Broke all the rules in the book on this one!!

[hunterguy1991]

Evening all,

Just wanted to share this bow with you, mostly as a testament to Red Ash as a bow timber, and second to show Perry one of my "Ugly" ones ...

Stats on the bow : 74" ntn, 65lbs@26 " (bloke I made it for is rather short but wanted a hard hitting hunting ELB) Goes about 70lbs @ 28 tho.

The Stave I started with however was FAR from perfect... It was roughly 2 inches in dia, maybe a little smaller with an S bend close to one end and reflex in the other (great combo!... ) with knots, branches and pin holes all along it...

I looked it over and figured why not, didn't have anything better to do at the time, so I got stuck in and flattened the edged to narrow it to a hunting bow size (about 30mm I think), but left the S bend in it, will sort that out later.

Next up I shaped the profile, all done with a draw knife (love this thing on stave bows!!) to get the tips thinned to get the bend I wanted later.

Then I marked on the belly taper and roughed it out (not too exact on the stave bows, tillering gets them bending anyway)...

It was then that the excitement began!! took the bark off the bark with the spoke shave (very clingy on this particular stave) which revealed several worm tracks in the back... Definitely NOT what you want to see on a stave bow... but I figured bugger it, come this far anyway so I just blended them in to make the back smooth.

Having done that I was set that the bow was going to explode but continued to the tiller anyway... long string down to brace then short string to a short brace... no problems... interesting...

Short string down to 20... 45 or so lbs... WHAT!!

Upped the brace height to about 5 1/2, short string down to 24... 55lbs .. ok this is ridiculous, why didn't it blow up? I cut through the back!! down to 28"... 68-70lbs!! Ok lets shoot the bugger!!

WOW is it fast!!! This thing puts my 65 tri lam to shame!! Its like a rocket...

This is the bow at Brace, right limb is top limb.

Baron (red ash 65@26) Brace (640x360).jpg (280.34 KiB) Viewed 3335 times

Will try to get some drawn photos next time I see the bow but the tiller is a little whipped just how I like them to my eyes. (hard to see only pulled to 26 tho)

I thought having so many issues in the stave and breaking some pretty key bow-making rules in its construction that this bow would blow up for sure but to my surprise and extreme satisfaction it held up and made a very nice shooter.

I will get some more photos looking along the stave as well so you can see the bends, knots, holes, etc as well.

Would love to get some opinions on why it held up from the more experienced guys on here if they care to hazard a guess.

Colin

[cmoore]

Im certainty not one of the experienced guys here, but in my opinion we underestimate the woods we work with and what they're capable of.

There are no rules
This also coincides with what perry was saying about white man needing everything to be straight, precise & symmetrical

Top job on the bow to can't wait to see the full draw pics

[perry]

Excellent result Colin ! If you can get to the Hinterland Trad Shoot I'll introduce you to Jim Mason, He's making some amazing Bows from Gnarly Crooked Staves. Look forward to seeing some close ups of this one, lovin that S. Starting with ordinary Timber certainly expands your Horizons. One of the Books I have has a 1930's Photo of Chester Stevenson and 2 or 3 others showing off some of the Gnarliest Snakey Bows and Snakey Arrows I have seen. Just flicked through the Bowyers Bibles but couldn't find it. Anyone else familiar with that Photo ? Its well worth studying, really highlights that you don't need perfect Timber

I dont know about no rules but they are certainly Rubbery !

I did not own a Camera and the Net was but a Dream from my perspective when I was Prolific making Bows. I got to the Stage where Bows mean nothing to me because I could just Chip out another. Now I wish I had Images of some of the Gnarly Twisted Bent, Crooked, Split and Worm Eaten Bows that I made, gave away or Tested to Destruction through the 90's.

regards Jacko

[Hamish]

Nice result. Sounds like when getting rid of the worm tracks you decrowned it(at least in that section).
Not really much of a problem in most bow woods, especially in a diffuse porous timber.
Hamish.

[hunterguy1991]

No Hamish, I kept a crowned shape on the back on the whole bow even where worm tracks were smoothed/blended in.

And I wouldn't call this ash porous either... not compared to something like Red Oak at least.

[bigbob]

congrats on the outcome ! Sometimes things happen that contradict convention and you have had a successful result. Great result Col.

[greybeard]

Colin, an excellent result indeed, it will be interesting to see what it is like after hundreds of arrows.

......The Stave I started with however was FAR from perfect... It was roughly 2 inches in dia, maybe a little smaller with an S bend close to one end and reflex in the other (great combo!... ) with knots, branches and pin holes all along it.......Would love to get some opinions on why it held up from the more experienced guys.........

I believe it worked because it was a fashioned from a sapling.

......There are no rules......

Think of them as guide lines.

........especially in a diffuse porous timber..........

.......And I wouldn't call this ash porous either..........

Diffuse Ring Porous.jpg (78.52 KiB) Viewed 3242 times

Daryl.

[mikaluger]

Your just a clever bastard Colin.......... that is all.

[Hamish]

It is a good result, and sounds like you instinctively came to the best solution for that stave.
It is surprising how much a back can tolerate if done properly or you are just lucky, especially in certain woods. I have seen a pecan back violated with very rough drawknife gouges that scare the crap out of me on a finished friends bow. I couldn't have brought myself to leave a stave in that condition I would have to remove the damage until I was left with a pristine ring. I don't know how that bow survives (maybe because the damage isn't in an area that does the majority of the work) but it does.
Nearly all the old yew bows I have seen(pre 1950's) have the sapwood thinned, not only along the grain(handle to bow tip) but from one side of the back to the other so you are left a flat surface, cutting out any propeller twist . On the side of the back it might have 1/2 inch of sapwood , another further along might be 1/4, another might be 0".

Think of all the unbacked lemonwood lumber bows that have been made, same again for hickory backing. We also know you can't just pick a board where the grain runs off at a sharp angle, or the bow will break. As long as the staves grain isn't violated too much in one spot you are likely to have success.
Hamish.