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Syringa character bow (updated)
Keenan:
Thanks for the encouragement guys.
Gordon you are so right. "A big part of making bows is solving problems - might as well start now"
Rather then thinning the limbs, and take the chance of coming in real light, I decided to fill the cracks with super glue and some fine dust off the sander. A few years ago I had a yew bow that was checking the same way and I filled the cracks with the real fine saw dust a then saturated with super glue and it worked well. The super glue turns the sawdust darker even if you use the same wood but on the yew it blended fairly well.
I 'm sure that I will take alot of that wood out while tillering it in. But if there is still some of the checks showing I might have to name this bow "scarface" LOL
I guess plan "B" could be thread rapping the limbs???? The entire length. LOL I'll try to post some more pics later today showing the cracks and glue job. Keenan
Eric Kol:
I am very happy to have found your build along. I have yet to complete a bow! yet I have been drawn to "unusual" woods (whatever that means). I happen to have a stave of syringa seasoning in the basement. This stuff checks like crazy! I think the stave I have is safe, bark on varnished ends.
Is this syringa vulgaris....I know it as lilac?
What an interesting smell this wood has. Flowery and fruity..very neat. I plan on making small boxes and such out of the waste.
I can't wait to see the progress! right on man.
Eric
Ryano:
Were you able to salvage the stave Keenan? ???
Keenan:
It's doing good so far Ryano, I worked on it a llittle bit Saturday and got it to floor tiller stage. I'll try to update this and post some more pics and progress later today. I 've been watching the weight on it and making sure to get it good and dry befor working the limbs, But it's looking like it might work out.
Eric, keep at it. there is nothing like the feeling of shooting your first successful bow. Syringa seems to be like bambo. Dave had a node pop a splinter on one that he has made and I did a little testing on a few peices and was able to see the same thing. The bow he made spit arrows out with some serious speed and excellent cast but it appears the nodes might be tricky. Keenan
Keenan:
Ok This stave has finally quit dropping in weight and though it checked in a few places I think a bow is still possible. The drying checks were length ways along the pith grove in a few spots and a lightning bolt like crack in the handle area. As they started to appear I rubbed fine saw dust into them and applied super glue. This stopped the progression of the cracks.
As you can see in this first pic, the pith grove gives a good center line to follow. Following the center line of the stave is a must with character staves. I will taper the limbs in thickness from mid limb towards the tip first.
At first I took a few shallow and carefull draws with my draw knife along the belly, so that I can see how the grain is running. Be very carefull doing this as it is easy to rip out a piece of wood on character staves.Often with character staves you will have dips and dives in the grain or hader spots from knotts that create week spots if you thin down with the band saw.
I will then mark and note the problem areas, and then rough out the limb with a farrier's rasp. The pic with the pencil is showing one of the areas that the grain takes a dip. Keenan
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