Black Walnut Chrysals - Fatal or Not?

[bradsmith2010]

dont worry,, just set it aside and you may feel like working on it later,, but dont worry about it,, easy for me to say,, I have stayed awake at night trying to resolve some bow that got the best of me,,

[Lumberman]

Hey barebow! Was just scrolling for bow pics and recognized this bow! thanks for the reccomendation in the opening post, it is "lumbermanco" though not lumberman.com, even as it typed it spellcheck tried to switch it to .com.. Thanks again. Didn't know you were a primitive archer forums junky too lol

[barebo]

I've been around for quite some time, but aren't active except when the bug bites to make a bow or 2. I was able to salvage one of the other cuts from the walnut board that wanted to be a banana and after some careful trimming got a fairly straight piece. When I was getting ready to glue up one of the Hickory backing strips I got from you I noticed that son of a gun was trying to crook to one side again! I did get the backing on and looks to be a nice glue up and am headed out to cut it to profile. We'll see how Black Walnut number 2 turns out?! Instead of Comstock profile, I'm going straight taper from the fades to the tips.
The chrysal issue stinks as the bow is a really nice shooter. Anyhow - glad to see you on here - Great bunch of folks sharing their passion, talent, and wealth of knowledge.

[Lumberman]

yeah this site is 100% what got me into diy archery, started with a google search of "how to make arrows". Following Bubby's board bow was my fist successful attempt. Wealth of knowledge is right on. Good luck with Walnut #2!

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, eventually the bow will fold in on itself like a book closing. Don't ask me how I know.

There are 2 causes. I don't know what situation you fall in.

(1) It can  chrysal because that area is bending too much. You can retiller  leaving that area alone and retiller the other limb  to match. You can try gluing on birch bark, etc.

(2) Bad design. The chrysals  are spread out over most of the limb. You could have overpowered the walnut with the hickory. No fix that I would do.

Jawge

[Digital Caveman]

Birch bark? glue on back or belly?

[barebo]

Well Jawge, I think that the best course of action is to make it a wall hanger. The knot just in front of the chrysals is what I'm pretty sure caused the failure as I left more material  around it and thinned above and below just enough to get a nice even bend. I could have thinned the Hickory backing some as well and maybe trapped it more too? Walnut is beautiful and smells nice making shavings but in board form is just plain tricky.

[George Tsoukalas]

tradcraftsman, over the chrysals.
barebo, sometimes you have to give up on it.
Jawge

[barebo]

I agree 100% Jawge - moving on to the next one. I'm on the fence with number 2? I'm at 1-1/2" at the fades and did a straight taper to 1/2" tips.  I'm not confident in an ELB rounded belly with Walnut so I might just thin the Hickory from 1/8" to 3/16" or so and trap the heck out of it and go for a standard American Longbow - flat belly and rounded sides.  70" overall - 68" ntn.
We'll see.............?

[Digital Caveman]

That helps structurally?  tell us more about it

[George Tsoukalas]

I assume the chrysalis are localized which means it is bending too  much in that area so gluing on some birch bark may help. Jawge

[Digital Caveman]

What about a veneer of wood?

[George Tsoukalas]

Might work. I never tried it.
Dean Torges would cut out the chrysalled area and put in a piece of wood. I never tried the either.
Jawge