black locust bow question?

[Deo]

I have never used black locust before and wanted to know how thick to make the bow?
the bow will be around 62 in to 64 in, south eastern style d bow, the width at the handle will be around 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 and at the nock at 7/8 to 3/4 of an inch at the nocks and i want it to pull around 45 to 48 lbs.
how thick do i make it at the handle and taper it to what thickness at the knocks?

[DarkSoul]

You cannot build a bow by accurately following thickness measurements. Thickness will come along as you go. So we can give you a figure to start with, but it will not make a bow. It's just a start, a point from where you start floortillering.
Handle width 1½" wide. Taper the nocks to 1/2" wide.

Thickness roughly 7/8" at the handle, and a uniform thickness taper to 1/2" thick at the tips.

[tom sawyer]

You might look for examples of Cherokee bows, they made this style and used black locust I believe.

[toomanyknots]

You cannot build a bow by accurately following thickness measurements. Thickness will come along as you go. So we can give you a figure to start with, but it will not make a bow. It's just a start, a point from where you start floortillering.
Handle width 1½" wide. Taper the nocks to 1/2" wide.

Thickness roughly 7/8" at the handle, and a uniform thickness taper to 1/2" thick at the tips.

Although this is true within it's context, if I wanted to (purely for the sake or argument,  ), I could argue that I can make a pyramid board bow almost 100% by following dimensions. The way I do it, I go straight to brace with no floor tillering whatsoever. There is no need to the way I do it. The only tillering needed is to balance the limbs after brace if one is too much stronger than the other. And I do that with just sand paper. (All of this of course redundant and taken out of context for the sake of argument.. to selfishly satisfy my boredom,  ).

[PEARL DRUMS]

I supppose the back of the stave would dictate just how even your thickness can be regardless of what style you chose. Pyramid or not.

[Buckeye Guy]

As you have all ready discovered there are a whole lot of if, ands, and buts !
With the wide flat bow black Locust will be a little over 1/4 " thick through most of the limb !
Have fun
Guy

[Badly Bent]

My experience with black locust is that it is always thinner than what I think it will be, talking thickness here,(back to belly).
Will depend on denisty of the particular stave you have, crown of back and of course width of limbs for the style of bow you
wish to make. I creep up on floor tiller starting thick and removing wood slowly while maintaining an even bend. Even bend
is important with locust due to it being prone to chrysals/frets in the belly. I work locust slower than any other wood for this
reason, just my way. Although I find locust tricky to work it is one of my favorite bow woods almost neck & neck with osage.

[okie64]

Im not sayin this is right or wrong but heres how I lay out my thickness taper on bendy handle bows. I make the center 5 inches 3/4" thick, then taper the next 2 inches down to 5/8" thick, and then taper to 1/2" thick at the tips. You'll still have to tiller it down but thats a good starting point. Ive used that method on a lot of different hardwoods and it always works out pretty good. With softer woods like juniper those dimensions need to be about an 1/8 " thicker to start.

[Deo]

thank you all for the tip cant wait to start tillering this bow. Will take plenty of time on it making it bend evenly. I am stoked because this will be the first bow in which i selected cut and seasoned the wood my self.