posted
Here I am comparing the rings of the unstripped locust stave to the stripped and ring chased osage stave. The rings in a locust are larger as you may be able to see. It is a faster growing tree.
You can see as I remove the white wood as seen at the top of this stave end that the first ring can be used as the back. But, I went one ring below the first ring. The first ring seems harder to chase than the second. I can just feel the rings better through the draw knife and the harder wood of the first ring.
So I strip off the white wood and get under the first ring and trail it to the other end of the stave,,, of course this side will be the back of the bow.
After I had a single ring for the back I turned the stave on its side to remove some areas that were to thin, front to back to be able to work. I used the rasp to make quick work of it.
So,,, here we are with two narly staves that might make better firewood than a bow or two. But, this is what I gathered and this is what I'll have to use!
I'll study these stave's for a while and come up with a style or pattern that best fits them.
See ya soon!
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Well, time to lay out the locust since I've got it in the vise. I get a center line by using an old chaulk line. Straightest line with as much wood on each side as I can get.
When I have the line where I want it, I mark the limb tips 3/8" wide. and marked the center where the handle will be with a red pencil.
Starting at the center of the handle, I measure 3 1/2" out on each side. Then from the center mark on the handle, I measure out 2" on each side and mark that as well. This leaves 2" at each side of the handles center for a 4" handle. From the end of the handle there is another 1 1/2" out to the next mark for the fades.
Following the string with the red pencil, I mark a permenent center line from end to end of the stave and remove the string.
Then I mark each limb at mid-limb from the end of the fade mark to the end of the stave with the pencil and measue 1 1/2" wide even across the center line mark.
At the marks for the handle and fades I started out at the center of the handle being 1 1/4" wide, the ends of the handle being 1 1/8" wide and the ends of the fades being 1 3/8" wide. The I just conected the marks to outline the handle area.
Then I connect the dots from the handle to mid-limb then out to the 3/8" tips using a flexible straight edge or ruler. This gives me the outline of the finished bow to follow when I am removing wood on the sides of the stave.
I got to clean up the shop a bit before I continue!
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
The osage being the worst of the two staves, I am going to have to go at this one with a different method. This is the type of stave that tells me what kind of bow it will be.
My luck a wall decoration!
Using the the same procedure as above for the handle, I mark the stave all the way around at the center end of handle and end of fades.
Using the string again, I line up the ends for a straight center line and mark the tip at center. I won't use a center line from end to end on this one, and the limbs will curve a bit to avoid the areas on the back of the stave where there is not enough wood left to work. As you can see,,, It's a little thin for a stave and twisted like a barg prop.
When I had the string on the stave to mark the center of the tips, I also marked the center of the handle.
Turning the stave on its side and to the side with the best thickness (most), I use the rasp to get a good edge out to mid-limb. This will be the edge of the finished limb.
The widest this limb will let me go is 1 1/4". So, I mark this limb at the handle and at mid-limb from the side of the stave I have just worked with the rasp to 1 1/4" wide. I then mark the limb tips at 3/8" wide and connect the dots.
Then I do the same thing on the other limb of the stave.
Using the center line I marked in the handle aera when I stright lined it with the string, I marked the center of the hande at 1 1/4", end of handle 1 1/8" end of fade at 1 1/4".
Then I connect the dots at the handle. Close enough for rural work!
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Using the draw knife upside down, I remove a little wood at a time until I get within a 1/4" or less of the outline of the back of the bow.
Then I use the rasp to take the wood down to the pencil line. I try and keep in mind to keep the sides of the stave square to the back of the bow stave.
This part of the osage stave is a concern. The wood is thin from front to back and the wood was ripped off the back of the stave in this area making the edge very concerning.
As I layed out the pattern on the bow I tried to avoid this area being in the bow.
So, in doing that,,, when I square this side off with the rasp I get a thicker portion of the stave in that area.
Flip the stave around in the vise and do the other limb in the same manner.
Got to admit,,, I dont hold much confidence in this osage stave at the moment. For a big game bow that is, but we'll see!
The curve in the limb before the vise is intentional. This was to avoid the area where the wood was ripped from the back of the stave when the log was initially split.
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
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This is soo COOL I am following this carefully!
-------------------- "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness" Psalm 45:6 Posts: 695 | From: Monroe, CT | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Starting with the osage, I use another one of my great grandfathers scribing tools. Set the depth, lock it in and run the flat edge down the back side of the stave and it follows the contour of the back of the stave to a tee. It creates a scribe mark that a pincil lead fits into and follows along the mark no problem.
I start at the end of the fades and measure 9/16" thick (back to belly) on the limb and on both sides of the limb. I had to go this thin to get down to the thinest parts, of the thinest limb on the stave.
With the rings paper thin and my poor tillering, this bow will probably set more than I want it to. And, the draw weight I will need is questionable. Ohio law requires at least a 45# draw weight.
Flip the stave around and I do the other linb in the same fashion.
All of this gives me a nice line to follow when removing wood from the belly of the stave.
I mark the ends of the handle at 1 1/8" and draw in the fades.
With the stave turned in the vise belly up. I follow the two lines with a rasp as I remove the wood down to each line. This way when I remove the wood I will follow the twist in the limbs while keeping a uniforn thickness from the end of the fades to the tips of the limbs.
Here is the ripped out section that was created when the log was split. It could not be completely avoided while patterning and shaping the stave to this point. This created a limb defect in the roughly finished stave. Both limbs are like this and each are on oppisite sides, on each limb. This may be an avantage as I tiller as it will oppose the natural twist in the limbs. We'll see!
My camara aint the best. Sorry for the pic angles and quality but, this gives you a pretty good idea how the stave is,,,,, for better lack of words,,, mis-shapen!
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
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