After PM'ing Pat B. with questions until he was probably tired of answering me (thanks for the pointers Pat), I finally finished her. It's a hickory backed osage, 64" tip to tip, 48# @ 29". I glued in 3 1/2" of reflex and it holds at 1 1/2" after unbracing. 2" at the fades to 1/2" knocks pyramid limbs and tried to get fancy on the handle and tips. Finished with tung oil but I've got a couple coats left to go, then the signature and specs.
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0387.jpg)
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0391.jpg)
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0393.jpg)
I know!!! Full draw pics please, but I forgot to grab the string at my bow building shed, AKA my dad's shed 1 hr away. They'll have to come later. Let me know what you think.
Looks good :thumbsup:
looks god to me! I like the handle woods too.
Looks good. I like the tung oil. I just through tillering my 4th bow. I went with a glue on handle on this one. I salvaged a short piece of hickory from a stave that was way too long and made my little 2yr old girl a bow out of it. Glued on a piece of walnut for the handle and cut in a shelf. It was harder to tiller than a big bow. Had to be careful not to take too much off at time. Got to get it final sanded and finshed before Christmas morning.
She looks good Tyler. Glad I could help. d;^)
Can't wait to see full draw.
Thanks guys. I had a really hard time tillering this bow. I don't know if it was the reflex that threw me off, or it could be that I stink at tillering.
I forgot to add this. What good is a new bow without a new quiver. I finished weaving this one this weekend.
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0395.jpg)
Cool quiver too. I made a few basket quivers last year.
Great looking bow. Being pretty new myself, I have to ask. The grain on your osage, On the side, seems to have multiple runs outs. Does backing with the hickory, eliminate the need to try to avoid any run outs?
It definately worries me. The backing helps out. If it was unbacked I would think the run-outs under tension would blow, but the hickory backing takes most of that tension stress. The runouts on the belly side (compression) I believe are fine. Some of you professionals, does my explanation sound correct?
Awesome work Tyler.
Shawn
Thanks for the answer. Another question. When chosing hickory for backing, do you still want all straight grain?
Nice bow!
Nice bow, Tyler. Good job.
Yep, Pat helped me get past alot of the newbie questions and just confidense. Many thanks to him.
Looks real nice, any full draw pics?
It's good to have folks like Pat around. Very helpful for those learning the craft.
Pretty bow.
So while trying to get full draw pics I heard a small "pop." Upon inspection there are two tiny hairline cracks in the hickory....SO NOW WHAT?????
Pictures would help us out.
You may be able to fill with CA cement if the cracks run lenght wise and parallel to the limb edge.Sounds like the hickory is drying out.If they are running parallel I would not worry about it after you get cement in it.
Good luck
It all depends on which way the cracks run.
I guess lateral would be the correct word. Not with the length of the limb. Any ideas?
If across the limb there are a few options. What glue did you use? From my experience the only time hickory breaks across the back is if rot had set in before it was milled. During warm weather it doesn't take a week for it to happen to wood tht is not properly cared for after cutting. Can you post pics?
I used TBIII. I don't think it would have had rot unless it was rotted from the supplier because it spent about week in a conditioned space then I glued it up where it spent the rest of it's time in a conditioned space.
You can heat the backing and remove and replace it. TB glues will release at 150deg(F).
It is very rare for hickory to break across the fibers. It will generally bend and possible splinter before ever breaking if it breaks at all. The only hickory I have seen break across the grain was on a HBO I made the backing from a hickory log that was given to me. It has been stored in a garage for 2 years and was quite dry. I had it cut mostly into backing strips with a few staves also. The first one I used broke across the grain. When I studied it I found discoloration and the wood had a powdery consistancy. Needles to say I had lots of expensive kindling that winter.
I have made lots of hickory backed bows and some with backings that had such bad grain most folke would not use it for backings. I never had one like that break but one with some rot in it broke right off the bat.
speaking from experience, I would remove the backing, and add another. I have put in enough effort in one bow to save it from problems, that I could have built another bow. It was good experience, but looking back, I could have removed the boo and put another on in a jiffy compared to all the work I put in.
I guess i'll remove it. I just don't want to spend the $ to replace it for it to happen again. I do have a cache of sinew in the freezer. How would it compare to hickory? Increase/decrease draw weight?