Well, I can't say I didnt know better. Ive been working on my first backed bow and it finally broke on me tonight. It had maybe 8 more inches of tillering until it would have been ready to shoot in. Alas, my inexperience proved too much. It broke when i drew it past 20", because it was drawing about 35# and thought I might be able to get it to full draw. I wont make that mistake again. Luckily it was a clean break and didnt hurt me.
In truth, I never expected it to get this far. I cut a eucalyptus sapling and totally expected it to blow up at floor tillering, but it held out. If i had taken more time choosing a design and establishing the profile it probably would have had a chance. I chose to decrown it, but AFTER I had reduced the thickness quite a bit, so it still had a very round back. And i can tell you i violated quite a few rings in doing so. I also backed it with sub-par rawhide and didnt leave enough wood around a knot, where it broke.
Indeed, after i backed it i totally forgot about that knot and failed to notice why that spot was always stiff. This is my first bow post, and im glad its actually a humbling experience. I was sort of hoping the wood would simply forgive my mistakes and bend, but alas, no. I was excited to have gotten this far, and am not discouraged. I have a hickory blank waiting to be a bow and im glad I made my mistakes here. That one will be a shooter.
Any comments and critiques are welcome. I would love to know more so my next will be a success.
More pics
Im doing this in my apartment with no vise or tillering tree so im afraid i have no pictures of the tillering process. You can see how crazy the one limb is so it was a challenge for sure. Funny enough, the straight one broke. Would-be specs: assymetric rawhide backed eucalyptus, 60" ntn, going for 50#@28"