Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Ryan Jacob on January 19, 2026, 03:52:05 am
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Felt like trying to make a bow again. Last attempt blew up on me because I didn't give it enough time to rest after steaming. I remember the standard measurements for the most part but I need some help with non-ideal staves. Here's the rundown:
1. What cross section do I use on high crown saplings? If I square the corners, I lose width. Do I just round it off?
2. Can I compensate for a lack of width by increasing length? Sounds like it'll get whippy and I should drop the poundage instead
3. When I get to cut some wood, do I peel and seal or just paint the ends?
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fast answers
-rounding off corners should be enough in a sapling.
-Increasing length leaving all other measures the same (including draw lenght) will result in lower poundage.
-it depends on wood. I usually peel and seal. Peeling is easier on fresh cut in the right season
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I probably didn't word number 2 right. If I want to reach a certain poundage on a narrow stave, can I increase length and thickness to lessen the chance of it blowing up? Does it add too much mass to be worth it?
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Increasing length will help spread out your stress. Assuming you tiller properly.
The longer you go for a certain draw weight. The more wood it requires to achieve that same draw weight.
If you tiller a bow to a certain weight and then decide to shorten it a couple inches it will increase the draw weight. Also probably throw off the tiller. To long of a bow usually doesn’t perform as well as an optimal length bow. However it does perform better than a broken bow and does increase your odds of having a working bow.
If you want to increase weight on a narrow stave and keep normal length. You need to be thicker.
Thickness is 8 times stiffer than width.
It comes down to what the stave has to offer, and how comfortable you are trying to get it.
Bjrogg
PS I don’t recall what type of wood you have. White wood harvested in growing season. The bark and cambium “slip” right off. I peel split and seal as soon as possible. Reduce it close to bow dimensions helps a lot
Yellow wood I like to remove bark and sapwood. Preferably chase a ring and seal but at least seal right away. You can leave bark on and seal ends , but bugs can be a big problem
Bjrogg
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Felt like trying to make a bow again. Last attempt blew up on me...........
If you are on your second attempt at making a working bow, there is nothing wrong at all with trying a design that is a bit on the long side or otherwise a less stresses design.
What designs are you looking at for high crown staves? share some particulars about bow length and draw length