First mass principle bow

[Black Moshannon]

Since I have to wait about a month without shooting to rest my shoulder i'm trying new things. This is my first time weighing a bow. It was roughed to 66" long, hair over 1.25" wide. I gave it a strong heat treat over the coals inducing 2.5" of reflex. Target weight is 47 pounds at 26". Today I had it bending by floor tillering. It feels like its maybe thirty pounds over my target weight. I weighed it and reduced the sides and now it weighs nineteen ounces. its down to 1 1/4" to 1 1/8" width. According to the chart in TBB vol 4, it should finish around 12.5 ounces. I got to that because of the induced reflex and the lower weight cancelling each other out. I thought I read in one of these posts Badger said that he would recommend going on the heavier side to reduce string follow, heavier than recommended in chart... It seems like I have a lot of weight to lose, six to seven ounces. And its already getting pretty narrow. Maybe this is just going to be a narrow one? here's a photo of the stave

[Pat B]

What wood are you using?

[Black Moshannon]

Its hickory

[Pat B]

It seems a bit narrow for hickory.

[Black Moshannon]

I guess I could have started out with a wider profile. I don’t care to have the limbs on my bows wider than 1 1/4”… This one was started narrow because it’s a bend through handle design which is comfortable for my upright and vertical shooting style. But as it stands now, according to the chart it looks like I should continue narrowing the sides more to lose weight before I tiller, or you think just start tillering now..

[Selfbowman]

It’s to thick. But as Pat said your getting to narrow for hickory. It will probably take excessive set if you go more narrow. My bows come in at 18 -23 oz on fifty pound bows. That’s with a stiff 9-10” handle. My handles usually weigh in the 7oz range

[Black Moshannon]

Ok next one I will make wider to expect mass reducing narrowing to get it to the desired 1 1/4 and under width. For this one, I will quit narrowing as it’s at 1.25 now and just tiller, and try to reduce weight at the tips as much as possible…

[meanewood]

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about the 'mass principle theory'
What I do know is that your Hickory stave has not read the TBB vol 4.
If you don't follow what the stave is telling you, your not going to get a good result.

[bradsmith2010]

you wont know what the mass weight is,, until you string it and tiller it,,then start weighing it,,
just take weight off belly to tiller it,, dont worry about the mass weight till the bow is too target weight,, at your intended draw,, then see where you are at,,

[Black Moshannon]

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about the 'mass principle theory'
What I do know is that your Hickory stave has not read the TBB vol 4.
If you don't follow what the stave is telling you, your not going to get a good result.

Well that’s a good point…

[Black Moshannon]

you wont know what the mass weight is,, until you string it and tiller it,,then start weighing it,,
just take weight off belly to tiller it,, dont worry about the mass weight till the bow is too target weight,, at your intended draw,, then see where you are at,,

Ok I’ll do that then. I’ll have it strung tonight and hopefully tillering work tomorrow

[Black Moshannon]

It blew apart tonight while after I just braced it, and had pulled it to fifty pounds at 20 inches. The sound was so loud it hurt my ears. It’s been very dry here and I cooked it probably too long. I was cooking another one along side it and as a result of fooling around i May have cooked this one over two hours total. Ridiculous and stupid and atrocious. Starting on another stave now

[Allyn T]

Man I wish you had been video taping when it blew, that would be cool to see

[meanewood]

Cooked over coals for two hours!
In medieval times they called that torture.
I knew you weren't 'listening' to your stave.
If you had been, it would have told you to please stop.

[Black Moshannon]

In addition to that it sat drying down by my wood stove for some time. I knew hickory can be pushed to some limits with moisture but I really went too far with this one. This new stave I’m working on will be cooked for roughly an hour until it shows a light brown toasting and that’s it. Then wait at least three days to re-hydrate