What to do?

[Bubbabowyer]

Hey fellas. I have an interest in your opinions. I have a very dense piece of osage that has some obstacles for me. Not serious individually but rather a congregation of pin knots on one limb, the other is flawless. I have it roughed out to 62 ttt, 1 3/4 wide at the fade tapered to one inch 5 inches from the tip. Later I will Eiffel Tower this to 3/4 tapering to 3/8 inches. My dilemma is this: Should I back it? I've got some bamboo planks from  a 6 inch pole. If I do this, can i leave it 1 3/4? If not, then why? I want this thing to be impressive in all aspects, speed, beauty, smoothness, balance. What to do? Thank yall!

[Eric Krewson]

No need to back it, staves are like that clearer wood on one end, more pins on the other. Pins have never been a problem for me.

Why 1 3/4"? ,that is really wide for osage. 1 3/8" would be plenty, I make all of my osage bows 1 1/4".

[Bubbabowyer]

Even for a 27 inch draw?

[aaron]

62 long with 5 inch stiff tips and a 6 inch handle leaves less than 48 inch working limb. Maybe you do need it that wide.

[Bubbabowyer]

Yes I am sorry, I should've posted my intended draw length in the original post. With the handle layout I have 27 inches tip to fade on one limb and 28 on the other. It seems necessary to have it this wide but bamboo would help in that dept also. If so, is it still necessary to leave it wide to reduce set ?

[Marc St Louis]

I sometimes measure the length of the limbs to determine what draw length I can get from a bow...28" from tip to fade can give me a 28" draw if I do everything right

[Bubbabowyer]

Yes sir, Marc. I do this as well. There's just enough for 27 inches of draw length on the bottom limb. I wonder about the boo backing on that wide of a bow. Is it necessary, will the mass be too great for the benefits to show? It's a new area for me. I've made a few bows that went a little beyond the inch of limb per inch of draw length and they can be snappy

[leonwood]

No need to back it at all. Osage can handle those pins without any problems. You have just enough length to make a nice pyramid/eiffeltower for a 27" draw without too much stacking. Just tiller slowly and make sure you use enough working limb. If you do the pyramid leave it full width after the fade and narrow from there

[Bubbabowyer]

Thanks leon. I've got it full width to five inches out of the fades now. Is that good or should it taper straight from the fade