Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: denny on July 26, 2009, 11:31:20 pm

Title: propeller twists
Post by: denny on July 26, 2009, 11:31:20 pm

I would like to hear how you fellows deal with twist in the limbs, especially when the bows tills perfectly. I recently made a hickory stave bow . The bow had large straight growth rings. It was flat as can be when unstrung, but string it and you could put the thing on the back of a boat. I checked the moisture and it had 14% after a few years up over the garager rafters. Thanks for your help... by the way it shoots fine at 28 inch draw about 45 lbs at this point.

Title: Re: propeller twists
Post by: radius on July 26, 2009, 11:34:43 pm

hickory has a bad reputation for holding moisture.   Also a bad rep for not holding up well under compression.  Trick to hickory is drying it adequately, making the bow, and then sealing it against moisture right quick.

Title: Re: propeller twists
Post by: sailordad on July 26, 2009, 11:35:04 pm

i would think that the limb thickness,from side to side on the same limb,is off on both limbs if it twist when strung only

Title: Re: propeller twists
Post by: billy on July 27, 2009, 06:05:29 am

I have a hickory longbow that I made from a stave and it has a slight propeller twist when it's strung too.  Doesn't hurt it one bit.  I've had this bow for years and it shoots great.  Don't worry about cosmetic things like twist....if it shoots well, then the animals (or the unsuspecting burglar) won't know the difference when the arrow passes thru both lungs and they die on your doorstep!  If you do shoot a burglar, just hide the bow and say there was a big flash of light and this dude just showed up on your doorstep. 

"Jeez officer, he must have been a time traveler, because nobody shoots stone arrowheads anymore!!"

Title: Re: propeller twists
Post by: denny on July 27, 2009, 09:36:43 am

thanks billy , good one. And thanks to others. By the way the edges are very equal and i tried sraping the limb by the fade out and I filed farther into the knock and shaved the edges all the tricks I knew, but to no avail. I am going to put it in the box cook a little , and back it with hide. maybe I will get lucky. If not , who cares .. Thanks again any second thoughts, I am all ears.

Title: Re: propeller twists
Post by: George Tsoukalas on July 27, 2009, 09:46:38 am

A propellor twist and the presence of  moisture  are  2 separate unrelated issues. If  hickory read > than 6-8 % I let it dry before continuing the build. If the stave is propellor  twisted I enjoy it as is and celebrate its  character. Here's a twisted stave.
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/aerobow.html