Author Topic: Best plan for this knot?  (Read 6157 times)

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Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Best plan for this knot?
« on: September 16, 2018, 07:17:16 pm »
It's lurking there, like a big zit

I guess I'll soak it with super glue and leave it a little stiff there. Unless maybe you guys have other suggestion?

Incense cedar, to be backed with elk sinew

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2018, 07:24:45 pm »
Is that knot on the back? Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Pat B

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2018, 09:48:04 pm »
Just what I was gonna ask, George.
 If it is on the back take it down to the same ring as the back but be careful not to violate that back ring at the knot.. If on the belly, don't worry about it.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2018, 10:56:34 am »
It's on the belly. The one picture shows it's face on the back

Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2018, 10:57:49 am »
(I love you guys)

Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2018, 10:59:11 am »
"Don't worry about it) as in shave down like it wasn't there?

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2018, 11:05:17 am »
I wouldn't touch that wood for a bow if my life depended on it, BUT, if I did? I would drill that out clean and make the bow wider at that point to compensate. Sinew around the drilled hole, not over it.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2018, 06:37:23 pm »
I wouldn't touch that wood for a bow if my life depended on it, BUT, if I did? I would drill that out clean and make the bow wider at that point to compensate. Sinew around the drilled hole, not over it.

+1
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

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Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2018, 02:16:53 am »
Wow that's a little bit dramatic. Not even if your life depended on it? Haha.

I've seen quite a few good bowyers who make good bows out of real character wood, and this one doesn't really qualify as character wood. One tiny knot in the entire stave and it falls at midlimb centerline, the widest part of the bow. I think it's a reasonable choice for the first one. That is, if I don't ruin it first. It's not my first attempt. I've ruined several already. Therefore I'm not using my best staves yet.

By all indications, this one I'm actually going to finish. If it continues to go as well as I expect, I'll use a better stave on the next one. If not, I'll keep using black sheep until I get one right.

Besides, I plan to use the knot in the final artwork.

Now I am very intrigued by your suggestion to sinew around but not over the hole. I never would have thought of that. I'd greatly appreciate your insights on this, anything you can think of about it and what's going on with it mechanically, anything at all


Offline Del the cat

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2018, 06:42:26 am »
IMO.
Clean out that black ring round the knot as it has no strength and will collapse causing a inch there. Cleaning it out may also loosen the knot or expose a cavity. Fill any gap with wood dust epoxy mix, if the knot comes right out, glue in a plug.
The knot itself probably has as much strength as the parent wood, it's the black manky stuff or any cavities that will cause problems.
Better safe than sorry.
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2018, 12:25:16 pm »
Thanks very much D

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2018, 10:35:06 am »
Wow that's a little bit dramatic. Not even if your life depended on it? Haha.

I've seen quite a few good bowyers who make good bows out of real character wood, and this one doesn't really qualify as character wood. One tiny knot in the entire stave and it falls at midlimb centerline, the widest part of the bow. I think it's a reasonable choice for the first one. That is, if I don't ruin it first. It's not my first attempt. I've ruined several already. Therefore I'm not using my best staves yet.

No drama, I would rather have a throwing stick. Its not that knot or character wood that bothers me, its the wood species itself. ERC, in my opinion, is totally worthless for bow wood. The reason I mentioned going around the knot hole and not over it is because sinew not fully secured/glued down can and will peel up eventually.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline gfugal

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2018, 11:46:59 am »
Depends on what your purpose is. Is it the best wood, or even great/good wood? It's debatable but probably not. You probably won't make a world record maker or have it classified as an elite status bow. Can it be a bow? Yes, you could even make a bow out of pine or willow if you wanted to (which I consider some of the worst wood). It wouldn't be "good" compared to woods of better quality, but it can be "good" if you just want something to target shoot with. It may even be "good" enough to hunt and kill with, depending on the type of game you're after. Discrediting it all together as not worth any effort, even if your life depended on it, is in a way a little dramatic. If you were starving and you wanted a bow to hunt a turkey, even a pine/willow bow would be good enough.

If you pride yourself in only the "best" bows, then wasting your time un sub-optimal wood isn't worth it. Some don't want to be associated with something made of "poor" quality wood. Personally, I don't really care what material I use, but at the same time, I have to adjust my expectations. Speaking from personal experiance, I have tried to get more from materials than what they can physically give me, and as a result I have broken more bows than I should have. I have wasted a lot of time where I would have been better off using "better" material I was saving for later. What it comes down to is if you are okay using mediocre wood, you have to be okay getting mediocre bows.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2018, 07:00:01 pm by gfugal »
Greg,
No risk, no gain. Expand the mold and try new things.

Offline PatM

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2018, 04:51:30 pm »
Wow that's a little bit dramatic. Not even if your life depended on it? Haha.

I've seen quite a few good bowyers who make good bows out of real character wood, and this one doesn't really qualify as character wood. One tiny knot in the entire stave and it falls at midlimb centerline, the widest part of the bow. I think it's a reasonable choice for the first one. That is, if I don't ruin it first. It's not my first attempt. I've ruined several already. Therefore I'm not using my best staves yet.

No drama, I would rather have a throwing stick. Its not that knot or character wood that bothers me, its the wood species itself. ERC, in my opinion, is totally worthless for bow wood. The reason I mentioned going around the knot hole and not over it is because sinew not fully secured/glued down can and will peel up eventually.

Fortunately it's not ERC although I would consign this particular stave to fire-board service.

Offline Taxus brevifolia

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Re: Best plan for this knot?
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2018, 05:25:27 pm »
Ya it's incense cedar. I have it on good authority that it is a reasonably good choice for bow wood if you have a suitable design and back it.

Yes btw, that was quite a dramatic thing you said, and denying the drama actually increases it a little.

Me, I'm going to be happy to finally complete a bow, I don't care or expect it to win any prizes. It's a stepping stone on my path to learn the making of good bows.