Sassafras bow profile?

[ahawi stick]

This is a new wood for me I have a stave with tight growth rings and high crown if anyone has suggestions for a suitable profile I would appreciate the input!

[PeteC]

I've tried it,but can't be too encouraging.It's easy to work,but the wood seems very sluggish to me,even backed with sinew.I finally gave up on it and stuck to better wood.There was someone on this site that finally got an average bow after many attempts,maybe he'll jump in.Sorry I can't give a more positive account. I did make some fair arrows from sassafras now that I think of it.But build them thick to get the weight and spine up,same thing with the bow,build it half again as thick as you would osage.   God Bless,  PeteC

[ahawi stick]

Thanks peteC, i'll proceed with caution and with a little luck , maybe i'll find a bow hidden in this sassafras stave!

[Hillbilly]

I've heard people say that sass likes a narrow, deep ELB-ish design. The Thompson brothers rated it as one of the better bow woods for ELBs. Take that with a grain of salt, though, because I haven't tried it myself.

[TRACY]

Haven't tried it ELB but built it wide at the fades 2+". Mine was overbuilt like Paul Comstock suggests in his book and that's how I proceeded. The results were a very shootable bow but mine had taken set early in the tillering process due to operator error and if your only into speed then this may not be the wood of choice. Loved the smell while working it down and I think it could be used to make an awesome bow.

[Kegan]

I started a sassafras bow a week or two ago in a wide ELB style (1 1/2" wide from midlimb to midlimb) 74" or so, drawing a pretty heavy weight. It tillerd easily to brace on the tillering stick, but when I tried to string it, I applied too much pressure to one limb and it snapped. Had I left it on the tilering rack for 24 hours, I'm sure it would not only held, but turned into quite the shooter. It is a very elastic wood with an evident "spring" in it. The one I am working on now is the same, only slightly shorter, 70", because it was thinner, and backed with a piece of old sheet. It is very easy to tiller because it is so soft.

[ahawi stick]

 Thanks everyone for the input, I'll post the end result of the sassafras bow profile soon as it is finished.