Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DisloyalMachete on April 15, 2020, 09:43:45 am
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So I bought a black walnut stave off the internet a while back and decided to start working with it. I knew there was a knot on this side but I didn't realize how close it was to the edge. It looks like the grain got cut through when the stave was cut - I haven't touched this area yet other than removing the bark. Can this be saved? I'm assuming not but I want to make sure before I abandon it. Doesn't look promising to my untrained eye though.
(https://i.imgur.com/Bq6iVWr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hJ4odhG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ASTH2Ee.jpg)
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Far from the worst grain following I've seen. I think it could survive. I'm more worried about the coloring around the knot but I haven't worked with black walunt staves before so I'm not as familiar with the grain. Especially in those transition rings from sapwood to heartwood.
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I t looks like you cut through it?
What I do with knots is leave wood around them.
Leave them wider and let the grain swirl.
Jawge
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Walnut seems to be tolerant of ring violations, sort of like I’ve seen people do with yew. Though with knots it’s typically best to follow the swirl of the grain around the knot, whichever direction it goes around it. Think of the grain as water flowing in a river and t he knot is a rock. Just follow where the flow goes and you’ll be fine.
Depending on the width of the stave, it looks like you can just avoid the knot on the back. As long as the grain on the back is clean of the knot, I’ve never had an issue with a knot like that coming out the side of the limb.
My vote goes to making the limb enough narrower to remove the knot from the back (especially if you have t he width available) and ignore what it’s doing on the belly, as long as it’s solid and doesn’t act like it’ll want to pop out.
Kyle
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Reduce the width by first tracing out where the grain goes around the knot. Then remove the wood outside the line of the grain - this will reduce the angle of the violated grain in this area. Of course reduce width of other limb to match.