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Rookie Ash Bow Build

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adb:
Next time, maybe try to avoid such a short handle grip with abrupt vertical fades. You want to taper and smooth out your fades for good tiller. The handle is much more likely to pop off if it's so short.

bubby:
you took the words right out of my mouth adb, and it's way to short, at 40" ttt your lookin' at 38" ntn and on a bendy handle bow your only loookin' at 20" draw with a good board, not trying to rain on your parade, just stating fact, Bub

AndrewH:
Well, I was hoping it would be the right size for my daughter who are 8 and 11 but virtually the same size. That said,  its not a big deal to start over. I have a lot of wood cut for turning as I said and none of it of a decent length but there's plenty more to go cut.

Ive got some nice straight hackberrys about 6-8" diameter in the empty lot behind me and in a few spots out on the ranch. That will be the next attempt I suppose.

richardzane:
you'll like the hackberry, its forgiving on the tiller , just have to be careful not to take off too much too soon
or you can create a "hinge" a weak spot where it wants to take all the bend.

make sure to split it, not mill it. :-)

once the sap starts flowing, after winter, the bark will almost pop off. cut and split it. get that bark off and
be careful not to nick or bung up the surface of that sap wood which makes a great back. (any nicks can be a future problem)
remove the inner core with a bandsaw or just a good sharp hatchet.
seal em good and putt em up somewhere to season for a year ....atleast!

AndrewH:
Well, when I get some time later in the week, I'll cut some hackberry, split it and put it away in the workshop for a while.

That said, if indeed I need to allow it time to cure, I'm not sure how to proceed with another project. I don't have any long staves laying around and I would like to practice. Having this one (the small ash bow) universally panned by the experts thus far is not unexpected but I'm left with using wood that's very green or, yuck, buying a piece of wood.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. I've been searching the build alongs and looking for a very basic, beginners bow I can go out, find some wood and work through it. 

As for the ash bow, I'm going to "complete" it. It will be fatally flawed, I'm sure but oh well. It is, after all, a very first attempt. Some of the first things I turned on the lathe were ugly as well and I've become pretty adept at that. Everyone has to start somewhere. In the meantime, I have my PSE Talon to play with and I'm already getting better with it. Maybe spring turkey season, I'll feel confident enough to give it a go.

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