Author Topic: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????  (Read 2975 times)

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Offline Thunderlizard

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Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« on: December 01, 2017, 09:39:51 pm »
Hello Ya’ll.

I made this bow a couple of years back, and over time, it developed a hairline check running down a few inches of the back, right where I dug the knot out of the belly side on the bottom limb. I have since backed it with a strip of rawhide to remedy that (thanks to Jamie, aka Ravenbeak for all the help!). Along with the backing, I decided that I wanted to add horn overlays to it, and as you might be able to tell from the top photo, I sanded down a bit more length than the horn can cover on one tip. Curious if anyone has opinions on whether this growth ring violation  might be a problem. I’m hoping that it’s close enough to the nocks that it won’t bend enough there to break. Still not done shaping and putting grooves in the horn, but I figured I’d go ahead and try for some opinions.

Thanks!
     - Pat

Offline Thunderlizard

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2017, 09:45:18 pm »
Full length

Offline Pat B

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2017, 10:43:04 pm »
Just shorten the limb tip til it fits. You may have to shorten the other limb too but it probably isn't necessary, as long as the tiller is still good.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Stick Bender

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2017, 03:56:36 am »
Out on the tips there is very little stress or bending you could glue a peace of micro size raw hide and blend it to the design or do a little sinew,hemp or jute or what ever you have wrap ,none of any of those would ad much mass !
If you fear failure you will never Try !

Offline DC

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2017, 11:18:50 am »
I'm with Pat on this one, although I keep imagining a nice white chip of bone shaped to fit that notch. It would look cool. I'm just not sure about the strength.

Offline bubby

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2017, 12:28:59 pm »
There are a few ways to address this, shorten the tips, get a longer piece of horn, or use a piece of hardwood long enough to cover. You can also cut some thin contrasting lams to build it out and still use that horn
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2017, 02:02:01 pm »
+1 what bubby said................
DBar
« Last Edit: December 02, 2017, 02:09:56 pm by Danzn Bar »
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline Thunderlizard

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2017, 03:12:32 pm »
Thanks for the feedback on this everyone! It may not have come up in the pictures, but I had already glued the horn overlays onto the tips  ::)  so I’d like to avoid cutting off eithertip at the overlay, since this bow is already 64” long, and that would take it down to about 61”... that being so, I think I’ll try to wrap it in sinew just below the overlays...
If it ends up breaking below the the overlays, hopefully it goes cleanly so I don’t have a bow any shorter than 61”!

Offline PatM

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2017, 03:18:22 pm »
Cut them off with a fine saw along the glueline and then re-do the stack of material.

Offline sleek

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2017, 05:09:29 pm »
Use a heat gun to heat ot up and break down the glue bond. It will pop right off. Could possibly boil it off too depending on the glue used. Probably fine as it is, when nocks are cut through the side of the bow, it violates the grain also. There is very little leverage against the broken fibers at the tips so, functionally, whatever you do wont make a difference.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2017, 03:43:35 pm »
I would take the hornoff and build up the area with some neat lams to enhance the horn.

Like this;


Offline JNystrom

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2017, 03:33:57 pm »
That is beautiful Eric Krewson! I might copycat that one...

Offline Hamish

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Re: Osage orange selfbow - tip overlay problem????
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2017, 04:35:24 pm »
+1. Seriously nice tips there Eric.