Direction on a bow

[Spotted Dog]

Ok a while back I got in trade a perfect Juniper stave. 
Right now it is cut to 67" long , 2" wide. 1 1/4 deep handle x 1 1/4.
Limbs 1 " at fades and 3/4 at tips. Limbs are not tapered to a point yet.
I want to do an Ancient Euro bow and back this one with raw hide.
Where do you think I need to take thickness down too ? 

[Josh B]

It takes a lot of juniper to make a bow.  I'd be surprised if it wasn't already starting to flex at floor tiller.  I would shape it to your desired front profile and tiller it to brace.  I would then put your rawhide on and finish tillering.   I wouldn't worry about having to remove excess wood by hand.  Juniper is extremely easy to work.  Especially in comparison to Osage.  Josh

[Spotted Dog]

There is some flex already.  Now the back isn't perfectly smooth. Should I get it smooth and
then back it ? I want a design sort of like a Meare Heath.

Dog

[Pat B]

What Josh said!   
  Get the back as smooth as you can before adding the rawhide. I've not worked juniper before but with any wood you should make the back as clean as possible. The tension wood is where you can really get in trouble if it is not handled correctly.

[Josh B]

Meare-heath sounds like a good fit for your stave.  I would only smooth it up enough to ensure good adhesion for your rawhide.  The sharper the edge of bumps and dips, the higher the chance that your rawhide won't conform to it.  That leaves troublesome voids and air pockets or bubbles of thick glue that can come back to haunt you later.  Josh

[Pat B]

Listen to Josh!   

[Josh B]

Your just quicker on the draw than I am Pat!  Lol!  Josh

[Spotted Dog]

Thank you. Cutting more as I watch a 3 year old.

[Badger]

  I would strongly consider sinew backing the bow, juniper without sinew has an extremely high failure rate. They make great sinew backed bows. Several how to threads on sinewing if you care to learn. I would clean the back up but make sure you don't violate the ring when you smooth it up. Mear heath design sounds good.

[Spotted Dog]

Ok, but why wouldn't raw hide work ? I want to understand.

[Badger]

Rawhide is helpful, better than nothing but gives just a little extra insurance and is not a working part of the bow. Juniper is weak in tension and usually gives out after a short life span of shooting.

[Spotted Dog]

Ok, understand. The back on this was dippy and lumps. Rings are very very thin. 1/16 " . So I do think at least one round of sinew with raw hide too.
The bad thing for me is that after working for 35 years at a bust your hump rate, it's hard to go slow.

[Pat B]

You better learn to go slow if you are going to be a successful bowyer.  Patience is your #1 tool.

[bradsmith2010]

I wouldnt smooth the dips and bumps,,,try not to violate rings if possible,,,I agree with the sinew making a good back for higher success rate,,maybe two layers at least,,,you can apply at once if you are in a hurry,,

[Spotted Dog]

Got it      What if I violated a little ? Very hard to tell in this white sap wood.