Pat, somehow both statements are true. Some things I think have to be perfect, but especially with primitive equipment, too good starts to look like factory made, and also offends the senses. Is there such a thing as perfect imperfection?
Right on Jeff. I guess those promoting perfection are not thinking of perfection of precision, but perfection of physical integrity.
I think it's worth noting that most of the glue gaps are at the edges of the limb and are the result, as noted above, of the thin wood cupping from being wet with glue on only one face.
The thing is, less than half the back is needed at all to carry the tension load, because most wood is much stronger in tension than in compression. (Hickory is about 3.7 times as strong in tension.) I made a little ash "parlor bow" of ash. It's 3/4" wide at the fades and 3/8" wide at the tips. It is about 3/16" thick (pyramid) and 36" long. It has a hickory backing strip about .050" thick and 3/8 wide. It bends to full draw and launches an arrow nicely. Unstrung, it has no string follow, in fact the tips are about a half inch ahead of the handle.
I have a hickory backed Osage bow with a few voids an the edges but nobody told the bow. It's holding up fine.
Jim
