Osage long bow

[stickbender]

     I am not a Bowyer, but if it is not too big, couldn't you just super glue, or epoxy that spot?  Of course a snake skin would be a natural "tuxedo" for that stave.
                                    Wayne

[alwayslookin]

I really don't know this is my first time working this yellow gold. So I don't know what kind of flaw or marks will make the back unsafe and what wont. I will post pics and hopefully the more knowledgeable guys can chime in.

[Blaflair2]

U could do a tread and super glue wrap if ur confident in the rest of the back. If not back it. I like the looks of some wraps. Do one on the other side to match for cosmetics.

[Springbuck]

  I'm with Pat.  A little correction with heat to line the tips up, THEN if you hate the twist, work on that. A few degrees at a couple places will have that thing wiggling straight.

[alwayslookin]

Here's some pictures of the spots in the back that lifted some extra wood. Most are small gashes on the ring but one is pretty deep in my opinion the one by the hole.

[Parnell]

Are those pictures current?  That is, are you bracing the bow with the back looking like that or have you sanded it fully smooth since?  So, next round, you'll want to identify where the pin knots and funny spots are on your stave by making a circle around them with a pencil before you get started.  Chase the ring before cutting out bow dimensions and leave "islands of wood around each troubles spot.  Go slow and easy around them by using a scraper or a knife to slowly remove wood over that pin knot, etc. 

If those pictures are current, do not bend the stave until you have that back as cleaned up as possible.

[alwayslookin]

Those are current steve. I haven't bent it much past brace for that reason alone. That is why I planned on backing it. When. U say clean up the back do you mean sanding? I planned on sanding and then applying the rawhide. I can't sand too much more wood off I'm already gonna come in at a low draweight because of lack of wood.

[rps3]

What parnell said. If your back looks like that now, I wouldn't even consider bending it yet, or you are just asking for trouble.

[alwayslookin]

On a side note since I have never worked Osage and am new to the whole chasing a ring thing I figured that sanding the back would be bad too.

[rps3]

Get the back nice and smooth, you don't want to leave any areas for gremlins to get in.

[alwayslookin]

Riddle me this guy's if I back the bow with rawhide and then decide I want to chop the tips a bit because the draw weight is too low is that doable with the backing already on it?

[Blaflair2]

Yes.

[Sidewinder]

No matter what you do, clean up that back some more before you bend it again. Do you have a cabinet scrapper  or old set of scissors you can use as a scrapper? Start with that and then you can hit it with the 200gritt and then burnish it with 00 steel wool. That'll make it smoother than a babies butt. What that does is reduce the chance of a splinter lifting even if you back it. Especially with those knots being prominent. It is a true testiment to osage orange's tension strength  when the back looks that rough and you can brace it without it lifting a splinter. Another point is when your chasing a ring, having the light in the right place helps to see the seperation between the early/chaulky layer and the more solid late growth layer. Tight rings can be a challenge but having good light will help you see the single ring to chase.

[alwayslookin]

OK guys I've been busy working on this stave and I did it again. It came in way low of draw weight in my defense didn't have a lot of wood to work with unfortunately but it is what it is. First off let me know what you guys think about my tiller thus far. The bow is super cool looking I just wish it came out at a hunting weight. Second what should I do to possibly increase the draw weight. It's 62 inches ntn. I thought about chopping the tips, sinew maybe some flipped tips just wondering what you guys think my best course of action would be. It seems like it shoots real nice. I also cleaned up the back real nice and i didnt really violate the back like i had originally thought. So i think I will leave it unbacked  unless of course I sinew it. Constructive criticism welcome.

[JoJoDapyro]

How low is low?