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How thin can limbs be?

Started by Steve Kendrot, May 12, 2012, 08:20:00 AM

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Steve Kendrot

I have an Osage stave I've been practicing technique on. It split asymmetrically and one limb was very thin.  By the time I cleaned it up and balanced the two limbs, it's about 60" long. Barely 1.25" at the handle and tapers to .75 " at midlimb and 0.5" at tip. Being so narrow, would a rounded limb cross section be better than a flat limb design?

Osagetree

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Steve Kendrot


Pat B

Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!
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Steve Kendrot

The limbs are narrow. Talking width not thickness. Sorry.

Pat B

I like 1 3/8" wide for any osage bow. 1 1/4" will work too. I've made quite a few 1 3/8" x 60" osage selfbows in the 45# to 60# range. Also, IMO osage likes a slightly rounded belly. It can handle the concentrated compression stresses and performs well with a rounded belly.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!
TGMM Family of the Bow

Steve Kendrot

This stave is 1.25 at the handle but begins tapering immediately. It's about 3/4" at midlimb and 1/2" at tips. Just the way the log split didn't leave much at the one end. We'll see what happens. I'll do a rounded belly.  Thanks for tips.

John Scifres

I have made 2 bows barely 1" wide and and 60" long that made 60# at 28".

I'd make the bow 3/4" wide for as long as you can and try for an English Longbow style.  In other words, almost as thick as it is wide.
Take a kid hunting!

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George Tsoukalas

I made an osage sucker bow that was an inch wide that came out 49#. Jawge

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