Snakey Splicing???

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Hey TG bowyers... I have some cool looking billets that are 36 inches in length. I want to splice them together but in the handle area it is not completely straight grained. I will post pictures but is there some sort of advice I can get on snakey splices???

 
 
 

This will be my first splicing job... Go hard or go home  

[fujimo]

iwould splice them stright for the grain, and then heat and bend the limbs into alignment.
doesnt look like they are toooo far outa whack.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Remove as much from the limb profile edges as possible first and work the thickness down to at least 3/4" or so on the limbs. Then your handle area leave it as thick as you want, but your two splice pieces should resemble a bow blank that's been cut in half before you splice. That way you can glue them up so the tips line up perfectly or as close to perfect as possible. I ran a string from tip to tip when I glued mine up. The grain running through the handle doesn't matter as much as getting the tips to line up.
Just my opinion.

ArtB has some pictures of very good examples of what I'm talking about. Maybe he will be kind enough to post a couple for you to look at? It will help explain much better than I can.

[Art B]

I can't figure out Photobucket anymore Chris, so if you still have those pics, how about posting those for me. Thanks........Art

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Sent ya an email Art.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Here's a pair that Art worked up to get ready for splicing.

 

 

[Art B]

Thanks for posting those Chris.

Your handle(s) center line is going to determine your overall alignment. From what I'm seeing, at least on the one billet you have laid out, I would determine my handle's center line from about mid-limb and not from the tip. Later, after the billets have been glued together and shaped, I would complete the alignment from mid-limb to tip with heat straightening........Art

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Sorry Art but I am kind of confused. Are you telling me to line up the billets and make a center line across both for where the center line would go through and then lay out the design. Another thing is that I don't have to worry about the grain of the wood for the handle area. If that is the case then I think i got it... If not I am LOST!!!  

[Dean Marlow]

Those billits sure look familiar. I would butt the ends of the billits and take a look to see what you got then but the other ends together and look to see what it looks like. If I remember right that one billit may be thick enough to belly split it then you could use the other billit and have two sets of billits. These guys on here will get you lined out. Dean

[Art B]

Sorry, yeah, I reckon things would sound a little confusing with this being you first splice. Like Chris said, you have some room to play with as far the grain in the handle area. Here, the handle's center line can be shifted somewhat for better limb alignment.

On the one billet that you have laid out, how did you establish the handle's centerline?

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

I just followed the grain through the center of the billet and drew the entire side out to 1 1/2 inches wide. I have to go down a growth ring on that stave so that is not finished. I was just bored and tried to figure this splicing thing out.
I couldn't just start off with a straight pair of billets I had to start with a snakey one... Kicking my own butt right now because I want to make a snakey osage soooo bad. I want it to be 64 inches t-t-t and around 50#....

[SEMO_HUNTER]

There's some straighter billets headed your way Justin, maybe you should splice a pair of those first to get the hang of it and do the snakey ones on the next try? That way you will have a good idea what to expect. Those snakey ones would look awesome later on with a nice pair of snake skins on them.

[Art B]

I'm one that believes if you get all the hard stuff out of the way right up front then everything else is easy. But thats just me though.

You may want to do as Chris suggested and start out with a set of billets a little less challenging......Art

[Lee Slikkers]

Originally posted by Art B:
I'm one that believes if you get all the hard stuff out of the way right up front then everything else is easy. But thats just me though......Art

Dang I love the way you think Art!  I read about everything I could et my hands on about building bows, was super nervous about diving in as some of the stuff I read had me a bit confused and thinking too hard.  I decided to simply "get my hands dirty" and give it a go.  Jumped in, broke a bow, cut & split my own osage and have been learning a ton at every step.  I think getting in over your head and staying there is a perfect way to live this sport.    

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Not me, I started out with a nice easy simple longbow and worked my way up from there.
Knock on wood I haven't broke one yet and I owe it to the experience I got before jumping into the hardest project I could find.
Don't get me wrong, I had my share of experiments that didn't pan out.

I guess it all depends on your comfort level, I just don't like wasting material to learn a lesson.

Kinda like your daddy used to say with that 200lb. TV set on top of the flimsy TV Tray..............."Let him pull it off there on top of his head one good time and he'll learn not to do that anymore"      

[Art B]

You're in fine company then Chris. Cause I didn't think there's anybody out there that's less wasteful than myself.       Art

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Does anyone out there have pictures of what yall are talking about. I would like to get these billets together and I am nervous about starting.

THANKS ALL!!!

[Art B]

Have you done any dry runs yet Justin? If you haven't, then take several 2x2 by 2' or so and get some experience. Do you have a bandsaw for the job?

If I hadn't lost (blame my brother, he's the computer whiz) a bunch of pics last year, I could help you out a little more. If you can get your billets roughed out like the pics that Chris put up for me then that should make your job easier......Art

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Thanks Art.... I do have a bandsaw that I can get my hands on. I guess I am gonna jump into it and attempt the snakey splice first. The billets I got from Semo-Hunter are way to nice to be my first. I will get some pictures up soon and show you my progress.

Justin