Ash therapy...

[Pago]

Here are some pictures showing the results of my latest therapy session. I started this bow over a year ago decided it was too short and too much challenge for me.  This started as a 3"x6" ash board bought from a local wood supplier. I thought it was straight grained until I got it home. I should have cut it up for backed board bows or lamination strips but I wanted to learn to chase a ring. I found one stave in all that wood and began to cut, drawknife and rasp to find a bow. It has sat in my garage ready to floor tiller for a year. I worked it into floor tiller stage tonight. If it survives to become a bow it will be named bashful.


   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

[Eric Krewson]

Because you essentially have a stave now and not a board, the abrupt angle of your handles transition into the fades is of no consequence.

However; If you taper this angle into your limbs more gracefully on your next bow it will look more professional and you will be far less likely to hinge this area when you start tillering.

Something like this;

   

BTW, the bow in the picture is a BBO that was broken in half during a house fire when a beam fell on it. The owner loved the bow and asked if I could fix it. Lots of urac and sinew got the bow shooting again, still is as far as I know, I fixed it 10 years ago.

[Pago]

Thanks Eric, the handle is still quite large, no where near final shape or dimension. I may be able to incorporate your advice yet. I left a lot of meat on the handle when I cut it out with the band saw. I had a couple of deep saw gouges where the blade decided it wanted to go a different direction. All I have done so far to the handle is remove enough material to get past those.  As you can see in the pictures this stave has some character and a little propeller twist. If it dramatically affect string tracking when tillering I will try to steam bend some of the propeller and waves out of it.

[mikkekeswick]

If you leave the handle full width until you've actually got it braced. Then you can see exactly where the string will track and cut the handle to suit. It's a lot better than trying to do it the other way round!

[George Tsoukalas]

Are you planning to back it? I'd go with linen. Jawge

[Pago]

Hi George, no backing planned the back is one ring. There are some reminants of the ring on top of it still there. I haven't decided if I will scrape them off.  Now that I think of it it might be cool backed with rawhide? I thought I would be done with this bow by now and n to my composite recurve, I caught some kind of sinus crap and can barely function.  I hope none of you get it.

[neuse]

Pago,

Different kind of question.

How do you like your jawhorse?
Does it function pretty good?
I have never seen one until today.

[Pago]

In general, I really like it but I have the sheet master. It will hold a 4x8 sheet of ply. This is the second self bow and I'm learning the tricks to using it for scraping/rasping. When you get out on the tips the leverage will make the thing tip, but I found that gripping the stave more upright is more comfortable working position anyway and reduces tipping.  The front feet have openings to put a foot in to help as well. I like that I can grip or remove the stave/bow with both hands on the bow, no need to crank a handle. Would not trade mine for a stave horse but I like to stand.

[Mad Max]

ash want's to be really dry
 I kept one inside the house for a year

[frank bullitt]

Ash in my opinion is a great wood for bows, often overlooked!  Ash from the Midwest or northern regions, would be my choice.

Also, the grain is well defined which makes for ease or following, and a great learning board!

As for the handle, you could also saw off and glue up a piece to have longer fades and transition.

Look foward to see finished bow!

[Pago]

It's plenty dry here. Last time I checked the stave was 6%.  I made it a full 2" wide to help with the shortness and low MC here. I just want to get over this sinus infection so I can get back to it.  Thanks for the encouragement!