Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Crash on March 15, 2010, 09:59:16 pm
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Just cut my first tree, I think it's white ash, and I was wondering if there's a huge benefit to splitting over using my table saw to rip it down in half? It's 3-4 inches in diameter
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Ash split easily...and when you split...it follows the Linear Grain...if You Kerf...or Saw Cut...you violate these Grains...don't Cut....Split It....JMO
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split never saw or kerf mike
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i agree with the Mike's
always split your staves,never ever saw them
grain violation is pretty much a guarantee bad bow break
linear grain must be maintained to prevent runoffs
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I always split mine. Using a circular saw on logs could be dangerous.
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No circular saws. They are made for dimension lumber. I do split my staves. I don't own a bow grade bandsaw. Hatchets build character. You can bandsaw or split it. But if you saw it pay very close attention to the longitudinal grain where a split stave kind of follows it natural like. I've made bows from sawed staves. I just draw that center line following the grain. I do that even with split staves. Jawge
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So split it is. That brings up a question though. If you don't saw it so that you can maintain linear grain integrity, how does tillering affect the grain?
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Tillering doesn't affect the end-to end grain. If you saw a straight stave out of a crooked log, it's violated. A log can be straight on the outside, but have snaky or twisted grain inside, too. I always split staves. The stave can be crooked as a petrified corkscrew, but if the grain isn't violated, you can usually correct it enough with heat to get everything in line.
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I split all of my wood.I've heard the only wood you can saw is elm.
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I split all of my wood.I've heard the only wood you can saw is elm.
I guess every board bow is wrong than :(
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I split all of my wood.I've heard the only wood you can saw is elm.
I guess every board bow is wrong than :(
nope,same goes with boards
you dont want runoffs,which is nothing more than linear grain
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I understand...but seeing a twisted grain from a straight tree that was sawed is not easy. Seeing the grain line from the early wood/late wood lines is easy though...atleast for me lol
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I agree with the others, especially with species which split easilly... BUT...
I'm making an exception for some Yew I cut recently as I don't want to run the risk of the split running out the side and good Yew is a precious commodity.
I used a bandsaw to get 4 staves out of my 5" log, there is still penty of room to follow the grain as the corners get taken off the quarters. The second log may yield 3 staves if cut carefully.
I must admit I feel happier spliting 'em, but more than once I've ended up with fewer staves than I might have had with a saw, and it hasn't been because the grain wasn't suitable.
Del
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I split most of mine but like Del I do make exceptions on some wood and if it is small and straight
I will use my bandsaw,never a table saw,been there done that, not again. :) The wood you have should be easy to split. :)
Pappy
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Once again if the stave is band sawed draw line down the middle following the longitudinal grain. Then, measure half the width you want on either side of that line. That way you have followed the longitudinal grain. It really is no big deal to use a sawed stave. Jawge
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For me, If I saw it straight I back it.
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New question. Maybe I'll have to start a new topic. I'm having a lot of confusion as far as horizontal and vertical grain goes. I think I really need a picture for clarification. Anyone know where I can find one? I googled and searched the sight with no luck
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Vertical, longitudinal, lateral. I think longitudinal is better. Here you go. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html
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Historically I've split most of my logs, but more and more I'm attracted to ban saws because they allow you to waste less wood.
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From a slit stave, I bandsaw out the bows profile... so I'm not sure if sawing a stave is a bad thing. Lately, I've been splitting logs, and bandsawing one edge to waste less wood. So, one edge is split, and one is sawn... especially for smaller diameter logs.
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I am still in favor of splitting the following longitutal grain as best as you can,,sure it waste less wood when you bansaw, but you you are taking more chances on future problems,,I work mostly with osage,,and I work with the most crooked and twisted wood I have,,I sell the straight ones,,when you are making osage blanks, and do a lot of straightening you must follow grain,,the only bandsawing I do is waste wood off the belly,,of course I have to look at this form a business perspective,,,this is my lively hood,,I would rather to produce 1 bow that I can stand behind , that 4 I cant,,I would also never recommend for beginners to do any sawing,,,till they have several bows under there belt,,
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I bandsaw my staves to bow dimensions, too-but following the grain. I follow the natural curves of the split stave for my width layout-I measure the width of the rough bow from the center of the split stave from one end to the other. If the stave curves, so does the bow. This keeps the grain intact. If you want to straighten it for cosmetic reasons or to correct tip alightnment, you can do that after you have it roughed out.
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I understand and follow those guidelines, but most bow profiles are not straight from grip to tip, so while sawing profiles, you will not be able to avoid violating gain somewhat, yes?
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Vertical, longitudinal, lateral. I think longitudinal is better. Here you go. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html
Nice pics Jawge... I'm trying to set up my website... but a certain dumbass company doesn't seem to want my money... >:(
"You can have your site up in minutes"....yeah right, 2 weeks later moan...moan...moan)
Anyhow, When it's finally up, I'd like to link to your site if that's ok? (as you have good in depth build info...my site is more...well wait and see)
Del
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Thanks, Del. Glad you like it. :) Jawge
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BTW, for those who care, LOL, the bow in that picture came from a sawed stave if memory serves. I gotta be honest the avoiding of sawed staves is making me scratch my head right about now. It really is easy following the long. grain but I already said that. I can understand why yazoo does it. He can't always depend on a customer to do it right and splitting does it automatically but...:) Jawge
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So what I picked up here (and this could be selective hearing) is that if I have a small diameter stave with straight grain, using a saw isn't terrible. But if it's got any kind of character, split is safer. Could I do the same thing with a tablesaw? I don't have a bandsaw.
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split it , work it down with drawknife ash works very well,,it cuts like butter,,in the time it takes to read this message you could have roughed it out ;D
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Haha, thanks Yazoo. I would have finished it by now but Lost was on