Recurve Stave

[Bill Skinner]

If I recurve the tips and I have a piece of knot free, really straight osage, what is the minimum length of stave for a 28" draw.  I have this piece of osage that is 56" long sitting in a corner making faces at me, and I don't want to make a kids bow.... 

[johnston]

It would require above average skills.I could not do it but some of the fellers on PA could make one of those oooh and aaaah pieces of wood out of it. They had to mess up a few to get to that level so...

Lane

[blackhawk]

With a 56" stave you have a 54.5" at most nock to nock bow. Id say you can get to 28" with a recurved bend thru the handle bow with a sinew backing for best results.

Another option wood be to splice in some siyahs to make it a normal length bow with a stiff handle.

[mikekeswick]

As Blackhawk says splice in the recurves to boost the length a bit if you don't want to sinew it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have a 57" ntn osage static recurve. I backed it with rawhide and the handle works the last 1/3 of my draw. It pulls about 57# @ 28". You could add tip overlays that extend say 1/4-3/8" beyond your stave tips, adding 1/2" or so to the overall. If the piece is as good as you say and very seasoned, it will work dandy if your tiller is nutz. Rawhide is cheap and easy compared to sinew.

[hillbilly61]

With a 56" stave you have a 54.5" at most nock to nock bow. Id say you can get to 28" with a recurved bend thru the handle bow with a sinew backing for best results.

That's what I did on the last one but didn't back it. It still shoots very good. I think it wold make it bullet proof if you sinew backed it. If you need some sinew PM me with your address. PM me anyway, I have an arrow for ya

[Bill Skinner]

Backings don't stay on all that well in my lovely Lower Alabama humidity, right now, the humidity is in the 90's.  I am leaning toward putting some siyahs on it, I've never done that before.  I have heated and bent wood so thought I would ask if it would work.

Mark, don't worry about sending me an arrow, I would be happy to see a picture of it, prefably with blood on it and a caption of something like "Bill, here's your arrow, I killed a pig, deer, or something with it."  Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, I'll see you in Feb.  We can swap lies about the huge critters we missed...err, passed on because the shot wasn't quite right.  Bill

[hillbilly61]

OK Bill I can handle that. I've got a habit of passing on them, passing on the right, passing on the left. Well you get the idea. If work picks up, I'll see ya thier

[crooketarrow]

  I'd say you can get 28"s from 54" n-n from a straight peice osage no problem.