Osage ELB

[Shaun]

Here are my first couple of attempts at osage English Long Bow types. I have made many flat bows and other rigid or semi-bend handle bows but these are my first ones with "arc of circle" full bend tillering.

#1 = 64" NTN 55# @ 28"  (upper limb on the right)

 

 

 

[Shaun]

#2 69" NTN 50# @ 28"

 

 

 

[Shaun]

A couple of things I've discovered: String alignment is changed by working the sides of the stave - much more so than in flat limb design. There is some hand shock but not a lot. This style bow shoots great!

I am still learning this tiller shape, sorta like learning curve for R/D selfbows. I can see some tiller imperfections, but am generally very happy with my first couple.

These were on my to-do list and a request from a TG member for historically correct 18th century bow types got me out of my head and into the shop.

[razorsharptokill]

Nice arc! I really like them!

[walkabout]

very cool,i think you did very well for them being your first of the kind

[Diamondback59]

HEY SHAUN  LOOKS  GREAT  GOOD SO FAR  GETTIN PACKED FOR MOJAM  HOPE  WE SEE YA THERE  BROCK

[4est trekker]

Man, great timing.  I am working on an osage ELB as well from a split that was too small for a flatbow.  I am having difficulty getting the string aligned, and have decided that heating isn't the answer (after three rounds of it).  It's dead straight at rest, but the whole shootin' match wants to torque to the side when strung and drawn.  So, I would tiller this problem out by scraping the strong side, I assume?

[Shaun]

Yes, the strong side is the one closer to the string line. This may be obvious to most, but I am able to convince myself of the opposite if I stare at a bow long enough. I remove wood from the belly between the edge of the bow and the crown of the belly.

[bigcountry]

So whats the dimensions?  Is it a D-shaped crosssection?  I kinda want to try a few of these myself.  Just heard that osage is the wrong wood and it would be sluggish with a round belly.  I can't see what its any worse than yew.

[Jason Jelinek]

I like #2 the best.  It's the one that matches the tiller I've seen for ELB the best.  It's that elliptical tiller.  I would guess that it's around 7/8-1" thick at the handle and 7/16" thick at the tips.

Nice work!

[Shaun]

BigC the dimensions are as follows: #1 = 1 1/8 X 1 at the center, 3/4 X 3/4 mid limb, 1/2 X 1/2 at the tips. #2 is slightly flatter in profile at 1 3/16 X 7/8 middle, 1 X 3/4 mid limb, 1/2 X 1/2 at the tips.

The limb cross section is a D with the flat being the back of the bow and rounded belly.

One definition of "D" bow is that the limb cross section must conform to the "5/8 Rule" which states, "The thickness of the limb must be no less than 5/8 of the limb width" (or 0.625 in decimal). Bow #2 is 19/16 X 14/16 at the center (~0.737 decimal ratio) - well within the "5/8 Rule".

The problem of string alignment - that is not only at rest but at full draw as noted by 4est T above - is that the closer to round your limb cross section, the less stable the limb is to torque.

Osage is a great wood for this style of bow. Yew is lighter in density but much less durable. The old saying that "A full drawn bow is 7/8th broken" is about yew. They did not have osage in Europe or they would have been using it. Yew is good stuff and very "lively" because of the light weight of the material, but if you have ever have a piece of yew blow up in your hand you will find it pretty exciting.

[Dean Marlow]

Shaun I made a D Osage bow this spring that is a little longer than yours. Around 70". It is 1-1/8" wide at the handle and tapers down to 1/2" wide at the horn Knocks. I love shooting it. I am more accurate with it than my flat bows. It has about a thousand arrows shot threw it and has about an inch of set.In fact it shoots better now then when it was just made. I made the bottom limb just a tab stiffer than the top one. I did notice a little more hand shock than with the flat bows but I added a couple of thick layers of rawhide under the leather on the handle which has just about gotten rid of most of the shock. I am bringing it to Mojam. If you are coming look me up and you an shoot it. Dean

[DVSHUNTER]

dean, I will be at mojam as well, I am wanting one myself and was wondering how the handshock would be, maybe I can shoot yours a bit?

[Osagetree]

I like'm both! Good job Shaun!!

[bjansen]

Nice job!...I'll see you all at Mojam too..I'll be with Dean and Diamondback.  See you all there.

[John Scifres]

Nice job Shaun.  Wish I was gonna be in Marshall.  Got a family vacation to the east coast though.  Hanging in the Big Apple with 8 million other souls v. hanging in Marshall with a couple hundred.  Either way I sweat I guess.  Wish me luck  

[Pat B]

Nice bows Shaun. I love the simple designs and the arc of a circle tiller. I've built a few osage ELBs and they all shot well. They are less stable to tiller than a flat bow for sure.  One was 68"n/n, 45#@28'(donated to a reenactment club and the other was 68"n/n, 55#@26"(I gave it away too). Both had traditional horn nocks.
 I did make a yew war bow,72"n/n, 95#@30" but I could only draw it about 12". I gave that one away too.
  These long bows are very stable to shoot. Like the sniper rifle of the bow world.  d;^)

[Bob Barnes]

the bows look great shaun...I just finished my first as well...it was like working with a noodle at first compared to my normal type bows...
Bob

[Shaun]

Was not sure if I could get away for MOJam but just got the OK and am on the road later today. See y'all there.