New project

[PatM]

I've already done it. Not as nice as yours but it will stiffen it where I wanted. I don't like trying to blend the two where the dark wood tapers into nothing. Never looks good. I'll call this one a prototype I'll take a closer look at yours now that Pat found it

Take a look at this x-ray of the Khotan bow.
http://atarn.org/letters/khotan_bow/back_xray2.jpg

[sleek]

I've already done it. Not as nice as yours but it will stiffen it where I wanted. I don't like trying to blend the two where the dark wood tapers into nothing. Never looks good. I'll call this one a prototype I'll take a closer look at yours now that Pat found it

Take a look at this x-ray of the Khotan bow.
http://atarn.org/letters/khotan_bow/back_xray2.jpg

Well dagum, looks like he nailed it. And dense as that is, its probably horn.

[PatM]

Bone actually.

[DC]

Impatience won out. I went and bought some. Close to $80 a liter(US quart roughly)Overnight is such a conveient time for epoxy to cure rather than stare at it all day. So, one limb backing on, out starting to cure in the sun. 70° here today thanks to some hot air drifting up from the States. My laser thermometer says the rubber strapping is 97° Life is good(sorry Pappy)

[DC]

Take a look at this x-ray of the Khotan bow.
http://atarn.org/letters/khotan_bow/back_xray2.jpg

I'm not sure what I'm looking at. That looks like the grip of a bow. Do you have a link to the write-up, if there is one?

[PatM]

It is an x ray of a siyah from the belly side  on a wide limbed narrow tipped ancient bow.     You're not looking at the whole bow.  Just the  pics of each end.  The longer plate is missing on the top left as the bow was a bit fragmented.  Those are multiple horn strips on the belly.

 I was just using it to illustrate how boxing in the splices was a  common technique with wrapping usually backing it up.

 There is a write-up on the bow on the ATARN site.

Here:  http://www.atarn.org/chinese/khotan_bow.htm

[DC]

Thanks Pat, that is very interesting, I'll be going back there.

[DC]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tidy up a joint like this. The dark wood just tapers out to nothing and I can't figure a way to get a nice line.

[sleek]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tidy up a joint like this. The dark wood just tapers out to nothing and I can't figure a way to get a nice line.

Paint, a string or sinew wrap, stain, some type of snake skin layed down the side, or even better, make a small carving there. Or put a shallow groove down the side, that will eat into the ligjt feathering and make it not as noticable.

[PatM]

Tough to clean up a transition like that.  It's likely always  going to retain a bit of a feathered look.    In the future you may want to take the pieces the full length.

[DC]

Pat's right, I should have carried them to the end. I don't normally like thread wraps close to the end because they sometimes bridge over the string groove. This may be far enough from the tip to avoid that. If I brought a snakeskin into the house I would spend the rest of my marriage(which wouldn't be long) in the wood shed.

[sleek]

Pat's right, I should have carried them to the end. I don't normally like thread wraps close to the end because they sometimes bridge over the string groove. This may be far enough from the tip to avoid that. If I brought a snakeskin into the house I would spend the rest of my marriage(which wouldn't be long) in the wood shed.

A woodshed makes a good bow makin spot, just sayin

[bradsmith2010]

Paint could even it,,.just a small dark strip,..a diamond shape would look nice too

[Woodely]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tidy up a joint like this. The dark wood just tapers out to nothing and I can't figure a way to get a nice line.

You can make a very slight gentle cut with a razor knife then sand across the limb gently and you will end up with a straight line.

I have some bows like that,  its added character...   ..people know I'am carrying a handmade bow even if it looks 95% like a factory bow.   

[DC]

I think that surface is going to be curved which would mean I'd have to cut a curved rather than straight line with the razor knife. I'm not very good with free handing stuff. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. It will be tough to get a nice crisp line with sandpaper. Fine paper is the key I'll bet. Thanks