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Lateral stability issues with branch bows?

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organic_archer:
Hamish - seasoned about a year with the bellies opened to the pith along the working limbs. It looks mild at rest but they go farther over when strung up.

Willie - I had forgotten about reaction wood and aligning the bow to it! How can this be applied to branches that grow straight up? These were all from osage trunks that grew sideways and close to the ground, and were shooting straight up. Broomstick straight.

Erik - I don't mind a little tracking toward the arrow pass but they'll bend sideways to the point they're trying to twist out of the hand when shooting. I've tamed them to near center shot after repeat attempts, but it's been frustrating.

willie:

--- Quote --- and were shooting straight up. Broomstick straight.
--- End quote ---
perhaps the only way is to see if you can detect reaction wood by inspection.
eccentric growth rings?
discoloration?
some hardwoods, when you sand them, show more cellulose fibers on the tension side

jameswoodmot:
I’ve got an elm bow that’s done this. Shot it in fine, left it in the house for a couple of months and it bent sideways and deflexed in the handle. Left it in the shed for a few days and it straightened back up, gained a couple of grams of moisture. 57” eastern woodlands style bow with wide tips but it had 1/4” daylight in the middle when held against a flat surface. From the side that is.

I’m very used to having to keep my elm bows dry and only working them dry but it must have picked up enough moisture in the two days it was in my workshop when I was making. Not surprised it picked up moisture but for that little % increase to cause that much deflection was pretty mind blowing.

No idea if that in anyway relates to your Osage bows there but if they’re otherwise no good for sale I’d be weighing them and messing with the moisture to see if anything changes

TimBo:
Would limbs growing straight up have reaction wood?  I always thought horizontal limbs had that issue because of gravity. 

organic_archer:
Willie - I'll inspect the next one more thoroughly.

James - interesting. I've had a couple of wandering white wood bows over the years, especially when using a dry box to keep them at a low MC, but this is a first for osage. I won't sell an unstable bow so I'll weigh them for a while.

TimBo - that was also my understanding but now I'm second guessing it.

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