Author Topic: Too small of rings?  (Read 3606 times)

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Offline Chuck.e.b

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Too small of rings?
« on: October 10, 2019, 11:40:27 am »
Is there such a thing? About 72 in the span of 1.5” off the top of this juniper limb.

Offline sleek

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2019, 12:12:08 pm »
That's perfect,  more is better.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline DC

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2019, 12:33:59 pm »
That's a pretty piece of wood :) :)

Offline Ringeck85

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2019, 01:31:42 pm »
I would recommend backing it with something, otherwise looks purty!
"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
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Offline Azmdted

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2019, 01:32:39 pm »
I recommend de-crowning more than chasing a ring.  Another reason why these were often backed.  Good looking stave, any twist? Good luck.

Offline sleek

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2019, 01:43:27 pm »
Bamboo goes on that perfectly.  Got any Boo?
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline Ringeck85

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2019, 01:48:23 pm »
If your planned design shorter than 60" or so, sinew works well too!  But if you want to use the full 72" or so (give or take), making a longbow backed with bamboo sounds great!

Also hickory and sugar/hard maple make good backings (though bamboo is probably one of the best)

De-crowning the back is a great idea too! 
"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

Offline Chuck.e.b

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2019, 01:59:09 pm »
I recommend de-crowning more than chasing a ring.  Another reason why these were often backed.  Good looking stave, any twist? Good luck.

What exactly is de-crowning?

Definitely backing. This stave is only about 55” long. I’m going to have to deal with just a tiny amount of twist and some curve. Might become my wife’s bow, lol, my first juniper so a going to walk away with some education at the very least. 

Offline Azmdted

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2019, 02:19:14 pm »
This is where 5 minutes with pen and paper would save a thousand words.  But here goes.  Decrowing is when you shave down the hump of the back of the bow to a flatish surface.  In doing so you violate every ring you come across, but when done properly each ring forms a solid line the length of the back of the stave.  If you keep those lines parallel and the same width the whole way you will have an unbroken, decrowned piece of wood that should be capable of withstanding stresses as well as a ring chased stave.

Read a good description of what to look for in a board being selected for a board bow and the same principles apply to decrowning.  Ideally it would be a nice straightforward process you could do on a bandsaw, but it doesn't work that way.  You may encounter hills and valleys, twisting, and sidways zigs and zags just as you would chasing a ring.  Follow them, all the while aiming to keep the same line pattern all the way down the stave.

I'm sure others will give you better descriptions, but that's a start.

Ted

Offline sleek

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2019, 02:22:00 pm »
Make the back look flat like a board. Make certain to follow all the bumps and dips.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline Josh B

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2019, 03:15:40 pm »
In my opinion, that is way to short to decrown or hard back(boo, hickory, etc).  Sinew is really your only viable option for anything over about 22" of draw and that's with the handle working.

bownarra

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2019, 01:12:59 am »
Exactly Josh.
Sinew is the obvious choice on this one.

Offline sleek

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2019, 04:55:06 am »
How long is it?
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline Azmdted

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2019, 07:09:35 am »
I agree with you guys on the sinew backing, but wouldn't you decrown it as well as you can first?

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Too small of rings?
« Reply #14 on: October 11, 2019, 07:37:58 am »
I agree with you guys on the sinew backing, but wouldn't you decrown it as well as you can first?

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