Author Topic: Help with new bow (Read 21800 times)

iowabow · « **Reply #60 on:** November 14, 2011, 11:10:55 am »

I screwed up. I have cracks on the back. The tension was too much. The first picture is the belly maybe I did not get the wood hot enought but I went real slow and only turned 1/8 at a time then heated again. I thought I was bending the whole limb but it was to much for the curve. Helppppp what do I do now? Is all lost? It is still stiff maybe I can chase another ring down. Or do you think I should fill with thin CA glue. Anyway here are the pictures.

gstoneberg · « **Reply #61 on:** November 14, 2011, 01:10:48 pm »

Man, I didn't realize you planned to try and bend it at those curves or I would have warned you. Wood in the bends/around knots is brittle and very hard. I've had poor success bending that hard wood. If it were my bow I'd back it now, probably with rawhide or sinew.

George

iowabow · « **Reply #62 on:** November 14, 2011, 04:55:29 pm »

how deep did they go? anyone ever done this? I measured and pretty sure one ring could be removed.
Option 1. remove one ring on the top limb if it is ok then move to the bottom. If it is still bad then cut off top limb and save for future splice bow.
Option 2. Back the bow with sinew and leather
Option3. Fill with super glue and continue.
Option4. Just start on another bow don't waste time fixing bad work.
Option5. Just cut it now and save for splice later.

gstoneberg · « **Reply #63 on:** November 14, 2011, 05:41:33 pm »

John,

I've had cracks that went clear through the limb, but it doesn't look like yours do to me. You can try to take a ring off and see if they disappear. The only dangers are that you run of depth to make weight, or there are flaws in the belly that would be taken off if the limbs were left full thickness, but not if a ring was removed. I personally would not cut the bow in half unless the tips cannot be made to line up.

I know others have had luck with super glue, but I have not. Once a crack has opened like that for me, super glue would not hold it. I use thread wraps if I think they'll look good, but in your case with that character I'd back the bow with rawhide.

This is not bad work, it's learning curve. Any time wood bends around a knot, the closer the wood is to the knot itself, the harder it is. Cracks that run down the limb and don't run out to the edge are not usually fatal. My only exception was a bow with a much wilder bend than yours. It got a crack in the center of the bend and it went clear through, top to bottom. This caused the bow to lose significant draw weight. I cut that one in half and made a takedown.

One other choice you have is to set it aside for now. In time you'll develop the skill to go on with confidence.

Whatever you do, good luck.
George

iowabow · « **Reply #64 on:** November 14, 2011, 06:50:07 pm »

G Thanks for the reply and helping work toward a solution. The ring just below the top ring is almost a 1/4 inch thick so I dont know if that is good or bad in this case because I have not built enough bows to know. I think it would be hard for the crack to run through a ring like that but I just have not done this enough to really know. Part of me just really wants to know even if it ruins the bow so that I can learn and the other part wants to stop and back it. I posted this picture earlier but you can see the thickness of rings in the handle. the outer ring is less than 1/8.

gstoneberg · « **Reply #65 on:** November 14, 2011, 10:12:58 pm »

I've never tried to take a crack like that out by removing a back ring so I just don't know. You'll find out if you do it. Just remember that weight comes off MUCH faster removing thickness as opposed to removing width. You may come out under your target weight. The safest fix is gonna be a backing. Either way, good luck.

George

JW_Halverson · « **Reply #66 on:** November 14, 2011, 11:04:00 pm »

Yeah, I agree with Georgie, though it hurts badly.

Since the cracks are running WITH the grain it's not as bad as all that. I'd recommend rawhide. Get'er reduced to the exact side to side profile you want and lay on some backing.

Good luck

Pappy · « **Reply #67 on:** November 15, 2011, 10:18:18 am »

I would fill it with super glue and back with thin rawhide,it should be fine,if you don't catch it on fire and burn it up first.

As far as the concaved back,I have made several that way,I just always round the belly at the concaved spots to match the thickness of the rest of the limb.

Pappy

iowabow · « **Reply #68 on:** November 17, 2011, 12:37:50 pm »

I have decided to go with the above advice. Three great bow makers cant be wrong. I have to dehair the hide from the deer I shot this fall and prepare it for backing the bow. I am going to work a few other hides so I am waiting till the end of hunting season to take up the snake bow project again. So I have started draw knifing the staves that were cut last year so that I can make bows out of them next year. I have one that it is a couple years old that is really low in moisture so I chasing rings again in hopes that I can make another 55 # bow. Below are photos of the 2 staves and the growth ring that I am going for. The ring can be seen at the 1/2inch mark. I have a question about the stave on the left. It is a year old and has a moisture content of around 14 (thats what it read when I cut the bark off). How long should I wait till I can safely start working this stave.

iowabow · « **Reply #69 on:** November 17, 2011, 12:40:09 pm »

Pappy · « **Reply #70 on:** November 17, 2011, 01:04:00 pm »

You could start working it now,it will dry much faster with the bark off,be careful with heat on it,it will check on the back and I would also be sure and seal the back for now once you get the bark and sap wood off,be sure to get it to yellow wood once you start even if you don't get the ring chased,if you leave the sap it will sometimes check and go right into the heart wood,it holds a lot of moisture.

Pappy

mikekeswick · « **Reply #71 on:** November 18, 2011, 05:23:15 am »

Believe it or not it would be fine without a backing. To be totally sure rawhide is the way to go. The fact that you got a few cracks shows you that the wood wasn't dry enough. The checks are caused by excess moisture having to leave the stave too quickly - all part of the learning curve!

JW_Halverson · « **Reply #72 on:** November 18, 2011, 07:58:51 pm »

Hehe, learning curve....Perfect name for that bow when it's finished!!!

iowabow · « **Reply #73 on:** November 19, 2011, 05:35:24 pm »

Today was great! I finally figured out how to use the draw knife effectively. It took me about a month to chase rings with a regular knife but today I did the same amount of work in about 2 1/2 hours. And maybe could have done it faster if I wasn't being so careful. I came in from hunting this morning and by 12 noon I had the rings chased and the bow laid out then I cut down the side you see marked out. The log looks wider than it really is because of two knots at mid limb.

iowabow · « **Reply #74 on:** November 19, 2011, 06:35:42 pm »

Well when I cut the stave the knots went at a 45. Not what I expected but I think I might be ok but you tell me. Below are photos of the top and photos of the bottom and side. I might slip by with this.

Primitive Archer