Piking - Total vs Working Length

[YosemiteSam]

I'm scraping a little each day on my ash stave.  It is 70" tip to tip.  The handle is stiff, the fades are just under 1.5" and the limbs run parallel for about 18" before tapering down.  The final 6" of each limb is stiff, tapering down to about 1/2" for the final 4" with a slight flip at the tips.  I draw to just under 28" (27.5 - 27.75 somewhere)

I haven't yet pulled it more than about 15" -- just enough to get the limbs to bend enough to use a tillering gizmo to mark the stiff areas.  But I can tell that it's going to be pretty light on the draw weight.  Seems like piking is going to be in order to get it in the 45# range.  Since I have stiff tips, I won't be losing any working length.  But taking it down to 66" or even 64" seems like it would put the limbs under more stress at the same draw length.

So I guess I'm wondering just how far I can push it before I'd need to add some sort of backing for safety sake.

[mikkekeswick]

Ash is incredible in tension. It is great for backing other woods! There is never any need to add a backing to ash.
Ash's strength in tension and so so ability to resist compression mean it is perfectly suited to heat treating and trapping the back heavily.
I used to make loads of ash bows and regulay trapped the back to 2/3rds of limb width, treated the belly until almost black and boy did they shoot well. In fact I may have to make another soon  

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by mikkekeswick:
Ash is incredible in tension. It is great for backing other woods! There is never any need to add a backing to ash.
Ash's strength in tension and so so ability to resist compression mean it is perfectly suited to heat treating and trapping the back heavily.
I used to make loads of ash bows and regulay trapped the back to 2/3rds of limb width, treated the belly until almost black and boy did they shoot well. In fact I may have to make another soon    

I was thinking about trapping as well.  Thank you.

[Wolftrail]

"But taking it down to 66" or even 64" seems  like it would put the limbs under more stress"

True enough, go for it, if it breaks it breaks. learn from doing on your own its your best teacher.
Seems like most bowyers are so Scared of breaking a bow during the build, not sure if its Pride or been chicken.
   

[PEARL DRUMS]

There is no way for you to know what weight you are near if you haven't full braced it and drawn it past 15". I would suggest finishing the bow as is and then evaluate what you have and compared to what you want. White Ash bows need length and width to stay healthy, all other aspects being equal.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Wolftrail:
Seems like most bowyers are so Scared of breaking a bow during the build, not sure if its Pride or been chicken.
     

In my case, it's mostly being chicken.  I'm rather new at this so I have that newbie fear of failure.

[Wolftrail]

I hear ya, my first Explosions were devastating. Felt like going down to the sport shop and buying a recurve and a compound.
But I plugged away and there is no looking back.

Some of us break lots others break very few. Its the way the ball bounces.

[YosemiteSam]

Finished the tillering &, indeed, it came out much lighter than I wanted at about 30# @ 28".  That's after taking 1.5" off each end.  It's about 65" NTN.

After floor tillering, I did little if any scraping on the first half of the limbs so I think the floor tillering is where I messed up & took too much off.

[Roy from Pa]

I've broken my fair share..