Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Grain orientation on stave
WillS:
Sidenocks can be any side, as long as they're opposite, but the usual way is to have the top nock cut on the left, looking at the bows belly.
Don't cut them like Victorian nocks, with tile saws and files. It leaves a deep, narrow groove and is a nightmare. Use a good sharp knife, and go into the horn from two angles until they meet, with just a hint of the bow tip wood showing through. That said, if you're going to use modern string loops instead of slipknots on both ends, a deeper narrower groove is probably safer...
Dead center is definitely not crucial. All that really matters is the bow isn't trying to turn inside out on you as you brace it. This is another reason why choosing which way up is daft before it's tillered. Any sideways bend or off-centre can be used to bring the string nearer the side of the bow you'll rest the arrow on, essentially reducing the importance of arrow spine.
Ruddy Darter:
OK, that's great. Thank you WillS. :OK
(I doubt I'll take the groove down to wood, I did a pretty sloppy job of the fit, luckily though where I drilled out the horns wonky I'm left with a lot of horn on the corresponding opposite sides, plenty to play with without having to go too deep).
R.D.
WillS:
You have to go down to the wood. If that's buffalo horn, and you try cutting sidenocks and relying just on the horn at above 100lb it's guaranteed to split and fail on you. That's why the originals were all cut to the wood - the wood of the bow tip is what supports the downward pressure of the string loop, and the horn supports the crushing pressure which would otherwise bite into the wood.
The worse the fit, the more important it is to get the bow tip exposed, otherwise it will never work. Even using cow horn it's fairly crucial to get into the wood, otherwise you're asking the tiny amount of horn below the groove to hold the entire force of the string.
If you've made a dodgy job of fitting them (and to be honest, if you've used buffalo horn!) I'd be inclined to forget sidenocks and just go Victorian. It's a recipe for heartbreak otherwise.
Ruddy Darter:
OK WillS, I'm inclined to agree then, thanks. 8) I'm low on string material too and I have strings that I can reuse so better to be practical. I must say though this white buffalo ox horn seems a lot tougher than the regular buffalo horn, I've had a job drilling it and sawing it. If I redo them or next bow and do a better job(I know where I messed up) I'll definitely give them a try.
Thanks again, appreciated.
R.D.
Ruddy Darter:
Sorry to say I'm shelving this bow for a while. I got to a couple of inches and the twist is throwing it offset and string alignment has gone a little awol and it needs some correction with steam and I can't really spare much more time on this. I may start on my more straight forward stave when I have the opportunity and go back to this when I get a little more savvy. Where the twist starts there a knot that complicates the issue for me too.
So I'm quitting while I'm ahead for the time being.
Thanks for the help and advice and I have found this good practice and look forward to future bow building with enthusiasm.
R.D.
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