Grain orientation..asking for trouble?

[Steve Kendrot]

I had a couple of mismatched slats and a piece of boo I was trying to use up so I put this 62" ntn bow together. After the other bow I was making blew up, I started looking at this one a little more carefully. Is this grain pattern asking for trouble?

 

Some other idiosyncrasies I've noticed with this bow. I forgot to taper the limbs and they did not take as much reflex out of the form. Also, these slats were not out of the same board (or even same tree necessarily and I notice that although the limbs are bending pretty evenly at this point, one is significantly thicker than the other (1/16" maybe). Finally, I went with a shorter 12" handle on this bow and it bends slightly into the fades. One side of the handle popped off, not when drawing the bow, but rather when I was clamping it in the vice. I think I might have put some lateral pressure on it by accident. I superglued and clamped it and so far it is holding, but given all these factors, am I likely to be heating my house with this one next winter?

[ChristopherO]

Here is a thought:  get 2 more very thin slats of osage, flatten the belly really well, and make a trilam bow out of it.  Allow the belly lam to ride up the riser and this will help to hold down the handle.  Though, I am not sure how well the super glue fix will bond.  Did you degrease or at least freshly sand the osage before glue up?  It is an oily wood and can cause delaminations.

[Steve Kendrot]

I did not degrease the Osage. Wasn't aware osage needed it. I did prep the surface with a toothing plane before gluing.

[2treks]

Osage is tuff stuff, you should be fine. Tiller with care and keep the hadle area a bit stiff. At 62" I hope you have a short draw in mind 26-27"
   Keep in mind that alot of bows are made from spliced billetts. I am sure a large percentage of them are from different trees. I know of at least one bow that was made with one osage limb and one yew limb. I have not shot this bow but have been told that it tillered fine and shoots just like a bow.  This was done by two skilled bow makers.  good luck

[Steve Kendrot]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to keep on tillering. The handle bends slightly now, but I have not got it braced yet and I am hoping I can push the bend further out from the fades to take some of the pressure off as I proceed with tillering. If she blows it'll be another learning experience.

[Pat B]

I'd say keep tillering Too. I see no reason not to with a backed bow. Tiller it so both limbs bend together and don't worry about the thickness. Mismatched limbs can make for an interesting bow. I have seen a bow with one osage limb and one yew limb that shot just fine. You are learning lessons from this bow that will make your next better and this one might just surprise you.

[Steve Kendrot]

I was planning for a 28" draw. Am I asking too much of this bow? If so, Why? is it the characteristics of this particular wood? Its seems I've seen many shorter osage bows that are tillered for a 28" draw.

[Pat B]

62" is not to short for your wood combo at 28". I've made bows 60" long and tiller them out to 28". If you take your time and exercise the wood well you should be fine. Both the boo and osage can take it.

[Eric Krewson]

I haven't degrease osage in years. I use Urac, have glued up a bunch of BBOs, countless splices and added handle pieced to most of my bows without degreasing, no failures yet.