Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: willie on June 26, 2020, 04:59:37 pm

Title: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: willie on June 26, 2020, 04:59:37 pm
I would welcome the comments from anyone who can report on their experience with, or point to a thread with a bendy handled bow ........with a splice in the handle.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: DC on June 26, 2020, 05:02:55 pm
I've never been brave enough to try it :-[. I think Del has though. I reserve the right to be wrong. ;)
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: mmattockx on June 26, 2020, 05:11:03 pm
I would welcome the comments from anyone who can report on their experience with, or point to a thread with a bendy handled bow ........with a splice in the handle.

What part of the splice are you worried about, the glue at the back surface or something else? Do you have time to try a test bow from a cheap board or birch stave? Could it be a semi-bendy handle with an overlay covering the back of the splice? Or maybe put a sinew/linen/something else patch over the splice?


Mark
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: DC on June 26, 2020, 05:14:38 pm
The only thing like it I've tried was a "V" joint in the working portion of a limb. The point of the "V" popped out. It wasn't an honest test just a couple of scraps of yew but it fuelled my doubt.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: bradsmith2010 on June 26, 2020, 09:24:00 pm
I love that,, "fuel my doubt",, I have had alot of things in bow making do that,, :D
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: Pat B on June 26, 2020, 09:57:50 pm
Seems like someone tried this a few years ago but I don't remember the outcome. I think they made the splice horizontal instead of vertical.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: PatM on June 26, 2020, 10:40:08 pm
Go to the  English Warbow page.  Will S does this all the time and it will have some connection to Joe Gibbs. ;)
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: bownarra on June 27, 2020, 12:17:31 am
If you get the splice perfect it will work. you can of course wrap it once the bow is tillered.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: willie on June 27, 2020, 12:46:51 am
I found this..http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=61159.0

and am still looking for a thread about wills warbow or a horizontal splice. At first, the horizontal splice seemed iffy, but really, when considering the questions Mark posed, I realized the back surface is under the most strain and where problems begin, so not really sure why horizontal or vertical should matter, so long as the glueline at the surface has integrity.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: bownarra on June 27, 2020, 02:15:39 am
The splice must be vertical and then wrapped for security.
Imagine a spliced handle with no riser lams failing when being drawn by hand....ummm not for me thanks!
If done horizontally you would have a glueline running right across your back....just asking to be separated....if using a ring porous wood imagine the lines of cut through earlywood and trying to work stepped through (almost) end grain into a perfect splice oo er…
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: Del the cat on June 27, 2020, 02:50:45 am
I've never been brave enough to try it :-[. I think Del has though. I reserve the right to be wrong. ;)
LOL! ;D
Not sure if I have... I wouldn't risk it unless it has a continuous back over the billets.
E.G Yew billets with boo back, no problem at all.... I'm working one at the moment :)
Del
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: willie on June 27, 2020, 02:11:02 pm
E.G Yew billets with boo back, no problem at all.... I'm working one at the moment :)
Del

A horizontal splice? the thread I linked to above, was mostly about your Z vertical? splice.

The splice must be vertical and then wrapped for security.
Imagine a spliced handle with no riser lams failing when being drawn by hand....ummm not for me thanks!
If done horizontally you would have a glueline running right across your back....just asking to be separated....if using a ring porous wood imagine the lines of cut through earlywood and trying to work stepped through (almost) end grain into a perfect splice oo er…

a cap on the back over the "glueline running right across your back" could take care of the back surface strain. But I am not sure why the orientation would matter otherwise. Maybe I'm missing something, though
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: DC on June 27, 2020, 03:02:46 pm
Maybe think of the glue line as a crack. With a horizontal splice the glue line is across the back, with a vertical slice the glue line is more lengthwise.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: willie on June 27, 2020, 05:53:11 pm
Maybe think of the glue line as a crack. With a horizontal splice the glue line is across the back, with a vertical slice the glue line is more lengthwise.

For sure, I follow what Mike is saying about a  "crack across the back".  And it is sort of natural to "feel" better about a vertical finger joint than a horizontal joint. Is this inclination based on experience or suspicion?

But going back to what was mentioned earlier.
Quote
The point of the "V" popped out.
So if the break starts on the surface, why would a point of a "V" act much different from a feathered edge cross ways?, as long as the taper and glue area was sufficient. We have seen vertical finger joints work and some that have failed, but I have yet to see a reported failure of a horizontal joint, although the orientation works in applications like sailboat masts etc. A patch or short cover lam used to cover a "W" splice has a cross ways glue line at the ends, and it's at the surface where stress is highest.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: Ricardovanleeuwen on June 27, 2020, 06:08:21 pm
In our hardware store they sell two component epoxy with the feature :flexible
You could try some sort of glue
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: DC on June 27, 2020, 08:04:00 pm
Maybe think of the glue line as a crack. With a horizontal splice the glue line is across the back, with a vertical slice the glue line is more lengthwise.

For sure, I follow what Mike is saying about a  "crack across the back".  And it is sort of natural to "feel" better about a vertical finger joint than a horizontal joint. Is this inclination based on experience or suspicion?

But going back to what was mentioned earlier.
Quote
The point of the "V" popped out.
So if the break starts on the surface, why would a point of a "V" act much different from a feathered edge cross ways?, as long as the taper and glue area was sufficient. We have seen vertical finger joints work and some that have failed, but I have yet to see a reported failure of a horizontal joint, although the orientation works in applications like sailboat masts etc. A patch or short cover lam used to cover a "W" splice has a cross ways glue line at the ends, and it's at the surface where stress is highest.

Just a gut feeling on my part. You'll have to try a couple.
Title: Re: Spliced billets for a bendy handled bow.
Post by: Sagebrush on July 02, 2020, 12:17:35 am
My neighbor is a newish bowyer and accidentally did this experiment last week.  He put together a beautiful splice. Upon stringing it and beginning to tiller it blew up in his hand.  I almost had to suture his palm (at 82 he was too tough for that:).  Wear a leather glove and post your results.