Osage first try (ding ding)

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Kelly I would let her rehydrate foe a few days and work on the other bow to keep you occupied and your mind off the other one. That's what I have to do to keep from getting in a hurry. (I have a bad habit of that once it's bending good, LOL)

 Otherwise it looks like your coming along great, especially with what you have available to work with.

 Stiks

[J. Holden]

Happy Birthday Kelly!  Did the mess serve up some cake?

-Jeremy  

[KellyG]

Yes the army served B day cake for the Army's Birthday. You had me for a second, I was like it is not my birth day. Then it hit me Army Birth day.

[Pat B]

Like Kris said, let it sit a few days to hydrate and start the other stave.

[Randy]

Kelly, I just found this post and could not stop reading. You are doing an excellent job on your bow. I am new to bow building myself, 3 to date, and have learned a ton from your posts. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your service. Hurry home so you can use your bow for its intended purpose.  Randy

[KellyG]

Thanks pat I will let her sit til Monday but don't know here it starting to get dry so we shall see. I Hope to start shaping the other bow stave tomorrow.

Randy thanks, and this is only my third attempt, but I am glad you are learning from my fumbling around. Plus the insight of the more experienced bowyers that are helping out.

[KellyG]

Ok I strung her up  and here is how the string is tracking. A lot of the twist is out of the limb also.
This is the string across the handle.
 

and from the end
 
So I guess now it is on with the show.

[red hill]

Good job, Kelly! My osage cracked and split near the top nock. Guess I'll just have to bask in the glow of your success for now.
   Stan

[Pat B]

Kelly, tiller it!!!  You can get the rest of the twist(if you want to but not necessary) out and get the string straight down the middle while tillering. The stave will bend to the weaker side as you remove wood.

[Don Drake]

I have purchased all of my staves off of E-bay and I am getting them for about $20 each.  The last two I received were already down to the growth ring and polyed.  Do I just sand the poly off or chase another ring?  The kid's bow I just did came the same way, but I didn't like the job that was on the ring so I did it again anyway.

My next project is a stave that the seller said was cut a year ago.  It has been taken down to one ring and polyed.  I got it for $10.

Thanks,
Don

[Don Drake]

Ooops.  Sent that to the wrong thread.

[KellyG]

Thanks red hill.
Pat I got my marks from the gizmo I just need scrap them off. I am cutting back to 5 scraps at this point.
Don it is ok I have done that myself.

[va]

KellyG

You have some serious dedication.

Look back at the first few pics and then look at the newest pics.  Awesome work in diffcult circumstances.

va

[KellyG]

Thanks VA but really I am not doing any more or less then some guys and gals on here. Heck I remember the hatchet bow contest they would do on here for MOJAM I believe. I just watched a youtube video were a guy would just leans the stave against a tree to draw knife it. Then he used fire as a heat source and two trees growing close together as the vise to straighten and untwist his limbs.

Ok I have her pulling to about 21" on the tree. Still looking stiff on the outer third of knotty or left limb. I pull it further in hand though, the tree makes me nervous. I bet I got it pulling 24" in hand, dont know what the weight is. We are in the process of closing down this part of the compound to turn it over to the Iraqis>. So thing are packed up, and the scale I was using is one of those things. I am sure it is over my target of 45#.

Ok some PICs here it is on the tree
 
And a the handle with the tape measure on it
right at 21" to the back.
 

Ok now for the questions
First one tips mine are wide right at a 1/2" should I go ahead and narrow them now?
Brace Height what is a good start point for a long bow?
Thanks for looking,
Kelly

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Usually a fistmele for your brace Kelly. A fistmele is the distance from the right side of your fist to the tip of you thumb sticking out. (if you measure with your right hand) Just make a fist and stick your thumb out and put your hand up to your bow string and your thumb at the belly side of the handle. When you got it braced that distance you got it braced at your fistmele.

 You can narrow your tips now as well.

[red hill]

Lookin' better with each post, Kelly. Keep up the good work.
Stan

[Pat B]

Looking good Kelly. Trust your eyes.  Sometime I will look at a bow through squinted eyes to eliminate the details so all you see is the bend.

[KellyG]

Well I am still stiff on that limb, I need to find a scale tomorrow and just see where I am at. With the gizmo my lines are slowly creeping down that limb. I am very close to my draw weight it feels. I can pull it to my anchor and my arm holding the bow is almost fully extended. So I will bum the scale and just see if it is over weight like I think it is.

[Pat B]

The actual weight doesn't really matter unless you are making the bow for someone else. I do like to keep track of the draw weight at entervals as I'm tillering but I make it so it is comfortable for me to draw and shoot. My scale is off anyway at least 5# and maybe more.

[Osagetree]

Yes, it is looking good.