My 2nd attempt and it is going to be a challenge!

[KellyG]

Well now I have cut down a larger cedar stump 8" diameter and a little over 70". It has the bark peeling off.  I plan on taking slow I am not going anywhere for a year (A little over 10 months but who is counting).  Well since I got the stump cut down today I will split it tomorrow and see what kind of staves I can get. I will post pics and ask lots of question about lay outs or designs for it. This wood is hard and close ringed. I know it is a cedar by the livening ones and the smell of the wood as it was cut with a chain saw.  it is a light colored other than that we are going to see what it will do. Here is a pic of the stump it is about 72" tall before it was cut down. My Soldier think I am crazy but they will see HAHAHAHAHA.
 

[Loren Holland]

i wasn't into making bows last time i went, but when i was mayor of Convoy Support Center SCANIA, i made sure to make friends with the KBR woodshop guy. It always pays to have access to tools. I don't know what FOB you're on, or what mission set you have, but good luck with the mission and the bow. try buddying up to KBR for tool access, it may help. i will watch your post for useful in country bowyering TTPs, for when i go back.

[KellyG]

Loren,
I am at warrior, and I have not found the KBR carpenter shop yet. My fist and second time I knew where wood tools were. This time I have not found it yet. I plan only to do a little at a time. I am the 1SG for now. Until the new one comes in. god will I will have it split and get pics up.
Thanks agian,
Kelly

[KellyG]

Ok got it split. Do any of you see a bow hiding in any of these? I don't yet. Is 64" to short for a 28" draw for a long bow. If not I may know where a bow is hiding. the following PIC are of the splitting  and split staves. It is very dry and checked on the end. There are a few just under the bark.
Unsplit log and tools
 

Starting to come apart, it took a little bit the axe keep trying to pop out but once I figured out the start point she came apart.

   

   

    as you can see she made three splits why because that is what the  wood wanted to do. Now I just got to figure out what part wants to be a bow. the left on is the one I am looking at. It I have a bout a 64" length that .
Here is a pic of the end exposed to the element to long and the other that I just cut.
   
   
here is the one I am think about and he last 18" or so that give me pause. In put would be really good. Should I just burn it now and enjoy the smell of burning cedar. Should I try to chase a ring by using the checks on the end and see what is underneath.        The other two have big knot and a like more checking under the bark.  Thanks for the help.

[Pat B]

Does the wood feel strong and hard when you split it. One thing you could do is make a minature bow out of a piece and see how it does. If it works well just scale it up to full length.
  The end checks look bad but as long as they go with the grain they are workable. When you get your tips shaped super glue the remaining checks and work on.

[KellyG]

the center is softer but you can kind of see it in the pic that has it split but the outer wood is better. about a 1/4 of the way from the outer. so 3" inches or so.

[KellyG]

the center is softer but you can kind of see it in the pic that has it split but the outer wood is better. about a 1/4 of the way from the outer. so 3" inches or so.

[Pat B]

Kelly, try a minature version and see how it does. Another option would be to just cut a small slat, even out the thickness and see how well it bends and recovers.

[KellyG]

Will do thanks

[b.glass]

Watching this one closely.

[KellyG]

Oh please not to close I have seen your work and it my make me nervous!

[J. Holden]

Good for you Kelly, way to find something to pass the time.  Hope this comes out in working order.  Take care and I'll be watching!

-Jeremy  

[KellyG]

Target Build Along
Ok today I decided that if I get a bow I don't have a target. I had mentioned this target to one of the other members here. I thought to myself I need a target for I am awaiting my fist tradbow (I will talk more about this in PowWow later).  I man one of these types when I first started shooting a bow. I did not have on and a friend told about it. I know it will stop a arrow leaving an old PSE Polaris pull 60lbs when the target is less than 5yrds. I know because I started in my basement in AK during my first winter there and only had 30ft diagonal across the basement. I would shot at 15' the 30' every day and it lasted all winter.  Enough about it meager history.
Long story short. I was trying to split one of the staves to make it smaller. I notice a large splinter popping up from the really bad checked end.  I put the axe under it and got a splinter 4' long and it think a candidate to make a test bow just to see if it bends at all.  It is 2" wide at its widest point and narrows to about 1" on one end. I did some test and could get it to bend a little.  
relaxed
 
pressure
 
one of the staves with all of these guys
 
So what should I do now, I am think of trying to shape the splinter into a shape that more resembles a bow and try to tiller it and see how well it bends. I am think just keep the middle 41/2" at the 2" width and drop to 11/2" and mid and 1/4" tips just to see what It will do not trying to send any arrow just want to know if it will bend a 46" piece I really don' know what to expect. The other think is this stuff does not creak or pop it just breaks. I have test some other smaller splinters and that is what they did. bending, bending and beak.
Well any suggestion and all suggestions are welcome and asked for.

[Pat B]

Scale down the dimensions of the full size bow when you make the mini bow so you can get an accurate test.

[KellyG]

Ok Pat B I will do it strait taper form the fade to the end. Do you think this piece is big enough? I am planing on just getting as long as a piece as a can and as wide as I can with as few checks in it as possible. I hope it will be 58" and 2" at the fades to about .5" at the tips and what ever weight I can get at around 27". I just want to get one built. LOL

[Pat B]

As long as it is scaled down the actual size doesn't matter. A 6" bow will act just like a 60" bow if it is to scale.
  Get as long a piece of bow wood as you can. With unknown woods longer and wider is better(to a point).

[KellyG]

Ok to day I was able to get something drawn in the back or layout for a mini bow. I am think I may need to relook at it. I laid out the middle a little big 4" that would be the handle and fades also. I made it 11/2" wide at fade and 1/4" at tips It looks off to me. I want be able to get back to it for a few day. I may try to get it to pull 25lbs at 131/2". If I am able to do this then I should be able to just scale it up and try a full size.
 I may also look at trying to get it closer to a half size bow of what I want. That would put the total length at 29" and 1" wide at the fade and still a 1/4" at the tips with weight and draw being the same. I will also need to make the handle only 2" and that would make it a true half size of what I would like to do.
Thanks pat B

[KellyG]

Oh one last thing what is the trick to finding the center line on wood a little bent. I cant remember.

[J. Holden]

How's it comin' Kelly?  Looking for an update.

-Jeremy  

[Pat B]

Try this!  I used Eric's Gizmo, added two dowels(broken arrow)to the back side and it works like a charm. I usually use it with one side forward first then put the other side forward and split the difference. Has worked well for me.