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Author Topic: Pyramid bow from a stave  (Read 6602 times)

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Offline JW_Halverson

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Pyramid bow from a stave
« on: December 10, 2010, 11:22:20 pm »
I have a fine hickory stave lying there begging to become a pyramid bow.  I've done a few from boards but I'm not sure about approaching this style with a stave. 

Do I follow the grain and draw out the central line, and then make the taper also follow th grain?  Or do I just draw two straight lines converging at the tips?
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2010, 11:38:06 pm »
being in your situation more than once, I usually  follow the grain for the center line as much as I can while still getting handle alignment right between the two nocks and the handle. Then after the pyramid bow is laid out, it usually makes a cool snakey pyramid bow. Pyramid design makes tillering on staves easier just like on boards. Not to say that there isn't any reason you can't violate the grain as long as you got a good solid unviolated back ring, just like any other bow
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Pat B

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2010, 11:47:44 pm »
If the stave is straight just follow the center line and make a straight taper to the tips. If it has some snake to it follow the grain with the center line and mark out each limb every 3" to 4" depending on how snakey it is. At each mark on the stave measure out from the center line both sides and make a mark. When done just connect the dots. Don't worry about voilating the grain as you taper the limb. If you follow the grain the run off will be slight. Hickory will withstand more than most woods.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2010, 12:04:10 am »
Well alrighty then....Gonna just lay into this thing and let the chips fall where they may.  The snakiness is slight and I feel a little better about violating them now. 

Thanks.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2010, 12:28:00 am »
Staves are inheriently stronger because the grain hasn't been cut through like with a board. Your back ring is the most critical part and if it is intack you are good to go.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline ken75

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2010, 10:08:53 am »
i dont have much stave experience .. but show us some pics in case i get into the same predicament
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2010, 12:05:35 pm »
Here's one I prepared earlier  ::) it isn't strictly a pyramid, but it's not far off as I decrowned it, leaving the thickness on the limbs relatively even.
I'd say mark your centre line following the grain and the crown of the stave a close as you can as shown in the pic.
Then mark the limb shape however takes your fancy.

It would be interesting to ty a pyramid like that but back to front, e.g decrowned face as the belly, just for the heck of it.
A pyramid may be better made across the grain (like quarter sawn) but of course you'd need a much much bigger stave to start with.
Del
« Last Edit: December 11, 2010, 12:12:13 pm by Del the cat »
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Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2010, 12:44:52 pm »
A stave pyramid won't necessarily be a true pyramid due to the tapered thickness of the limbs because of the crown. The profile shape will be pyramidal but the thickness will taper from fades to tips with a stave bow...unless you decrown. Instead of decrowning a stave I would buy a board  for a true pyramid but I have made plenty of stave bows with a pyramid profile that worked well although the max width will be less on a stave pyramid because of the crown also.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2010, 03:55:53 pm »
I chose this particular stave for the Pyramid Design specifically because the back was so bloody flat!  If it works, I have another stave that is flat as a tabletop but in Osage Orange (thanks again gstoneberg) but it has a really wild whoopty in one limb.  That stave is also begging for snakeskins (NTD? Whatcha got and whatcha need in trade???)
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Offline NTD

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2010, 04:00:14 pm »
Hey JW,

I've had a bunch of requests for snakeskins in the last week.  Unfortunately I really don't have any skins right now.  All my natives have been sent out and I won't be getting more of them until spring.  I'm shaking down my sources for exotics though and we'll see what I can turn up.
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Nate Danforth

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2010, 04:07:57 pm »
Any old Russell's Viper or Gaboon Viper would be fine.     

(Reptile Garden's biiiiig ol' Russell's just shed and the pattern is eye-popping!  Just can't get Terry Phillips to let me skin the bloody thing, though.)
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2010, 06:48:23 pm »
You stave is snaky but you should nott violate the lateral grain. No need to decrown. My opinion: let the stave tell you the type of design it wants. This does not appear to be a good candidate for a pyramid. Also becasue of the snakiness I would elave the handle full width until you at least string it. I would also leave the nocks an inch wide until you string it at least. That way you can track the string better. Jawge
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2010, 07:10:32 pm »
That's Del's cat to skin, not mine!!!

My stave is a carpenter's dream...flat as a board.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2010, 06:26:39 pm »
Sketched out the dimensions on the back this morning.  The handle is 4", fade outs are 1.5", and at the fades the widest I can acheive is 1.5"...a little narrow for the pyramids I have seen posted on here.  I do have 66" of stave so I am going to use the whole 66". 

Is that a little narrow for the style, if so, is the extra length going to help prevent set (given the stated goal of 55# draw at 26")?

Thanks,
John
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Offline John K

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Re: Pyramid bow from a stave
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2010, 08:08:20 pm »
I think it's very doable !
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