Osage flat bow tip thickness min

[servicebeary]

Here's a question for all you most helpful experts out there.  I wasn't paying attention to the twist in the limb on my flawless osage stave and I managed to cut near the tip down to 1/4" thick:(  Fortunately it was to be a 69 nock to nock, so I could reduce it, but I had really nice pin nocks already cut and was hoping to start tillering.  The tips are just a hair over 1/2" wide, but would              1/4" x 1/4" pin nocks hold up, and would this be too small of dimensions for a 55 lb. bow?  The limbs are 1 1/2" wide to mid limb and taper strait down to the tips, and the handle is 1" wide and 4" long.
                                        thanks, servicebear-y   

[Badger]

How far down the limb does that 1/4" thickness extend, can you put your nock groove right in front of it? Steve

[servicebeary]

dang, I had been trying not to look at it but it appears worse than when I walked away from the saw last night in tears (well almost)anyhow, the 1/4 extends back 4" from the tips and it gets worse, because there's a gouge down to 3/8" that's 8 3/4" from the tip.
  But the good news is, is that its twisted there so I would get into deeper wood if I reduce length and get away from the thin edge:)  Where it's 3/8 it's also 1 1/16" wide, so I guess if you all think it would be "whipless" @ 50 lb I guess I'd give it a shot, and if it is too weak I could always shorten it then.  Anyone have thickness dimensions at the tips of a 1/2"ish long osage flat bow?  If I know it's hopeless then I can redesign it now and learn less:)     -nick

[GregB]

Pictures would help, but if you can narrow the limb width near the tips to get some thickness back...meaning if only one edge was thinned down by narrowing the limbs you might could correct the problem???

[sailordad]

could be a kids bow in the making

[George Tsoukalas]

servicebeary, are you using power tools? Jawge

[tom sawyer]

They'll hold up just fine.  My friend makes osage bows with nocks that small, maybe even smaller.  They are the size of a pencil.  He always uses Fastflight strings too.

[servicebeary]

hmm, yah only one side narrowed, wonder how good this bow would be with one limb 3 inches shorter than the other?  Well George, yah, I was using a band saw, but I was supposed to only get it down to 1/2"  aww well, I've got the other limb floor tillered and am thinking it might make a nice half for the takedown I want to make.  I'm traveling for work all over so a takedown would be a lot nicer than a 70"er.  hmm, or maybe I should just shorten it?  Could probably still make it 64" no problem, I think.  So, from the sounds of it 1/4" 3 inches from the end is pretty hopeless?  
                                 -thankyou for the advice fellas, next time I'll shoot for 1" tips with the band saw:)  

[servicebeary]

Tom, you just made my evening!  thanks!  Could you please tell me what length bows he makes like that and do they bend in the handle?  Maybe I should think of making it bend in the handle to make the pressure on the tips even less?
                   

[Pappy]

Band saws will do that to you,always keep the side you can't see away from the blade,I learned
that the hard way ,several times.I don't know what you are looking for but 62/64 is plenty long
for Osage say 50/55 @26/27 or even 28 if you want.I would just cut it off 2 or 3 inches on each end and redo the tapper and tips. 
   Pappy

[tom sawyer]

His name is Tony, he and his wife used to check this site as Bowfolks.  I have one of his bows, its 56" long, a mild reflex/deflex shape and bends through the handle.

At 69" you don't need to do a bendy handle design, your tips are under little stress way out there.  I think they'll hold up just fine.

[GregB]

Like Pappy said...with a band saw rotate your wood so that the edge laying on the table is thicker. This process requires cutting down one edge, then rotate to the opposite edge same limb and cutting down the limbs length again. Of course both edges need to be marked with pencil and we try and leave the line when making the cut. This technique leaves a crown on the belly...with a little practice a third swipe down the limb with the bandsaw can remove the bulk of the crown. Then rasp and scrappers to the lines...

[servicebeary]

thanks everyone for the advice, I got both limbs floor tillered and I'm just gonna see how much weight I can get out of em, then shorten if it's crazy low.  I'm 76 inches tall so 70" isn't too long for me, and it's actually my first bow, I've got some others in progress, but haven't gotten them to the tillering stage just yet for one reason or another.  The little bit of snake and twist in this is making it a tough first bow, but hopefully my patience will prevail.

[Justin Snyder]

Tom is right that 1/4" nocks will hold.  It is the fact that you have 3" before the nock that scares me. If you choose to try it I would suggest you draw a straight line on the edge of the bow so you can tell if that area is bending.  If you can see the bend, I would cut it off. I am about your height and one of my favorite bows is an osage flatbow of similar width but mine is only 62" nock to nock.  60# at 29"  You can cut 3" off of each limb and have plenty of length.

[servicebeary]

Justin, well, while floor tillering it I could definately see the tips bend.  But the limbs are too strong yet so it's really hard to gauge if they are tough enough for 50+  If I go back 3" I'll still proably only have 3/8 if I'm lucky because of the 3/8 gouge I made about 9" from the tip.  I guess I could be 3/4" wide there, but how bad would that kill the performance?       many thanks for the advice   -nick