Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Kenny H on March 14, 2009, 10:29:22 pm
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Hey guys I have four staves of black cherry I have one taken down to about a 3" x 5" and its about 59 1/2 " . It was longer but I had to cut about 10" of check on both ends. I know that at that length it doesn't look good but I think I may have worst problems than that. I have drawn a outline on the back which is reflexed about 1 1/2 " and has some prop. The back has a few knots on it also. The outline I drew was like this, 3" handle 5 " long and an inch passed that I started a taper to the ends on both sides. The ends are an inch wide inside the black line I drew. This was just a rough outline that I was using to get an idea as how I can lay this bow out. I know I wont get a lot of poundage on this bow but thats ok because I have three kids that would love to get a new bow. ;D I can back this bow with something if I need to. I'm actually pretty sure I will. So What do you guys think will this make a bow and if so some advice? I would like to continue with this bow even if it doesn't make it. I'm sure Ill learn a ton from it.I can post pics if it will help. Thanks Kenny
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Pictures Please....20 people can hear or read the Same Thing....and come up with 20 different Stories and answers...Pictures will explain it a lot better....and as Dana will chime in and say.....High Resolution Pictures too!!!
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Here are some pics. Hope this helps.
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more pics
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Looks like you laid out the Centerline Straight down the Stave....you really need to follow the Lineal Grain too....I always scrape a side down to follow the Lineal Grain....then lay out the Center of the Bow following that side....and if it ends up really Squirrelly....then you just deal with it by either laying the Bow out differently to accommodate the twists and turns....or Heat them out and straighten up the Stave....JMO
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Take a very small amount from the back and lay my center line out of the grain? Could I sand it and do it on the back?
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Take a very small amount from the back and lay my center line out of the grain? Could I sand it and do it on the back?
No....don't touch the Back....scrape down one side...to follow the Side grain...Wood has Annular Rings and also has Vertical Grain too...this is what you follow when you scrape a Staves Sides...Have you noticed how a Log Splits when you split it with Wedges?? It splits following the Vertical Grain of the Tree,,,this is why I and most others that build Bows will true up a side so you can really see how this Grain runs....and then follow it for the Centerline of the Bow....I hope that I am making sense.... ;D...... I have a hard time writing in words what I am thinking in My Head.......... ::)....I get so confused sometimes.......... :P >:D
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what my fellow texan is saying is that trees don't always grow straight up and down. You have to follow the bends. thats how people make such wonderful snakey bows from osage etc. what i do is follow the crown as closely as possible and then study the stave top, bottom and sides for more clues to the vertical grain. its easy on woods that you chase a ring on because you can easily see the grain turn. Just take a close look at your stave and make sure you follow this vertical grain. if you weren't looking for it before i bet you'll see it now.
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looking at that stave again, i think you line is ok. looks pretty darn straight. everthing else looks ok. most staves have knots. a good backing will take care of that and steam will take any other problems out. good luck
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I can see now what you are talking about. :) Its a little snaky but even through all the twists the tips I drew out seems to line up with each other. Do I have to shape my bow like that or can I cut along it and then reduce the sides to be more even. smooth I guess? It would be cool though to make it the way the grain runs but I don't think I'm that good yet. :) I guess thats about what I need to know to double check the grain and maybe rough it down to the lines anyway. Do you think that would be ok? Do you think a flat bow would be better or a more rounded belly for this one? Will the wood let me know or should this wood be done a certain way? Most of the BC bows Ive seen were flat bows. They all were alot longer than this one also.
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What is your Draw Length Kenny? With a Bow that Short...If your Draw Length is 25 inches or more....I myself would go with a D Bow Style...with a flat Belly and a Working Handle...JMO
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I draw 29 inches but I could move my stance and get 27 or 28. I could also give this bow to one of my kids or to a friend with a shorter draw length if I cant get that. How wide do you think the fades should be. I was thinking of 1 3/4 or maybe even bigger. Is that to wide or would that be ok?I thought maybe since you said this was a low tension bow that maybe I should make it wider. Plus its short. ;D Thanks everyone for your help. Kenny
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I don't think it will be possible to get a 28-29" draw out of a 60" BC stave, the wood is brittle and will fret easily
at least in my experience, I've broke 3 or 4 of them :o I would make a kids bow with it and back it with linen or silk as an
extra safety precaution.
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Boy, you're stacking it up against you, aren't you? :) I won't say it won't make a bow, but I'll say that you have your work cut out for you. :) If I was going to make a cherry bow I would make it at least 68" long for my 26" draw. And like Mike said, when you try to make a straight bow out of a crooked stave, you're asking for trouble. Violating the side-to-side grain usually has about the same effect as violating the back grain. You need to lay the bow out following the grain, then straighten it with heat if need be to get it to line up. You say you're not good enough yet to make a bow following the grain, I'm not good enough yet to make one that violates and cuts through the grain. You can get away with a little bit of cheating if you're using something like hickory or osage, but cherry is pretty marginal bow wood to begin with, and at that length and a 29" draw?? I think you could probably get away with a low-weight kid's bow if you back it, that would probably be the best plan for that one.
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You might consider backing it then. Following the vertical or lateral grain can be confusing for beginners. Here check this, kenny. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
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I would have to agree with Hillbilly on this one. The black cherry bow that I shot for 2 years was a 68" flat bow, 2" at the fades out to mid limb and tapered to 1/2" nocks. I also would credit its success to it coming from the top side of a big limb, not the tree trunk. All the bc bows that I have tried since have come from trunks and failed. Not sure why, I used the same design. BC seems to be a tricky stave wood. Best of luck and let us know how it comes out. If you are successful with it, I'll vote for you for selfbow of the month for sure!...Terry