my wife made came from the lower half. I am using the upper more narrow half, about 3 inches in diameter.
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Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2012, 01:40:55 pm »
Rwhide would do miracles here.
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mikekeswick

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Re: this wood refuses to be a bow
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2012, 05:13:15 pm »
You use just a knife to chase a ring? Removing bark,sapwood and all necessary heartwood?
Simple way to fix is to de-crown it. It only takes a few minutes. You'll lose a fair bit of weight but the back will be safe. You're aiming for parallel lines the whole way when de-crowning so you don't violate any fibers.
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