Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Help and thoughts on layout and design (stave from Hades)
stubshaft:
The twist doesn't concern me much as I have dealt with that in the past. The only real concern I have is the three bulbous knots in such close proximity to each other. The other minor one is that the handle will be angled because of how the wood was split. I have gotten down to one ring and am still contemplating how I will lay it out. Probably go with a flatbow, but don't think it will make 50#. Of course it may surprise me and I won't be able to tell until I start to shape it and get a feel of what the limbs want to do. It will have an unusual look to it because I don't want to violate the knotty area too much and that will result in a bulge in the limb.
Josh B:
It looks like mullberry to me. Use as much width as you can at the fades. 1 1/2" is plenty if you have the length. What draw length are you hoping for? If 28" or under, you have plenty of length. Hopefully those gouges around the knot are not as deep as they look. If they are, you will need to chase another ring. That will probably cost you alot of width. Maybe too much. Clean those up and post more pics. That will give us an idea what to do next. As far as the bulbous knots go aesthetically, I little character never hurt anything if properly worked. There is a bow there one way or another. Good luck, Josh
BTW Fishy, mulberry is related to Osage, locusts are not. I heard the same thing as you did somewhere, but it just ain't so. ;)
blackhawk:
Photos can be decieving and not show the true color of what the naked eye sees,but before i read any comments and as soon as i saw the end cut photo it screamed black locust to me. There is one way to know for sure and that is to smell the wood where you make a cut or its shavings. If it smells like a straw bale,or like a loft in a hay barn then you def have black locust. Osage,locust,and mulberry all have there own distinct smells that an experenced woodworker can identify by smell alone blindfolded.
I agree with gun doc about if you are on your chosen ring,cus it looks like ya whacked into it a lil too far and might have to chase another ring. But whatever it is,theres def a bow in there easily.
kurogane_84:
the stave i was looking at is a living tree and has knots running all the way along it, any advice on that one?
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