Short Billets

[DV IN MN]

I have some short Osage billets if using a normal splice the bows would be in the 54" range. Has anyone every tried to double splice a handle in between short billets adding aprox 6-8"? What was the success? I think using some type of hard wood oak/cherry/walnut might look different. Any thoughts or so I just use them for tool handles.

[Hrothgar]

DV You might try making a takedown with your billets, this would give you another 2". I have a nice little 61" osage bow that I made a couple years back by joining 2 shorter billets into a pipe handle. Its a quick sweet shooter.

[4nolz]

Or splice it and sinew it going for a short bendy handle?

[gstoneberg]

I don't like to bend through a splice.  If you do splice it and make it bendy handle, make sure you wrap the handle with cordage of some sort to strengthen it.  I agree with Hrothgar, short billets are perfect candidates for a takedown as you only use 2" of each billet for the handle instead of 4" for a splice.  I would say you get 4" back as the takedown allows you to butt each billet against the other instead of overlapping 4" of each billet in the splice.  My takedown is 60" and I love it.

To answer your question though, many horn bows have a handle spliced in between working limb cores and then they have siyahs spliced on the tips.  Of course, those joints are reinforced with horn and sinew. 

Another thought would be to make a 3 piece takedown similar to the common practice in glass bows of bolting the limbs on to a rigid handle.  We've seen a few of those on here.  It just occurred to me that I have a thin osage stave that might lend itself to that nicely.  Hmmmm.

George

[DV IN MN]

Thanks. I had not thought about the take down. I've had a sleeve for 10 years just never got a round to using it yet and it might be the right time. I've never made or shot a bendy handle what is the hand shock like in a bendy?

[gstoneberg]

Hand shock is a by-product of the outer limb design.  I don't think bendy handles make much difference by themselves.  Some people find the feeling of the bow bending in their hand to be disconcerting and equate that with hand shock.  I've only made short, thin bendy handled bows and didn't notice hand shock at all.  On the other hand, I have a couple longbows from early in my bow making career that will rattle your teeth.

George