Black Locust question

[sapling bowyer]

Okay so I'm currently on the floor tillering stage of a an all sapwood black locust bow. I made it from a small diameter sapling and I found out that BL is very stiff. I ended up taking a bunch of wood off to get it ready for brace and it ended up being pretty narrow. It's 50 inch ntn and with a stiff handle but extra short handle and fades. The thickest part of the limb is 5/4" My draw length is 23 inches and I'm aiming for 40 pounds at 23" but 35 would be fine. Would the bow being this narrow be fine?backing save it? Would heat treating help? I'm open to any ideas.

[Pat B]

A 50" black locust bow can be a challenge by itself. Make it with a stiff handle, narrow and all sapwood is betting against success. Even with an ideal, full length BL stave, your tillering had better be perfect or pretty near to it.
 I'd be willing to say that very few folks have made an all sapwood BL bow and if they were too they would make it long and wide.
 

[sapling bowyer]

I know. I have another sapling seasoning. It's thicker and 65 TTT. I'll continue without hope but with perseverance. Any more tips?

[huisme]

I recently pulled a 50" locust to 28"

It was a mollegabet, bendy grip, and one of the most perfect staves I've ever seen.

Change that for weaker sapwood,  narrow limbs, and a small stiff grip and you've got quite the challenge. What I did with my bendy bow is what I consider comfortable, I know the heart wood can take more but the Smallwood adds a hit of unpredictability.

I'd say give it a shot, go slow, and get the other stave ready just in case. I pulled a 1" wide 45" bow to 26" so go ahead and be optimistic... wearing safety goggles and a helmet

[sapling bowyer]

Thanks. It looks like the limbs will have to get even thinner to come into desired poundage. Wouldn't normally use locust sapwood. It's all I currently have. In the summer I will experiment on chaste, olive, pomegranate, wild pear.

[sieddy]

I dont know much about making bows ans nothing about Black locust but I say go for it! (though maybe you'll want a bendy handle?) Its you're kind of 'get stuck in attitude' that leads to amazing craftsmanship down the line. Best of Irish  luck to ya!
Great input Husime- thats the kind of comments that'll really encourage a guy to get making shavings! 

[Springbuck]

You can totally get it at 23" and 40 lbs.  I mean, the wood will take it. 

Confused though, about your dimensions. How wide is it at widest limb?  How wide is the handle? How thick is the handle?  How thick is it currently off the fades? If it has a sap wood back, does it have a heartwood belly?

It's very short, but draws short, too, so that's ok.  If it's very narrow limbed, that's an issue, but bend it most at the widest parts.  On a bow that short, your finished limb thickness will probably be less than 1/2".  If you have some width, but not mush heartwood on the belly, consider a lenticular cross section. (I have had VERY mixed results with BL sapwoood.  Heat treated I've had it act like decent white wood a few times, but even more often it took set like it was Styrofoam.)

If you have the width, say 1-1/2" or more, keep it wide at least halfway out the limb, bend that section the most, and make stiff lever tips in the outer 1/3rd.  If you only have an inch wide, keep that inch until you hit the last6-8" of limb before stiffening it.  You can flip the tips with either of those, but don't go crazy.