white wood question?

[Del the cat]

Del, did you worry about making sure you had parallel lines in the rings you cut through?  Or did you go for even thickness instead?  Not too many proponents of decrowning around here, even though it's recommended in TBB1, so it's good to hear the voice of experience.  Ever lost any bows because of decrowning?

I just zipped a spokeshave down it and then worked the belly, it was bound to come out pretty parallel . Probably only took off aa quarter of an inch.
The back was slightly weird, (you can sort of make it out in the pic of the bare stave) the top had a steep crown and lower down there was a sort of groove down the middle (maybe it had been up against another limb?) so it was like a V at the top and a W at one point .
I've losts loads of decrowned bows, but not since I was about 11yrs old  (they were waaay too narrow and the wood was green... )
Del

[nclonghunter]

Heres an interesting thought, or at least to me.....maybe the TBB folks can jump in here.

If you split two stave's from the same log and they are are removed side by side, then you de-crown one and leave the back alone on the other, making everything else the same, would they perform the same or not?

Tillering both bows to 55# @ 28", would they both have the same speed/performance?

[Del the cat]

Del, did you worry about making sure you had parallel lines in the rings you cut through?  Or did you go for even thickness instead?  Not too many proponents of decrowning around here, even though it's recommended in TBB1, so it's good to hear the voice of experience.  Ever lost any bows because of decrowning?

Here's a pic of it near the handle. If I hadn't de-crowned it, it would probably ended up being as wide as the white section...

Del

[youngbowyer33]

so if i split a 2 1/2" log in half should i use the inside of the tree to be the back or the outside to be the back?if the outside should i decrown it?

[George Tsoukalas]

There's not enough wood for splitting. Make sure the string falls on the handle. Use a marker to mark belly from back. Choose the best side for the back. Remove belly wood with  a hatchet. Actually get the limbs bending an inch or 2. Put it aside for a week. Remove the bark. Let it dry. Leave the stave an inch or 2 longer. The back is the back. Jawge

[youngbowyer33]

let's say hypothetically... i already split it, then what?

[George Tsoukalas]

The back is the back. Hypothetically of course. Leave it a couple of hypothetical inches longer. Jawge

[Del the cat]

let's say hypothetically... i already split it, then what?

I think you've had the answer allready.
There are options, all of which are good depending on the actual wood and the required draw weight.
If you do what George says, you still have the option of taking a whisker off the crown later on if the draw weight is too high and you dont want it to get narrower.
It's the process we all use, do a bit, stop and think, if it's not right think of what the options are to move it towards the desired outcome..
AAAArrrgghhh no, I'm begining to sound like one of those dire middlemanagement presentations.
Think I'll quit while I'm behind.
BTW, Check out the 1hour bow, that was a small diameter branch...http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,16984.0.html
Del

[Jude]

It seems like the answer to the decrowning question depends on the type of wood more than anything.  You would not want to decrown hickory or black locust especially, but you may want to if it is a tension weak wood.

[youngbowyer33]

It seems like the answer to the decrowning question depends on the type of wood more than anything.  You would not want to decrown hickory or black locust especially, but you may want to if it is a tension weak wood.

a tension weak wood like ash?

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't think it is ever an option for most. When you decrown you have to still follow the grain so that the longitudinal fibers are not violated. I did it once but only to fix  a splinter and then backed the bow. But everyone is free to experiment. Jawge