Sucker Bow (Pictures added)

[Osagetree]

I must admit I've never used heat on a sapling or limb. Just the natural shape of the wood.

This is interesting. Hope to see what you come up with. Keep up the great work.

[Jack Skinner]

They both have good set back but both also twist some going to straighten just a little to get string to track more towards center, or just left of handle. May or maynot work we will see.

[Pat B]

I used dry heat and oil on the osage sapling bow I made for the bow trade. It worked well. I would rather control the backset rather than let Mother Nature do it. Sometimes she likes to play tricks!

[Jack Skinner]

Yep Pat I found that out on a log a friend gave me. Lots of set back got one good stave frome log but with all the set back went down to a 20lb bow before it came to tiller and then the lower limb twisted on me.

Using dry heat (heat gun) and working on fist limb on d bow will have to do other tonight. Only need to work one limb on flat bow. My set up for straightening. Also have form made from design friend brought back from Mo Jam.
 
 

[SEMO_HUNTER]

You did a real nice job on that pole bow there Pat, I had no idea you could use osage saplings. I guess it goes to show that there's a bow in just about anything if you know how to work it right, and you surely do have a knack for it.

Joe, you fall into that same category. Very nice work as usual.

Looks like you got a good start there Jack, I'll be watching this to see how they turn out.

[Jack Skinner]

After a little heat and straighening this d bow is tracking a string pretty good. It has a little wiggle but string is laying thru handle. I am happy with it will start tiller this weekend and add rawhide backing.
 

[Pat B]

You won't know how the string tracks until you actually brace the bow. I make decisions only after first brace unless the stave is totally out of whack.

[Jack Skinner]

I have only noticed that with one bow so far Pat it was the stave with a lot of natural set back. However I will put a long string on these two early in the tillering process just to be sure, seeings how these are my first sucker bows with sap left on. Makes sense to adjust for twist and what-not as early in the tiller as possible. Most of my bows have been from realitivly straight staves, heating and straightening is new process for me.

By to way Pat do you tend to tiller to brace height before backing? Or just back and tiller?

[Jack Skinner]

Tillered d-bow to about 4inch brace. Tips sill thick may need a little more bend toward tips. But good start I think. Did not start tiller on flat bow.
 
Both the dbow and flat bow with rawhide backings glued up one with sting other ace wrap to help hold in place
 
Here is what they look like couple days after drying
 

[fujimo]

can one still straighten with heat once you have the rawhide on?

[Jack Skinner]

I have not tried heating once rawhide is on. Someone else will have to answer that one. Thats why I try to heat and straighten before backing. These two look a little twisted but a string placed from tips runs thru handle. Of course like Pat said in earlier post I wont know for sure how the string will run until I brace with long string. I hope it wont take much ajustment to limbs to get the string to run either down the left side of handle or down center. I dont worry to much what the limbs do inbetween the handle as long as the string runs within the handle, think of a snakey bow.

[Jack Skinner]

Well make enough bows and you are going to see this.
 

Had this sucker bow to about a 4inch brace on my tiller tree. It was still a little stiff out toward the outer limb. I had tried to string it but it just took the string I had flat. Weight was still way to much. So I was taking weight off and then tried to string again around 3 to 4 inch brace (long string) and it snaped. Probably my fault pushed the stinging maybe a little to fast didnt have the whole limb bending the way I wanted. Maybe I was counting my chickens to soon, I was already seeing me drawing this little bow on a spring turkey. I think maybe the stave seemed a little dry but that could just be an excuse on my part. I dont have a moister meter. Left these staves in the garage for a year before working them not my norm. Well I will see what happens with the flat bow from the sucker staves it is next.