Author Topic: Narrowed Limbs?  (Read 1713 times)

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Offline nlester

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Narrowed Limbs?
« on: February 05, 2012, 11:40:41 pm »
I'm currently working on an osage bow that's around 64" long.....Well, I got the brace height to around 5 inches and drawn out to about 23 inches, and it lifted a split on the side between the fades and mid limb.  I tamed the splinter which narrowed the limb down to 7/8 inch wide.  Is that too narrow for a bow 64 inches long?  Will I need to make all the limb 7/8th inch wide to mid limb?  I'm hoping to salvage this one.....it has the potential to be the nicest one I've ever made for sure.  Just didn't know if narrowing it that much would be acceptable.  I'm looking to bring the bow in at about mid to upper 40lb range.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Offline Pat B

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2012, 12:51:53 am »
You might be surprised what a 64" long, 7/8" wide osage stave will build. You should easily get 40# to 45# out of it and maybe more.    Don't imagine what it will look like, just get it bending well and let it dictate what it will be.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2012, 02:54:39 am »
Don't imagine what it will look like, just get it bending well and let it dictate what it will be.

Well said!
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2012, 03:01:48 am »
Yes, +2 on Pat's comment.  My last osage is much shorter, 7/8" wide limbs and pulls 60#@28".  Here's the thread if you're interested: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,29229.0.html

George
St Paul, TX

Offline nlester

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2012, 10:48:08 am »
Thanks for the positive comments.  I needed that.  I'm gonna continue to work it down.  This will most definitely be the nicest bow I've made thus far, IF, I can get it worked out.  I'm excited to get back to it.  Hopefully I'll have some pics of her when I finish.  Thanks everyone!

Offline nlester

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2012, 11:08:53 pm »
Back to the drawing board.  She fractured on the back. right where it lifted the splinter.  It wasn't meant to be.  I'll start another one this week and learn from my mistakes.  Thanks for everyone's help.  I'll see if I can do a little better job this time around. 

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Narrowed Limbs?
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2012, 11:12:54 pm »
Bummer, but I love that attitude.

George
St Paul, TX