Osage Flatbow (Finished Pics)

[4est trekker]

Here's the start of an osage flatbow I stared working on last night for a silent auction benefit at the school where I teach.  It's 68" ntn, 1.5" parallel limbs until midlimb, then tapers to 1/2" tips,  4" handle, 3" fades.  My brother-in-law and I cut and split the log into staves about a year ago.  Very nice, clear stave.  Great early-late ring ratio with nice thick rings.  Only one tiny pin knot in the entire thing with a "mild meaner" in one limb.  I couldn't get the tips perfectly in line, but really don't want to straighten it.  It should come out that the string will lie just inside the handle on the left side.  Aside from felling the tree with a chainsaw, there hasn't been a power tool involved.  Ah...no sawdust and 10 finger intact!

My brother-in-law with his prize find:

     

Cured stave:

   

Roughed out with hatchet:

     

A look at one end.  Although the end was sealed, when I cut it off I found a rather unpleasant check.  Proved to be no problem, though.

     

And now the other end:

     

Down to one growth ring on the back:

     

 

Shaped to rough profile.

     

[4est trekker]

A few more pics:

 

 

 

 

A look down the side of the bow.  I like to get it to a uniform thickness by using a combination of measuring from the back and following a ring on the belly (providing they're fairly uniform in thickness along the length of the stave.)  After that, I'll taper the limb in thickness over its length.  In this case, the depth of one single growth ring from the end of the fades to the tips.  

 

First look at the long string tiller.  Got a ways to go, but that ain't bad for a first look.

 

[Pat B]

Your right limb is a bit stronger than the left and the left has a nice bend to it. Mid limb on the right looks flat. After you get it even, go to a short string and a 4" brace. That will show you where the string lines up.
  I don't believe there is an advantage to having a continuous ring on the belly unless you plan to recurve the tips with heat. With selfbows the ring thicknesses are too different to depend on them for even limb thickness.
  I like osage rings big enough so you can see the lunar rings. Nice piece of osage. Not much that nice around.

[4est trekker]

Thanks, Pat.  I appreciate your help.  Truth be told, I don't finish the bow with a continuous ring on the belly.  Rather, I only use that technique initially as a starting point for tillering. The gentleman who taught me to make osage bows uses the rings on the belly as a way to help achieve an even tiller, providing the rings are similar throughout.  This stave only varies about a 1/64" from one end to the other in the three-ring stack I'm working with.  However, in the case of this bow, they're so thick that the taper didn't actually exceed the span of one growth ring.    

Thanks again, Pat.  You've always got some great comments and helpful advice.  Your contribution to this site and all that comes from it is most appreciated.  You, Dano, George, and so many more are sure nice to have around.  What did Mark Baker and his buddies do before the Internet?  Burn up the phone lines, I guess.  Ha!   Thanks, again.

[Dano]

That's a good start.  

[Art B]

I love a nice clean piece of osage. Looks like a good'n.

I don't under stand you reasoning for not straightening your limbs. You should heat treat (not temper) the whole bow to help prevent warpage later on (like from being left in a hot car during the summer months). That lateral drift to that one limb is liable to get worse without heat treating.

Ain't going to say nothing 'bout that gosh long tillering string.

I don't mean to sound like a downer, lots of work and skill to get that stave to the point and I can respect that. Love your work man! ART

[4est trekker]

I corrected the tiller and got it on the short string and found that the string tracked where I though it would...actually a little more toward the center of the handle than I planned.  However, the limb with the slight meander made the straight limb move more laterally than I had thought.  (So, looks like it's going to get straightened, Art!    

[George Tsoukalas]

Looks good. I like it. Stop stringing Art along. LOL.    Jawge

[Rich Evans]

lookin good forest, that sure is some fine lookin osage  keep us posted

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Love it.
 Since I started making osage shavings a month or so back I have notice that there is more osage than I can shake a stick at around my place. Can't hardly watch the road for looking for the sage, LOL.

[Roy Steele]

LOOKS GOOD I agree the the no heat.I quit useing heat on any of my bows along time ago.If you want a straight bow build a glass bow.But to each his own.

[BJP]

Looking good. wish i could find a piece that nice to work with

Ben

[JMartin]

Very patiently awaiting more pics  

[dutchwarbow]

what an superb stave!! looking forward for more pics  

[SteveD]

Lookin good

[razorsharptokill]

What would happen if I took a semi dry stave to rough shape and flat belly? Would there be a risk of the belly checking?

[Tom Leemans]

Jim

Rough it out and seal the ends and back. Leave the belly clean. Put it away to dry until it stops losing weight.

p.s. Never mentioned this before, but thanks for your service!

[shamus]

what Tom Said, but also clamp that stave to a 4X6 to keep it from warping as it dries.

[razorsharptokill]

You are welcome Tom, its an honor.

What do you mean by leave the belly clean?

A 4x6?

[shamus]

a 4X6X72" board.