Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on September 30, 2015, 12:44:30 pm

Title: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: DC on September 30, 2015, 12:44:30 pm
I'm working on a spliced bow. It's made of almost sister billets. About half of each billet is twisted so no matter how I glued them together I ended up with some twist. I ended up with the handle and the tips being straight and the middle bit being twisted. Anyway when I got it on the tree and started pulling I noticed that the tips were going somewhat sideways. One limb moves away from me and one moves toward me. In the poorly drawn picture if you imagine pulling straight down the twisted bit bends sideways. Since the two limbs have almost the same twist I can imagine that the handle is going to rotate some. Will this affect the shooting much? 
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: DC on September 30, 2015, 12:50:05 pm
Here's the stick
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: Tracker0721 on September 30, 2015, 02:04:43 pm
No advise for ya but that is gonna be one awesome looking bow!
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: Pat B on September 30, 2015, 02:12:52 pm
You are a glutton for punishment.  ;) That is a cool looking stave. Not much advise for you but god luck.
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: simson on September 30, 2015, 02:21:13 pm
Holy cow - that's astave I like!

Have you worked it down? It looks not ready for bending in the pic?
At snakey staves I always make changing cross profiles. Imagine a line from tip to tip, It should lay in the middle of pivot point on handle (otherwise first string alignment correction needed). Now when a snakey curve swings out of this line (looking straight on the front profile), I make the inner curve slightla thicker than the outer curve. This prevents twisting.

Good luck on that exceptional stick!
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: DC on September 30, 2015, 02:59:58 pm
I lined it up when I spliced it so string alignment is OK. I had it on the long string but only pulled it about 4" when I noticed the limb was going a bit sideways. Thought I'd better check. I don't have a lot of wood to work with so it may not work well. I have a six more billets from this tree and these two were the smallest so I thought I would screw up on the ones most likely to screw up. Save the better for later.
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: wizardgoat on September 30, 2015, 03:07:46 pm
looks like a fun stave! I usually don't worry about twist until I start drawing a braced bow, but you may need to do as Simson suggested, and leave the inner part of a snake a little thicker than the outer
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: DC on September 30, 2015, 05:10:38 pm
My gizmo won't be a lot of use on this one ;D ;D
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: wizardgoat on September 30, 2015, 05:34:20 pm
Trust in your thickness taper, and go by feel. I'm working on a couple snaky yew branch bows too
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: DC on September 30, 2015, 06:12:25 pm
I asked this once before but I came up with a better way of showing this problem. The paint stripes are straight across. The second pic shows the big dip in the back. This is going to put a lot of stress on the edges of the back. The sapwood is fairly thick here and I thought I might shave the top off the edges to give a wider back(or two backs). Being yew I have a little leeway with the back (although Patrick and Bob might disagree). Any other suggestions?
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: crooketarrow on September 30, 2015, 06:28:27 pm
 SWEETTTTTTTT a bow like that it's just you a rasp and the wood.
 
 I'm working on a osage stave is really snakey but a lot cleaner.

  Like someone said your on your own on this on.
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: wizardgoat on September 30, 2015, 10:42:45 pm
Don knock those edges down and flatten the back as much as you can. If you have thick sapwood then your in luck.
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: paco664 on October 01, 2015, 05:21:33 pm
wow... that is some serious twists...
Title: Re: Snakey Stave
Post by: riverrat on October 01, 2015, 07:54:59 pm
intrigued! like to see that finished. Tony
Title: Re: Snakey Stave (tiller check please)
Post by: DC on October 01, 2015, 08:41:07 pm
Here it is at 45#@24 or there abouts. It's hard to read the scale and watch the camera timer. It looks to me like the right hand limb could bend a bit more just out of the fades but that's where that dip is in the back(as opposed to the dip standing in front). There is also a hole right there(bonus) so I'm a little chickenship about that spot. I may get braver later. With that in mind what do you think?
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: bowandarrow473 on October 01, 2015, 08:54:09 pm
I think that is gonna be one cool bow!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: lebhuntfish on October 01, 2015, 09:05:34 pm
I'll have to watch this one! I don't disagree at all DC, I have personally never made a yew bow. I'm still pitiling with the stave I got from Ryan at the classic. That being said, the one your working on would be one I would pick out! I love the knarly ones.

Simson, that is some great advice. I will definitely remember that on my next one.
Patrick
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: Pappy on October 02, 2015, 06:51:48 am
That is looking good, you are doing very good on a very challenging stave. :) A man has to be ready for heart break on staves like that but when you pull one off it makes all the others worth it. :)
Pappy
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: Blayne on October 02, 2015, 09:14:58 am
Can't wait to see that one in person! Way to take up a challenge 8)
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: rps3 on October 02, 2015, 10:03:14 am
What Pappy said. Whishing you luck!
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: DC on October 02, 2015, 10:07:19 am
Thanks guys. I'm half expecting it to break. This is by far the most challenging stave I've worked on but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I still have to lose a few pounds and shoot it in so the jury is still out.
Title: Re: Snakey Stave(tiller check please)
Post by: Will B on October 02, 2015, 11:43:29 am
Good luck.  That is looking Awesome!