Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Locust from the start
THoward:
Glad you stopped by. Come on in. A few years ago at the Central Oregon Bowyer's gathering I was given a Locust stave. See pics. It's fairly narrow and 66" long. I hope to create a long bow using the full length and shoot for 55lbs. I have never worked with Locust so any advice is appreciated. I will try to rid it of bark and sap wood down to the ring by my thumbnail. It also has a worm hole right in the middle. Hope that does not cause a problem. Feel free to ring in as this may take a while as my time is limited to an hour here and an hour there.
JackCrafty:
I'm surprised no one has responded. >:(
Locust is tough wood and should work well for you. The only thing I am concerned about is that the wood looks a bit grey. Might just be the photo.
I would take the back down to the first heartwood growth ring to see how it looks. If there are any worm holes, cracks, or dry rot, you might think about using another stave. If the wood is a nice light golden color, then it should be fine.
THoward:
It sat in a barn for about 2 years. I think it will be fine once I get through the outer layers. I have the top third down to a good growth ring. Kind of a golden brown. I hope it will be fine. More pics once I get it to the growth ring I am currently chasing. I'll try to get outside pics. My shop has a florescent light. T
JackCrafty:
Looking forward to seeing the pics. :)
THoward:
An afternoon later here is a pic of the stave down to 1 growth ring. It looks pretty good a little more work around the knots with a pocket knife and it'll be ready for basic shaping. The last 6 inches from the end I am holding kicks left. I'll steam that out after I get it shaped out. Does anyone have thoughts on how wide to make the limbs. ??? Again it is 66" long and I'd like a stiff handle. My draw is 26" and I am shooting for 55lbs.
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