kids bow questions

[hook]

This is a 43.5" osage stave I have roughed out and am now ready for the tedious process finishing. Its usually not long between the time this process starts and the breakage occurs! I am posting some pics that may help with the two questions I have.
I am Hoping to produce a safe and shootable bow for my seven year old Grandson. 23" draw length at about 25 lbs or so. it has a 4" handle and 1-1/2" fades.
the limbs are 7/16" wide and remain so until mid-limb and then taper to 1/4" nocks.

1. There is a knot in one of the fades and I wonder if this will be a problem??
2. I plan to "rough" out the limbs thickness to 3/8" thick before starting to tiller. Is that too thin to start with?

If you notice anything else please don't assume I already know it because chances are I don't!!! lol

I hope the pics are ok.

[Onebowonder]

As the pencil marks seem to indicate that you do not intend to try and make this little bow bend through the handle, ...I would not worry too much about that knot.  If you thought it would yet become a problem you could wrap the knot with some dacron in a little puddle of epoxy, or even cover it with a rawhide backing.

That's an awesome gift for your grandson by-the-way.  Will he get to 'help' you work on it?

[hook]

Hopefully he can help once I know it will work. I havn't told him I am making it just in case I break it!

[Ifrit617]

I would make the bow a bendy handle bow... otherwise you are really pushing it for a 43" bow to draw 23" even with a backing....

Jon

[hook]

the draw length is actually 20", i just thought i would give him some growing room.
Would 20" be ok?

[Ifrit617]

20" Would be good... I might still back with rawhide though to make it bulletproof.  Good luck!

Jon

[sleek]

If you plan on leaving the back of your bow like the way it is in the pics, I would reconsider. I have made a few osage bows and after one good lesson on one, will never leave those islands of grain around knots again. Here is why. When drawn bect those islands of grain around the knots pick up extra tension and can ( and have ) delaminate. When this happens they often take the wood under them with them and you have a broken bow.

This happened to me, I asked experienced folks why and that is the answer I got. Most had had the same happen to them. Best to have a clean single growth ring on the back with none of those islands around knots. I would hate to see such a gift to a child fail. If nothing else, at least ask around a bit before you commit to leaving the back as it is.

[hook]

Sleek,
My thoughts for the back of the bow were to leave it as is and add a rawhide backing as suggested by ifrit617. The growth rings are about the thickness of a piece of construction paper. The islands show up really good in the picture but are almost impossible to see in my kitchen with normal lighting therefore even harder to scrape down to a good ring.
As for the knot, it is not going to be in a bending portion of the bow. Will this still pose a problem in your opinion?

thanks for helping

[PEARL DRUMS]

Those knot islands wont mean boo if you put rawhide  over them, working or non-working.

[sleek]

I would tend to agree with Pearl Drums. Especially with how thin you say the rings are.