Osage Orange SB...need tips

[Millhimes]

Pine Hollow Longbows.In the sponser list.

[RedStag5728]

Thanks Millhimes! Contacting them now

[Osagetree]

Originally posted by michaelschwister:
Come over the mountain this weekend to Elkton and I will give you a cured osage stave to start over.  We can fix this one with some sinew if you want

Thats a deal and awesone gesture. I would go for it.

If the pin knot wasn't the cause you may have ahd a hinge there and it just took too much bend and simply broke at the hinge.

Was the stave ever heat bent? Over heating a stave in that section of limb may also be the culprit? Honestly, that is the only way I've ever broken a bow while tillering...

[RedStag5728]

I did try to add a little flex to the bow, but I ended up adding a deflex to the midsection instead of a reflex, and by doing so I lost power in the bow a little, so I took it out (bent it back). It's probably a combination of everything, me bending and rebending the staff, maybe I took too much off at that point, maybe there was a crack.

My biggest issue is I can't tell what a proper tiller is, such as what is too much? I thought and agreed with Pat that the upper 1/3 of my limbs look stiff as they were straight while the lower 1/3 of the arm was bending, but I have seen some pictures of guys bows that they build with those tips just as stiff. I really wish during the workshop we fully completed it! That way I knew what a proper tiller was and I knew what to look for.

I'm certain there's no degree of measure to define a proper tiller, you guys just have a feel for it, and every stave is different.

[Osagetree]

Yep, bet it was the heat bending. You may have over cooked and could have created a crack or imperfection in the backing ring.

What you need is Erics tiller gizmo! Do a search on here and you'll find his gizmo and instructions.

[RedStag5728]

Yeah the area of the arm was a little brown. Dag nab it!      well as I said before, now I know! haha.

Ok great thanks! I will look for it