Author Topic: 130lb hazel experiment  (Read 5761 times)

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Offline WillS

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130lb hazel experiment
« on: February 21, 2019, 09:00:35 am »
I cut this hazel last year, and wanted to see what it was capable of (or not).  I ended up making it a touch too narrow for it's depth, and as a result it took slightly more string follow than I'm usually happy with (1.5") but generally it came out ok.

The tiller isn't perfect, I might flip it over once it's settled a bit (or give the bottom limb a good deep heat treatment) but I was more interested to see if it would just fold up at this weight, and it handled itself well.  No sign of any chrysals etc.  I find that the UK hazel I have access to is very hit and miss - some of it will take really heavy weights and some of it just won't, regardless of density and dry weight but it does tend to be consistent within small areas of woodland, so this is quite promising for the proper bows I'll make from it next. 

This one is a hair under 38mm in the handle, by 35mm deep so for the next one (which will be around 150lb) I'll probably take it over 40mm at least. 

The belly was toasted a couple of times, once during a straightening session and once at around 20" of draw length, just to temper it slightly and preempt any set (but clearly making it too narrow just overrides any gentle toasting!)

Cow horn sidenocks, oil finish and I left some of the cambium on which gives a nice streaky appearance.

















« Last Edit: February 21, 2019, 09:29:54 am by WillS »

Offline DC

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2019, 09:32:52 am »
Very nice! What diameter log did you start with?
And bow length?

Offline WillS

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2019, 09:39:06 am »
I think the log was about 6" diameter, I got two heavy staves and some laminating strips from it. 

The bow is 77", so longer than it needs to be (I was going to make it a more sensible 74" but chickened out, not knowing what this stuff was like!)

Offline peacefullymadewarbows

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2019, 10:36:05 am »
Beautiful bow as always. Goes to show it was a viable meane wood after all. I really like your burn mark.

Offline meanewood

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2019, 02:23:55 pm »
Nice bow Will

Like the streaky back, I'm doing the same thing with the Hawthorn bows I've made recently.

Did you use a rectangle  profile, with the corners rounded off?

Offline WillS

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2019, 03:16:07 pm »
The streaky back is just down to laziness really - this was never meant to be a good bow, just a benchmark.  I was fully expecting it to chrysal up around 25" so didn't want to spend any finessing time on it.  I quite like it though, and may well keep doing it!  I imagine with hawthorn it would look stunning.

This is actually the MR galleon section, so a fat circle really.  That was another part of the experiment - seeing if this hazel would cope with it.  It's got a much rounder belly than you usually see people doing with hazel.

Once I get the tiller tweaked properly and do the final heat treat I'll have a better idea of performance but so far I'm quite happy with it.

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2019, 09:17:16 am »
looking forward to how this one finished up

Offline backtowood B2W

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2019, 10:33:55 pm »
Looking very nice so far, hope to see some pics when finished

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2019, 10:49:29 pm »
Seems to be coming along quite nicely!  It's great when the iffy bows turn out well!
Hawkdancer
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline Mikkolaht

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Re: 130lb hazel experiment
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2019, 01:21:32 am »
That is a mean looking bow, really nice!