My first osage stave! ... It is finished!!...

[John Scifres]

http://sticknstring.webs.com/fixit.htm

[Echatham]

oh ok gotcha. Thanks John.  can/should you flip tips on the same form?

[CardboardDuck]

I made a form like this-

 

This I before I cleaned it up. It's just 2- 2x10s

[Echatham]

Nick does the full 2x10 on the back of that just add stability?.... do you clamp down against the form AND against the back for straightening the limbs left to right? and how does a form like that work when you have lots of knots and wiggles and high spots on the back of the bow?  sorry so many questions guys.... i just don't believe its necessary to make and break a ton of bad bows as a learning process.... when there is so much knowledge out there.  I feel like if i go slow and careful and listen to all you guys, my first selfbow can be a shooter and not just a learning experience.

[CardboardDuck]

Yes you can induce reflex and straighten at the same time with it with the full 2x10 on the back. Knots and bumps don't really matter as long as you don't clamp the bow past the point of the high spot (if that makes sence...). You can put wedges in if you need to, to make up for bumps or to straighten.

-I copied this form from Pearl Drums    thanks again Chris!-

[Echatham]

on a bow like this (64" ntn, 1.5" at fades and for 6", then tapered to 1/2" at tips) do the limbs end up fairly uniform thickness... or thinner toward the tips?  I ask because i just put it on the tree with a long string and pulled it to 40#... got about 2-3" of tip travel, and almost all the bending was in the inner thirds.... the limbs are pretty uniform thickness.. cut about a 16th to an 8th outside of the half inch line.

[CardboardDuck]

I just did this one on it and it has knots bumps and curves in it-

 

It's turned out pretty good so far.

[Echatham]

Nick yes that makes sense.... any danger of putting too much pressure on those high spots and knots against the form... crushing fibers or something...... or is osage knot vs pine board no contest for the osage knot?... if that makes sense...

[Echatham]

Nick... nice.... yes thats pretty much what i have in mind.... just like yours haha!

[CardboardDuck]

Originally posted by Echatham:
on a bow like this (64" ntn, 1.5" at fades and for 6", then tapered to 1/2" at tips) do the limbs end up fairly uniform thickness... or thinner toward the tips?  I ask because i just put it on the tree with a long string and pulled it to 40#... got about 2-3" of tip travel, and almost all the bending was in the inner thirds.... the limbs are pretty uniform thickness.. cut about a 16th to an 8th outside of the half inch line.

When you get it on the short string at close to normal brace height it will put more stress on the outer limbs and they will flex more. As for the thickness question... All wood is different and you just have to let the bow decide on that. Just remove wood to get it bending right and don't worry about the thickness taper. It's not like a laminated bow where you can tiller it with a caliper  

[Echatham]

yeah I understand that... it was more just a curiosity question.    

[Echatham]

how long should the fades be? inch and a half? 2?

[vanillabear?]

[Echatham]

ok then im gonna go with 1.5 or 2.... because i feel like its kinda a short bow ( i know its not really) and i want as much working limb as possible.

[Echatham]

getting some bend now. here is at rest and pulled to 45# on the long string. about 6 or 7 inches of tip travel i think.

 

 

[Echatham]

think im ready to start building that form... gonna pick up some 2x10s tomorrow i think.  Nick do you have dimensions I can copy... or approximate?

[CardboardDuck]

I loosely followed this post -

 http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,37851.0.html

I didn't go as aggressive as that one, make sure the middle 10" or so flat.

[Echatham]

nice! perfect.... THANK YOU PEARLDRUMS!

[Echatham]

Hi my name is Eric and I make 28 page long buildalongs    

[Zradix]

lol..
I love reading them.

This being the first osage stave bow I've watched being built...I'm really amazed at the draw weight you're getting right now..
I'm surprised how high it is.

Looking good man!