I posted this on P.A. but I thought you guys might enjoy seeing it as well. While at the Tennessee Classic last week I did some experimenting with poor quality osage. It had super thin rings and a bad early to late wood ratio. I wanted to find out if violating thin rings would cause the bow to break. I had seen a bow like that a few years earlier and I wanted to try it for myself.
I used a draw knife to remove the bark and sapwood. I used a scraper to smooth the back out. I never paid any attention to growth rings. I had violations all over it. I sanded the back to 400 grit and coated in in superglue. I repeated the sanding and glueing twice. This is how it looked when I was done with the back.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20160427_221636_zpswohu4kvx.jpg)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20160427_222202_zpsbbrrl7zz.jpg)
The terrible ring thickness and ratio.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20160427_221648_zpsa8nlnmws.jpg)
The next day I put some osage tip overlays on it and tapered the limb thickness. I took it straight to full brace. The dimensions made it look like a 90 lb bow but it was actually very light in physical and draw weight. I took a few scrapes off one limb to even up the brace height. My assistant DVS holding it for me
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20160428_205957_zpsolnyj0yp.jpg)
I put it on the tillering tree and pulled it straight back to 28". The bow held up just fine. The tiller wasn't perfect but it wasn't to bad.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20160428_210510_zpsxyrnaqdg.jpg)
The bow took a lot of set. It wasn't worth finishing up. It would never be a good shooter so I decided to see how far it would draw before blowing up. At 32" both limbs snapped off with a loud bang. Everyone in the bow shop enjoyed seeing it explode. Here is a video of it.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y406/Gsulfridge/Mobile%20Uploads/CE028CE8-A563-4AFE-9BC4-C8A4CD60D8A0_zpsmzgu2ixw.mp4
The aftermath
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Mobile%20Uploads/20160430_212146_zps02j4kdhu.jpg)
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Mobile%20Uploads/20160430_212203_zpsivkyfxsd.jpg)
I sawed one limb off near the break to see what the rings looked like there. I considered the experiment a success. It didn't break at a ring violation. I want to try this again on another thin ringed stave that has a better latewood ratio.
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Mobile%20Uploads/20160430_214146_zpsp64rr0lu.jpg)
Cool video! Never thought I'd see osage snap straight across like that. :scared:
That assistant of yours is better looking every time I see him.
Exactly my thoughts, Dave.
I have found that if you get to one ring, and toast the belly (heat temper) ala Marc St Loius, these bows turn out to be fine shooters.......
What's the process for toasting the belly?
QuoteOriginally posted by michaelschwister:
I have found that if you get to one ring, and toast the belly (heat temper) ala Marc St Loius, these bows turn out to be fine shooters.......
Chasing a ring wasn't necessary. It didn't break on a violation. Toasting the belly wouldn't have helped out any. This bow was 80% early wood. No backing would have helped it either. It was junk wood. All I wanted to learn from it was if the violated rings would fail. They did not.
Early wood is J-U-N-K. When there is too much and the ratio is that funked up, nothing helps.
QuoteOriginally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
Early wood is J-U-N-K. When there is too much and the ratio is that funked up, nothing helps.
Maybe fiberglass. :bigsmyl:
I doubt it. This stuff might be good for a riser. It has very low physical weight.
Anybody else notice that DVSHUNTER and Ragnor Lothbrok from the show Vikings look alike.
I thought Dave was Amish? He isn't?
He must be one of them Ohio Amish.
I think he is.. LOL
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/DVS.jpg)