Rookie Osage Build-Along / Help

[Scrub_buck]

Hi all:

I got a couple of cured staves from the Howard Hill Classic last weekend and I am poised to try my first osage selfbow.  I want to make this a build-along thread, but also I am going to be posting pictures as it comes together and asking a bunch of questions before the next step.  I hope to tap into some of the wide knowledge and experience from the good folks here and learn as I go along.

The stave I will be working first has been taken to one ring and reduced some to a semi-bow-like shape.  Yesterday, I drew a line down he center of the the back and took off some material from the belly to square-up the bow better while I decide which way I want to go as far as bow design goes.  The width of the back is right at 2 inches for the complete length of the stave, however, it narrows some where the guy roughly band-sawed out one side of the handle area.   

I will post a few pictures for you all to study.  The 69.5" stave is very clean and it has some reflex already (a little more reflex on one side) and one limb is straight, while the other one has a slight 's' bend in it.  I have found center and marked off 2 inches on either side of it for the handle placement.  I was thinking about a 64-66" flatbow with a static handle.  I currently shoot 50-55 pound longbows now, and have a 27.5 - 28" draw.

I would like some assistance from all of you during this project.  If you have any thoughts or ideas, please feel free to speak up.   

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[Scrub_buck]

Side view...

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[Scrub_buck]

The 's' bend.

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[Scrub_buck]

One side.

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[Scrub_buck]

The other side.

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[Scrub_buck]

From above.

Please feel free to express any thoughts and or advice.  I did stretch a string from center of the end to center of the limb.  The string gets close to the edges of the limb in the s-curve and is off to one side of the handle. 



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[Scrub_buck]

That should have read "From center of one end to the center of the other end."

[tdog]

I knew you wouldn't leave empty-handed You certainly didn't waste any time getting started. Looks like a good candidate for a bow to me but then I'm still trying to finish my first bow. These guy can definately help with any questions. Hopefully I can get started on my hickory bow soon. Good luck man! Can't wait to see the end result.

Mark

[RidgeRunner]

Hay Scrub:
It looks like you got your self a good Osage stave there.
Hint # 1  Always use a very sharp pencil when drawing bows out.  I know that seems simple but it helps a lot.
Hint # 2  When drawing the width of the bow in the "S" curve make sure the width lines cross the center line at right angles.
Hint # 3  I saw in another post where you wanted to make the tips 1/2" wide.  Many use 1/4" tips on Osage.  I use 3/8".

Ask anything and post lots of photos

David

[Scrub_buck]

David:

Thanks for the tips!

I have gotten the sides down to make it just over 1.5 inches on the widest part, to about an inch at the tips.  I am slowly getting it to bow form.

Tell me about the handle and the string trick.  When running a string from center-line to centerline at each tip, the string is off to one side of the handle and not centered.  I can adjust where the strings come over the tips and get the string very close to center at the handle, but i am not over the crest of the limbs then.  Torges advocated making the crest of the back of the limb center???

What is the preferred procedure there.  I probably need to get the ends whittled down closer to limb shape before taking the material off the back and starting to floor tiller?

Thanks in advance!

Sandy

[Scrub_buck]

Starting to take shape with some material removed from the sides...

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[sailordad]

i have a piece of hickory that has almost that exact same snake to it

[Pat B]

Leave your handle full width and your tips the width they are. They can be worked later and you may need the extra widths to make final adjustments. Don't worry about your string tracking at this point. Work on getting your limbs bending evenly and together beginning with floor tillering. Go slow as to not remove too much weight too early. After each wood removal, exercise your stave to help the change register.
  As long as the string track isn't too far off, once you reach 8" of tip movement and both limbs bending evenly and together, low brace your bow to about a 4" brace height. At this point you can determine where and how much bending is required.
   Do you have a heat gun?  If not, it will be worth your while to get one. $20 or less at Lowe's.
  Like David said, you have a nice looking osage stave there.  You are in good hands here so ask any questions you may have and get to whittling!   

[Pappy]

Nice looking stave,Wished I could have meet you down there,I seen the pile of Osage that Mike's dad had. Looks like you have a good start.One thing you may think about on a snaky stave as far as down the center.If you can get the handle and arrow pass in the right curve it will almost center shot it naturally.I try to always look at that before laying out the handle. You can tweak it into line after you get it bending as Pat has said.Keep us posted .
   Pappy

[GregB]

If you bought your stave from Mike McGuire(Yazoo on PA), he leaves the handle and fade area very long when he cuts the stave out...not knowing what the customer wants. You said you had laid out a 4" handle working off the center of the bow...how long did you make the fades? I've been making mine 1-1/2" long, measuring off the 4" handle on each side. If you leave them extremely long, you'll have less working limb on the finished bow.

Like Pappy mentioned, if you're just to one side with your string off the handle-center that would help determine your top limb. If you're right-handed, when holding the bow the string would need to be slightly left of center. If it is a lot off of center, you may want to pick a spot on one of the limbs to use dry heat and straighten is some.