Working KNOTS

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Does anyone have any information or instructions on working a knot on an osage stave. In the billets I have worked down I left a good amount of wood around them. This looks awful though and some of the character bows you all made look amazing... Any pictures or advice would be appreciated. I am looking to splice up two staves this weekend so I am getting to my homework LOL   :p  

[Art B]

Only knot I see in those billets is the middle billet and it's off to the side of the tip. But when it comes to knots, work up to them and never over them.....Art

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Art-
  Can I go around that knot by the tip and have some character to it. There is another knot in the lower third of that same billet it just isn't shown as well do to the angle they are lying.
   Which splice do you like better for these... a Z or W... Thanks

[George Tsoukalas]

You have some nice staves. They only look "awful" because the fiberglass mentality has taken a foothold in sefbowyery. You know - lines trim and straight, center shot handles, etc. Bows must have picture perfect tiller with no regard to structure ad grain too. I was like that  but my mentor helped me through this affliction years ago. He had more patience than I do. LOL. The best way to handle a knot is to leave wood around the width. Let the grain lines flow around it. When you tiller, tiller the knotted area slightly stiffer than the rest of the limb. When possible the knot is at the same growth ring as the rest of the limb. The saves you have are snaky. Follow the vertical grain down the middle and measure your width from each side of it. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Art B]

I like my arrows straight also George, lets not forget that!    

You can use your drawknife on the sides of your billet to follow the grain around any knots. Adjust width from there. Just doesn't look like to me, at least from your pic, that either knot is a consideration for the limb layout....Art

[George Tsoukalas]

I still have Bear fiberglass arrows from '75, Art. They fly nicely.    Jawge

[Pat B]

Those look like pretty clean osage billets to me. And like Art said...when it comes to knots work to them but not through them.

[Art B]

I was a Bear Metric Magnum man myself back then George. Toughest aluminum arrow ever made IMO. Probably too good, maybe that's the reason Bear dropped them.........Art

[hova]

yeah those are pretty nice. i worked some of mine down for the swap and its got a couple branch wounds. im sure you have at least two good bows in those billets.


-hov