First osage self bow, will this piece work

[mccarlson]

Hello all,

I'm attempting my first osage self bow and have this piece that I'm trying to take down to a single growth right.  It's a little thin on one end though.

Is this piece I've started workable?

Thanks

Malcolm  

       

[mccarlson]

Didn't add pictures correctly in the first post.

 
 


 

[Pat B]

No pics!...but probably yes, it should make a bow.

[John Scifres]

Not a good choice for a first osage bow.  That is Master's level work there.

[Eric Krewson]

I would leave most of the sapwood on, cut your stave in the middle, splice it back together with the thin center swapped over to limb tips and proceed.

Not a very good piece of wood but doable if you take your time.

[Bowmonk]

I agree. That is a stave better left to your down the road experience. But it can be done. If you use the outer rings as a back, expect set to take its toll due to the small diameter. Another approach is to do a reverse back... the back of the bow being the center of the stave. This still takes more experience but yields better performance without set because it would then have a flatter back. Something like the Holmgard bow comes to mind.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I say go for it. You can do it. Its going to teach you heat corrections in both directions. Its going to teach you grain reading, and of course tillering. Take your time, NOTHING is too much for anybody in this hobby. Study the build and think through it slowly, always consider what your doing now and how it will affect later work on the bow.

[mccarlson]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I will work this one really slowly.  I have another osage log that is much better(no knots, bigger diameter) that will probably be easier for my first one.

[D]

I agree with Pearl.  You never know til you try.  I say go for it.