Sapling/Branch bow design

[Ryan Jacob]

I’m thinking of getting back into the swing of things and working on attempt #12. When all you can work with are sapling or branches of tough wood, do you go for a d-bow, a flat-ish bow, or more of an elb style bow? I can see some pieces to cut which are about 75 inches long.

[Pat B]

Ryan, on the sapling bows I've built(mostly osage) I left the crowned back high and flattened the belly.
I taper the tips and narrow the handle. These I call pole or sapling bows.

[George Tsoukalas]

This is the way I build sapling bows. Jawge

http://traditionalarchery101.com/saplingbow.html

[chamookman]

Search Sonny Iman Limb Bows here. Bob

[bassman]

Sound advice from Pat ,and Jawge. I have made saplings from White Oak, Walnut,Elm, Birch, American Horn beam ,and my last one is Osage. Softer ,and lower mass hardwoods like Birch,and Walnut need to be made wide. 2 to 2 ,and a quarter wide at the fades to 5 eights at the tips as examples. White Oak ,and A Hornbeam 1 and 3 quarters at the fades to 1 half at the tips.The Osage turned out 1, and a quarter at the fades to 5 8'eights at the tips.These are all bows 58 to 60 inches long for 26 inch draw  ona good day at 45 lbs, give or take a little.The wood being used will determine the design. Hope this helps.

[Ryan Jacob]

By the way, I’m planning to use either guava(0.75), tamarind(0.85), or black palm(1.0). My main issue is that my corners seem to break when I use a flat belly. They look like a small nick on the corner but they always result in a kaboom after a few shots. I’m guessing I have to round my corners more right?

[bassman]

If they are going Kaboom you have nothing to lose. Never cared for Palm with my limited experience with it .I used it for riser wood on glass lam bows and tip over lays.here is a pic of a tip that blew out.Never used the other stuff.

[Pat B]

You have to consider the tension strength of the sapling you are working on. With a high crown most of the tension is down the crown of the back and not across the back.

[Ryan Jacob]

bassman
I think that issue could be solved using a wrapping nock
PatB
I can compensate for the higher stress with more length right? More width isn’t really an option.

[Pat B]

Yes, more length will help but tension strength is still important. The tension stresses are still down the crown and the flat belly helps to alleviate that.The osage "pole" bows I made were 66" for my 26" draw and I kept a few rings of sapwood on the back.
You can still round the corners and have a flat belly. I'd suggest doing that anyway to reduce the chance of a splinter lifting. Those corners are dead weight anyway and don't do any work. They are just along for the ride.     

[bassman]

Yes ,I am going to build that area up with sinew eventually.