SAVE THE SAPWOOD!!!!

[D. Tiller]

Guys, I think you are missing the point. I have heard from Dave Tinsley that by cutting the sapwood from the heartwood you maintain the properties of the sapwood since the heartwood would pull the sapwood into compresion and make it worthless. By removing it and drying it seperatly you keep it from being pulled and contorted by the heartwood as it dries. Then when laminated back onto the heartwood it makes for a superior bow than just using the heartwood. Even, suposedly, better than yew wood.

This was told to me but I have no means of testing the hypothessis. But this information comes from Don Adams Vvia Dave Tinsley so I suspect there is something to it.

Yep! I would follow the sapwood under the bark just like on white woods this way but use a bandsaw to seperate the sapwood from heartwood.

David T

[Eric Krewson]

I suspect if you cut the sapwood off, reglued it after drying with a lot of induced reflex and chased a ring on the back you would have a real performer, interesting looking as well.

[Justin Snyder]

Well now David, that is completely different from what you said before.  You told us we were removing the sapwood to keep it from drying uneven and checking. 

I still maintain the same idea.  You are talking about a glue up that will improve the bow.  If the heartwood is keeping the sapwood from reflexing, it would be under tension and improve the performance.  I would suggest you get sister staves to near bow dimensions and dry them. One in one piece and one in two.  I suspect they will dry in nearly the same profile.  I don't think you are hurting the sapwood.  Then you can cut off the sapwood from the second and see if the two pieces of sapwood aren't the same profile.  Justin

[mullet]

    I wonder what would happen if you turned the sapwood backwards and then glued it down?

[Hillbilly]

Then you'd have to shoot the arrows nock first

[Justin Snyder]

If the sapwood takes a natural relfex, I dont think I would glue it on backwards.  Justin

[Ryano]

my point is your gaining all the performance from gluing two pieces of wood together with reflex, which holds the profile better than one solid piece of wood.