First time with osage...

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

Its just floor tillered now. hopefully gonna get it braced tomorrow. This is the first time ive worked osage in a bow, and im really loveing it so far. its also my first truly successfull glue up, so far... time will tell. the glue lines arnt perfect, but im getting there. on my first glue up, they were almost 1/8" thick in places 

i cut my backing before i put it on, and my splice cracked, but when i glued on the handle lams, it filled with the urac, so im not too concerned. ya wont be able to see it after i get a grip on it anyhow. so now i know for the next one.

this is also the first time ive done a splice, not entirely happy with it, but its functional.


just a few teaser pics. handle lams are sapwood hickory, black walnut, heartwood hickory, and bw.









Im gonna need help with the tillering i just know it, so ill have pictures when i get it on the tree.

Phil

[Dean Marlow]

Phil that is looking good to me. Just be careful when you start tillering these glue up bows. They can go from 60lbs to 35lbs real quick on you. Floor tiller the heck out of it.  Work those limbs a bunch when you are floor tillering. Dean

[Shooter_G22]

wow that is  a really nice looking start...   i like it...

[Pat B]

You have a good start there. Hickory backed osage will make a great bow and with the R/D profile the performance possibilities are are pretty good too.
  If I may suggest...you spent considerable time shaping your handle. I prefer to save the handle and tips until the very last. You don't need them until you are finished anyway and by leaving the handle blocky you have a place to clamp while working on the limbs plus the bow will sit better on the tiller tree with a blocky handle.

[knightd]

I'm with you pat on leaving the handle til last.. and if any thing was to go wrong you dont have all that time in the handle work..

[John K]

I'm also with Pat on the handle.....but i sure have a hard time leaving that handle till the end.......for some reason i just need to shape it a little to see how it feels    Anyways nice looking bow there, i'm looking forward to the finished product ! 

[Pat B]

John, I believe we are all drawn to the handle first. That way you can see some positive progress but for ease of tillering and like David said, if anything happens to go wrong, you haven't done the extra work it takes to shape the handle properly. Also, there is a chance of marring the handle while you tiller.

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

Thanks for the compliments and the suggestions. ive been out of the bowmaking loop for about 5 months now, so im kinda having to learn everything all over again! its startin to come back to me now.

Dean, Thanks for that. i knew these r/d bows show alot of early string weight, but its good to have the reminder about working it.

G22, thanks, you make some nice bows, so hopefully i wont dissapoint you...

Pat, Thanks for the compliments and the encouragement. I actually didnt mean to shape the handle as far as i did. i was just working on the fades and getting the handle to blend well into the limb, and after about 20 min, i looked up and whoops... it was pretty much all shaped. hopefully it wont cause me any problems.


sorry i havnt got time to write to the rest of you, ive got a 2 year old that is just about begging to go outside and shoot his bow 

Phil

[brownhillboy]

Nice looking bow, I like the lines and the handle does look good.  Can't wait to see it finished, but by all means, take that 2 yr. outside all you can!

[OldBow]

Love that handle! Keep us updated

[medicinewheel]

look REALLY good!

F.

[Gordon]

Looking really good so far.

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

thanks for the vote of confidence guys.  I did a bit more scraping on it last night and have been floor tillering the snot out of it. compared to my 53lb bow it feels about 70lbs right now, but it could just be the early string weight fooling me. i only have just a tiny little bit of tweeking to do before i can brace it, so im very close.

ill see if i cant get some more pictures up...

Phil