Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Hazel warbow
Lucasade:
It's been put away for the last six months! At the moment I'm just scraping down the drawknife marks and rounding off the corners. Once that's done it will definitely go away until the tillering rig is ready. I've got elm, elder, laburnum and yew to play with in the meantime!
I like to get all the possibilities right in my head before I pick up any tools, and the difference between what you've said and the profile Del had on his page is quite significant so there's lots of space for rumination. In particular I'm trying to get straight what the difference exactly means and when the right time to move towards one or the other is, so lots of different opinions is really useful for me.
WillS:
That cross section on Dels page is really quite extreme, and something I'd personally consider only for very low quality timber. Bear in mind that with good hazel you can get away with a flat back and rounded belly, much like a Yew bow. Trapping to that extent may be necessary depending on what the wood starts to do, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a "normal" approach to normal hazel.
If you're really worried, taking off 1/8" from the edges of the back would be very safe. Nowhere near enough to affect the bow's lifespan, and enough to have some contribution to reducing the ratio of tension/compression wood.
Honestly though, a simple bend test with an offcut will tell you all you need to know. All wood is different, so you have to be prepared to adjust each time. Not saying you don't know that of course, but following one extreme example isn't always the best approach.
I can remember being told countless times that ash needs a trapped back and flat belly, over and over again and when I made that 140lb ash bow it has neither because I simply couldn't be bothered!
WillS:
I guess what I'm saying essentially is that you may well end up with a highly crowned and trapped back and flat belly, and that's fine, but to start there is possibly a bad move. You can always remove wood from the edges if the bow needs it, but you can't put it back on if you discover you've over-done the trapping.
Start rectangular, adjust as the timber wants you to. Or something flowery and vague like that :D
Lucasade:
So the time to adjust is if it seems to be taking excessive set, or is that too late?
WillS:
If you start getting set at brace height or before/just after, and the wood is dry as a bone and well seasoned trapping would be a very good idea. If you're getting "normal" amounts of set (1-3") just at the 18", 20" mark then heat treating will do the job.
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