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Author Topic: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs  (Read 1864 times)

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Offline smoke

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Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« on: March 13, 2012, 02:37:19 pm »
I've got some long, slim osage staves . . . that I thought might be worthless.  But I got to thinking about how dense wood is supposed to be able to produce narrow limbed bows.  The staves are about 66 inches long.  Any thoughts on whether I can get a 65#, 27 inch draw bow with limbs that will be about 1.25 inches wide at the fades?  Thanks in advance for your wisdom!
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2012, 02:42:27 pm »
65# may be pushing it, but 45-55 is easily done. Most osage bows wont get over 1 5/8" wide quite often.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 02:58:00 pm »
Quote from: smoke on March 13, 2012, 02:37:19 pm
I've got some long, slim osage staves . . . that I thought might be worthless.  But I got to thinking about how dense wood is supposed to be able to produce narrow limbed bows.  The staves are about 66 inches long.  Any thoughts on whether I can get a 65#, 27 inch draw bow with limbs that will be about 1.25 inches wide at the fades?  Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

Absolutely!  Many of my osage bows are 1.25" or less at the fades.  My latest bendy handled, sinew backed bow is less than an inch it's entire length and it is SHORT.  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,29229.45.html  With enough length, depth and clear wood you will have no problem getting any weight you want.

George
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Online Pat B

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2012, 03:22:58 pm »
You should be able to get 65# from a stave that is 1 1/2" wide with no problem. I prefer narrower, deeper osage bows anyway. It really doesn't take much osage to build a hunting weight bow.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2012, 03:42:38 pm »
And the stave's are about the perfect length to boot. Any longer and osage can easily get shocky or slow even if your careful. You could get alot heavier than 65# if ya wanted. I made a holmegard bow with the fades about 1", and non bending long levers from a small section that came off a split. It came out exactly 65# @ 28". To note as well, the bow was sapwood backed.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2012, 03:52:32 pm »
I have found narrow heavy bows take on more set than wide heavy bows. Just my bows that is, I cant speak for any other folks. I like to make the best bow a stave can make, not so much the max I can get from them.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Dazv

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2012, 04:08:40 pm »
my teacher has a osage bow that has got to by less than an inch wide and i think it bends in the hanlde
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Offline smoke

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Re: Dumb Question About Osage and narrow limbs
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2012, 04:38:38 pm »
Thanks for all your help guys - I'll give it a shot!
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