2nd Bow build: White Oak board 71 ntn, 36 lbs @ 26"

[kbuggie]

Hello PA members, this is my first post after being a reader for a few months.  I've read much of the recent bow build threads, read TBB volumes 1-3, and "The Backyard Bowyer" by Nickolas T. 

2 of my first 4 bows have survived and I thought I'd share pics of the 2nd to survive 100 arrows shot; the white oak board bow with Osage Orange handle.  For context I've acquired several rasps, draw knives, scrapers and built a shaving horse and bow vice. Jigsaw used to rip the 12' x 10"x2" white oak board (had been sitting in a covered lumber yard in western New mexico with 5 other such boards for 20-30 years according to the boss).  My first bow was a Chokecherry 3" sapling stave that I created a hinge in during tillering after a few beers and reading the quote from TBB vol.1 that says, "Don't waste time and wood."  It never broke but shoots 24lbs at 26". I backed that one with tanned deer hide.  Then I broke the best Chokecherry stave I could find in my local woods, unbacked with killer hinge.  Same thing happened with my 3rd bow which I was much more careful with; Vine maple stave D-27 from vinemaple.com.  So, I was feeling desperate for a shootable bow with more weight and so far this Pyramid white oak bow feels good.

71" ntn. 36 lbs @ 26". 5" handle. 2" wide at fades and 1/2" at tips.  Backed with titebond3 holding down fiberglass scrim tape recommended in "The Backyard Bowyer". Stained green and 5 coats of tru oil.  Used a tillering gizmo and one limb bends uniformly but once the weight was getting low I quite trying to alleviate a thin area near the limb tips of one side.

Thanks to PA for everything I've learned and the inspiration to get better

**Will try to get the pics up in next few minutes.

[kbuggie]

The 2 ply of 3/16 tanned deer hide string I made keeps stretching so the brace is at 4"

[kbuggie]

The grain runs off the side a bit in both limbs.

[Knoll]

Tiller looks good to my eye. Congrats.
Likely don't need 71" for 26.5" draw. Maybe shorten next one to 64".
Good luck with the next one!

[kbuggie]

It seems to have about an inch of set in each limb after being unstrung.
String alignment isn't dead center but I had steamed and bent the limb tips of the previous 2 bows that broke, and I didn't want to put that much effort into another broken piece of wood. In hindsight, 'wish I had tried to bend the tip towards center.  Can I still heat bend part of limb or handle now that it's backed and finished?

[M2A]

How's it shoot? Hard to tell if there's room but maybe you could cut the string nocks a bit deeper on the one side to get better string alignment in stead of heat bending it. String doesn't look that far off and if it shoots good I wouldn't worry about it. I try and leave tips wide until after full brace to better align string. The grain run off is a bit too much imo but the tiller looks good to me. Nice bow, That osage on there looks great! Looking forward to seeing your next one. Mike       

[kbuggie]

Thanks for the feedback, Mike and Knoll. 

It's only the second wood bow I've ever shot (came from the world of compound bows and a few fiberglass recurve from the 60's and more recent models), so tough to judge but arrows group nicely off the side where the string is closer to edge of handle.  The nocks seem wide to me and if I try anything more on this bow it will be what you suggest on the nock centering.

I kept this bow as long as possible because the grain worried me as well but only have the one board, which I chose from the lot because the grain on the edge was the straightest and ran the whole 12' for the most part.  But now that this stave hasn't broken I have at least 10 more self handle staves in the board.  I'll try to make the next couple a bit shorter with a rawhide backing.

I collected the Osage from dead standing stock in a dry Arroyo in southern New Mexico, during an unsuccessful deer hunt.  No meat but scored some beautiful and heavy wood.
I split the 6' log and the half full of knots I'm using for handles and maybe nock tips.  Maybe a bow with the other half but the rings seem closer together?(or there is more yellow than dark grain)than most Osage I've seen in pics.

[Little John]

Each one gets better, congrats and good job.