Black locust time bomb!

[Stringman]

Thanks Jawge, Josh...

Prairie, staves like this make me feel like a newb too!! Fortunately, I have a lovely piece of yew ready to tiller and plenty of Osage in the shed. Just hurts to know that out of about 8 attempts with BL only 2 have made bows.

Scott

[H Rhodes]

I am sorry it blew up on you Scott, but I appreciate you posting this.  I have been creeping along with a black locust stave that Badly Bent sent me.  It will be my first attempt with BL.   Your post has given me some food for thought and I am sure it helps everyone when posts show the failures along with the successes.   It is a different sort of bow wood than anything else I have worked with.

[Jim Davis]

That break really looks like a totally dried  out piece of wood. Where are you and what were the conditions in which that stave was stored (in a corner, I think you said?) I noticed that the back did break at a divot, but very near where you put the heat to it, I think.

Jim Davis