Osage billet bow "help-along"

[Dano]

Good advice from everyone. The key to a good splice is to get the both bellies flat, so they don't wobble on the bandsaw. The guy at the cabinet shop can run em over the jointer that will save you the trouble. Also you can glue your splice pattern on the backs with a contact cement, you knew all this I'm sure, just sayin.

[DCM4]

Very difficult to accomplish a good splice without a bandsaw.  A hand saw will work, but you gotta be on your game.  I would not part the billet with a circular saw, or do any other work with a circular saw.  Better to split the billet than to try a circular saw.  imho

[artcher1]

Sounds like you use a straight wrist/low contact grip. That would put your arrow pass somewhere between 1-1 1/4" above center. For a medium grip, where the thumb muscle rest on the handle, you would need 1 1/2" above center. A full hand/low wrist will take 2" above center for the arrow rest. All these numbers are subjective, but for demonstration purposes, close enough.

The problem associated with spliced joints in relation to your arrow rest is trying to hide the joint with grip material.  That's why I mentioned that the center of your splice may or may not be the center of the bow.

Typically, for my medium grip, I make my upper (limb) billet 1" longer than the lower. Personally, I won't go more than an 1 1/2" longer on the upper (limb) billet for a low contact grip. But then again, just my personal preference. ART

[hedgeapple]

Art, my thumbs muscle does rest on the grip, well about 2/3 of it does.  My elbow is bend out, so that probably means it's not a straight grip.  (I'm just learning these terms)  I just shoot what feels natural.    The rest on my hickory bow is 1 1/2 above center.  It seem good.  But, then what do I know.  So I"m thinking 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 about center? ? ? ?

Good new for SILLY me!  I've been looking at these billets.  I know they came for the same log, but the rings just weren't matching up.  hmm Where's the rest of this log?  Well, 2 more billets were hiding in the shed.  And, they look as good if not better than billet #1.  This means I don't have to be so exact with splitting and laying out this stave to try to get 2 billets out of it.  I only need to get one billet from this one. shooo what a relief!

I've actuall removed the sapwood and rough square billet #4 already.  I used a foe.  I did nick the first ring a little bit which I thorough expect I would.  But, the second ring is just as good.  So, no problem there.  As soon as I have a bit of lunch, I'm going to remove the sapwood and rough square billet #1.  I'll post pics this evening.

Thanks guys for all your help and support.
Dave

[Tom Leemans]

I would remove the bark on #1 and get down to that good growth ring (2nd blue dot in), then rip it on the band saw. Use Urac or Resorcinal and that handle will stay together. After that, it's follow the grain, heat correct flaws, etc and tiller. Take your time. This ain't no race.

[bcbull]

NOW HOLD UR HORSES DAVE !!1I DO SEE WHAT UR SAYIN HAVIN DIFFRENT BILLETTS  BUT IF UR NOT VERY EXOERINCED I RECOMEND U SAW BOTH THEM BILLETTS FROM THE SAME PIECE MATCH  THEM END TO END  THEYR ABOUT THE SAME  YOU GO  CUTIN 1  ON THIS AND ANOTHER SOMEWHERE ELSE YA GOT UR WORK CUT OUT FOR YA  CUZ  THEY DO NOT MATCH UP HAHA GRIAINS DIFF ON  BOTH OF EM  SO  BEFOR YA GET IN A ALL FIRED HURRY THINK THIS THRU CUZ UR DEFINTALY GONNA BE TRYIN TO TILLER 2 DIFFRENT PIECES THAT  AINT THE SAME     AM I RIGHT DANO ?   BROCK

[Dano]

"BEFOR YA GET IN A ALL FIRED HURRY THINK THIS THRU CUZ UR DEFINTALY GONNA BE TRYIN TO TILLER 2 DIFFRENT PIECES THAT  AINT THE SAME     AM I RIGHT DANO ?   BROCK"

There isn't that much difference at this point, it's not like you have one limb that's been tillered and another that is still a stave. Even then it just takes a little more patience to make a bow.

[hedgeapple]

bcbull, I love your passion for bow building.  I probably didn't make myself very clear.  These #1 and #4 ARE sister billets.  They are even twin sister being that they grew side by side on tree.  See the picture.  I can even use the SAME growth ring for each.
The only reason some of the rings don't match up exactly is because I removed about 1/2" from the side of #4 to square it up a bit.

One issue I have with #1 is getting two 1 1/2 wide staves from it, especially if I start with 3/4" inch thick pieces.  How thick should I plan to start with?

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[DCM4]

I like to have at least 1 1/4" thickness in my splice, 1 1/2" preferred.  In terms of width, it pays to have aplenty so it will ride the table of your bandsaw, but no more than 1" to 1 1/8" is needed at the widest part of a bulbous handle in the finished bow, and only perhaps 7/8" to 3/4" at the arrow pass depending.  I judge billets 1 1/2" square or better for 4" on the bidness end as good as it gets and any more a waste.  And I have worked as small as 1", but I use a W splice at least 3 1/2" long.

If you are osage poor, that froe is gonna cost you if you use it for backing down staves/billets.  Need a little more finesse than a froe.  But if you got osage galore, have at it.

[coyote pup]

Is it just me, or the lighting, or do these billets look like Black Locust? I assume you are sure they're Osage?   

[artcher1]

Sounds just like the medium grip that I use hedgeapple. Just make your top limb/billet 1/" longer than the bottom and that will place your arrow rest 1 1/2" above center if you decide to go that route.

If you use the wood from your shed you definitely need to reduce the billets down and put back for futher drying. I'm not big on force drying any osage, I just take 'em in the house for a spell. Good idea to coat their backs also.

Here's some hickory billets I worked up recently.

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[bcbull]

OK DAVE NOW WERE ON THE SAME  PAGE !! HAHA LOL I THOUGHT U MENT  YOU HAD OTHER BILLEST FROM DIFFRENT TREESS  ETC IN THE SHED  THATS WHAT I WAS ASSUMING  DCM  RECOMENDED A GOOD STARTING POINT ON  THE THICKNESS ,WIDETH FOR YA  JUST MAKE SURE UR BULLETTS ARE PERFECT FLAT WHEN  YOU DO CUT THE SPLICE  AND GET A GOOD FIT  YOU LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE  BROCK

[hedgeapple]

I worked billet #1 down a bit.  Here's the "surprise" uncovered.  The knots start 4 inches from the top and in the middle of stave.  The only solution I see is to attempt to split down through them an hopefully the knots end up on the edges of each billte so I can work around them.  These knots MIGHT not go all the way to the back of the limb.  It looks like sapwood grew over a couple of dead limbs. THOUGHTS

Another issue: picture 2 showing the ends of billet (THE image is has a mirrow image flip to show the ends actually lining up as they do on the stave) is showing a something of twist.  Look at the red lines that illustrate the orientation of the back of the limbs.  It could be that just side will have twist because of the way the tree rounded sharply there.  If this is the case, I'm assuming heat will allow me to straighten this twist.  BUT, it this is indicative of a complete twist in this stave, if I split it down the middle then I might not have enough wood to even make one limb.

Of course, I'm not doing anything until I've chased the ring.

Chasing rings is going to take me a couple days.  Should I reseal the back anytime there's going to be a delay in working on the bow?
All I have at the moment is white glue.  Is that ok?




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[Kirkll]

Hey David, Is a W splice the same thing as a finger joint in carpentry terminology? just curious....

[artcher1]

Hey Dave, show us a pic of the under side of your stave. That will give us a better idea of those bad spots. They may only be surface scars which will work out with one or two ring reduction.

Osage is one of the easiest woods to straighten so for now don't worry about crooks or twist. You want to get your limbs roughed shaped out for futher drying and you can take care of any twist after that. Remember, keep the crown of the billet's backs centered and their edges perpendicular to that. No matter how their back rolls or twist.

Honestly, I would just take a wedge, and starting at the big end (handle end), split it right down the middle and go from there. A center split is going to follow pretty much the same outline as the sides. Rough shape to limb dimension, and then start ring removal. That would save yourself a whole lot of time and troubles.