Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on March 27, 2020, 02:07:54 pm

Title: End grain tips
Post by: DC on March 27, 2020, 02:07:54 pm

Anyone ever try end grain wood for tips? I think it would look good but it goes against my grain to do it. The more I think about it though, because the wood would be so short the glue line would be right beside the string.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: Santanasaur on March 27, 2020, 03:45:09 pm

I tried it early on to make use of scrap cut offs and cookies. Too many of those overlays  split during a shot or from being dropped. The string wont cut through fibers but it can definitely split them. Now for laminated overlays i’ve used endgrain for the lower layers without any issues.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: DC on March 27, 2020, 04:10:04 pm

What kind of glue did you use?

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: DC on March 27, 2020, 04:20:07 pm

I just finished making a couple of mock-ups. One end grain and one vertical rings. I used thick CA. Then I smacked them on the groove with a hammer and a wooden drift. The vertical grain popped right off on the second hit, splitting at the groove as expected. The other survived many hits. My gut feeling was right but I'm wondering now if epoxy may have survived.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: Santanasaur on March 27, 2020, 04:28:02 pm

I had a break happen with 5 min epoxy. Maybe better stuff would hold up. I’ve also used thick ca and tb 2 and 3 without seeing any difference in the splitting

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: Pat B on March 27, 2020, 04:53:57 pm

Maybe with strong interlocking grain but any I've tried chipped and cracked.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: BowEd on March 27, 2020, 05:21:46 pm

DC...Get your hands on some nice burl wood.I myself would like some of that myself.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: DC on March 27, 2020, 05:38:53 pm

I have this thing. It's Ocean Spray and is about the size of your fist.I thought about using it but OS is kinda grainless and white so I didn't think it would be that attractive. I also thought that someone might want to make a war club out of it and didn't want to take a test slice off it. So it sits under the end of my workbench gathering dust. It weighs 1.6 lbs and would make a great fish knocker.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: bownarra on March 27, 2020, 06:11:21 pm

There is a strong chance that will look v.good…..

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: DC on March 27, 2020, 06:54:28 pm

I bit the bullet, nothing really exceptional but they'll be OK. I'll fume a few pieces.

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: Marc St Louis on March 27, 2020, 08:13:23 pm

If you're talking overlays then that is all I use

Title: Re: End grain tips
Post by: bownarra on March 28, 2020, 01:23:26 am

To get the best out of burl wood take slices off rather than cutting it in half. Once polished you'll see the true colours.