Salvaged Osage fence post (suggestions?)

[frankg]

Couple years ago I swapped for a hunk of Osage that was split from a recycled fencepost. I have never built a bow as I mentioned in another thread . Instead of ruining the floor tillered oak stave I bought I attacked the Osage hunk that was around 2.5x 2.5x 51" . After cutting off the checks on the ends I have a 49" stave . I read through lots of you fellers posts on chasing the rings and removing the sap ring and went for it . Took most of a day with lots of breaks ! Dont know how old the post was but it sure enough hard and didnt want to give up a bit ! I used a draw knife to start , removing most of outer layer with out cutting into the orange wood then went at it with spoke shaves and pocket knife until I had a clean uniform back , end to end .
 



I layed out as best I could center , then drew in the shape and  handle location. Not knowing any better and it being a little crooked and hard to bandsaw excess material away I went at it with my draw knife to do shaping.
I have it roughed in somewhat in these two pics .





Today I messed with it off and on throughout the day and I think I have it floor tillered . I have pretty good bend , around 4" or so except for about upper third of limbs which are still stiff. Its still pretty stout !

In the last two pics its 2" at widest and about 1.25" at tips. I narrowed it to around 1.5" and .750" at tips today as there was still some dark frayed wood on edges.

On the back of bow I can see age checks running lengthways here and there in limbs . I dont know if you can see them in first pics.
I have some deer rawhide I traded for and was wondering if I can use that to back the bow to stregthen any issues with the age checks .
Help please

[JW_Halverson]

The rawhide will help, but it looks like your hard work at chasing the growthring carefully and your attention to the grain took the best advantage of the natural strength of the wood.  You are well on your way!

Good luck

-john

[frankg]

Thank you    When backing , when is best time to apply it ? After initial floor tillering and before any tillering with the tiller machine ? Or start with machine , get close then apply backing ? 

Thanks

[PEARL DRUMS]

49" is SUPER short. You may consider a working handle bow with that piece. You can put your backing on after floor tillering.

[thomas h]

hey  if it turns out as good as your gunstocks   it will be nice

[frankg]

Ill thin it out in the belly of handle some and try to get some flex in it then , thanks  Thats what I need , guidence ! Im dangerous left thinking on my own  lol lol !!!

Tom , one can only hope ! Shoulda see my first stock .......................before I destroyed the evidence 

[frankg]

I checked and the handle area is 3/4" back to belly and 1-1/8" at widest point. Im hoping for 45-50 # so how thin can handle stand to be ?

[JonW]

Frank,
   I just made a little Osage bow 49" NTN. I measured my handle thickness and it is .061 in. My bow pulls 65# at 29" so you might factor that in as well.

Jon W.

[frankg]

Thanks Jon, how wide is your grip ?

[JonW]

Frank it is 1 1/4" at the handle and just over 1 3/4" at the fades.

[beetlebailey1977]

Jon W I know you meant .61" or close to 5/8" for your handle, because .061" is just 1/16" .

[frankg]

Thanks Jon !

Yea ............I caught that beetle 

I think maybe Ill leave handle pretty much same in thickness and narrow some to around 7/8" wide across .

[JonW]

OOPs, I get a little dyslexic sometimes. Meant to say .610 in. Thanks for pointing that out


Jon W.

[adb]

Frank,
   I just made a little Osage bow 49" NTN. I measured my handle thickness and it is .061 in. My bow pulls 65# at 29" so you might factor that in as well.

Jon W.

You made a bow 49", that pulls 65#@29"!!!! Can I see a pic of it at full draw please?

[JonW]

Here is the pic.