black walnut *Last Update*

Jack Skinner · April 10, 2014, 09:45:00 AM

Couple more

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LittleBen · April 10, 2014, 10:22:00 AM

Glad to hear you're enjoying your new bows.

My advice is simple on the walnut .... go wider next time.

Whatever your width was, just add like 15% or something.

It shouldn't increase mass very much but should give you lots of durability.

Good luck.

Jack Skinner · April 10, 2014, 10:34:00 AM

Yep I was thinking wider and maybe maple or some other backing, then hope that combo will shoot as well as walnut/hickory but without the fretting.

LittleBen · April 10, 2014, 11:09:00 AM

Not a bad plan going to maple either, although staying with hickory and trapping the back slightly is another reasonable option.

takefive · April 10, 2014, 12:19:00 PM

Good looking bows

Jack Skinner · April 10, 2014, 12:23:00 PM

I trapped it some but I think I could have been more aggressive with that. I had never tried it before and was a little hesitant. Have planes for three bows of walnut if I can find good board, and will try a couple of different things with each. A maple back on one, more trapping on another and a D bow design on the third. But it will have to wait for later in summer or next bow making (winter) season.

Black Mockingbird · April 11, 2014, 09:15:00 AM

Best solution to the problem: get some better wood for a belly....like osage

....frets r bad and IMO there is no way to totally fix em....dont know how bad yours is...but its likely it'll get worse,and possibly just fold up and break if continued to use it...once a bow frets its literally nothing but firewood to me

Jack Skinner · April 11, 2014, 04:26:00 PM

Yep Mockingbird I'm with you. Before this past winter I built almost exclusively with osage. But living in a bow wood desert and staves and shipping being what they are now, I have been experimenting with woods I can get at the lumber store. I am pretty sure this walnut will fail sooner than later, but I learned a lot and have a few hickory bows for back up (and of course osgae). I do like a challenge though and if I run into another good walnut board I going to give it another try, because it sure shoots sweet.