"left over" bow

[H Rhodes]

  Last month I split a white oak into five staves.  One of them was a little 1 1/2" wide stave with a big knot in the middle.  One of the staves from this tree may be as perfect as any piece of wood that I have ever seen.  I want to do something special with it, so I decided to experiment with this "left over" little split. 

  I heated in some recurves and toasted the belly.  The bow is an inch and a quarter wide through 60 percent of it's limbs and tapers to three eighths inch wide nocks.  The bow starts 3/4 inch thick at the fades and thins to about 5/8 ths toward the tips.  The handle looked horrible and the tiller came out looking sort of weird, but it shoots like a dream.  56" tip to tip, 45lbs @ 28".  Has about an inch and a half of string follow right after unstringing.  I had my doubts about this one from the beginning, but it may be one of the most accurate shooters that I have made yet.  Haven't finished it yet.  I got to do a little sanding and finishing yet, but this little white oak bow is a shooter.  I can't wait to start up with it's bettter looking sister... 

[woodsrunner]

Nice looking bow, its the little suprises in this endevor that make it worth while.

[lesken2011]

Looking good, Howard. Nice curves!!

[Badly Bent]

Got to say Howard that the tiller looks just fine to me, real good in fact and 28 " draw on a 56" bow is not easy to accomplish, looks like you worked that wood just right. Show us more when you get her finished up please.
Greg

[H Rhodes]

Thanks guys.  Yeah, this one was a surprise.  I didn't think at first that there was enough wood to make a hunting weight bow.  I like this little shorty!  I will put some finishing touches on her and keep y'all posted.  Greg, I am getting to be a fan of white oak - you can hardly break this stuff, but it really likes to be heat treated or it takes a lot of set. 

[Pappy]

Looks good to me,looks like in the full draw picture you have the arrow way high,might just be the picture,that may be why you think the tiller looks off.   :-\Love the curves,that has to be a sweet shooter.
   Pappy

[blackhawk]

I was just typing what pappy wrote,n he beat me to the punch....try knocking your arrow lower. 

[H Rhodes]

Thanks Pappy.  I think y'all are right.  I will get another full draw shot as soon as I can and try to get straightened out and nocked up right...  worrying over my photographer and not paying attention to what I was doing!   I sewed on a leather handle wrap and wrapped some areas of concern with a little B-50 and superglue - the handle and inner limb areas are knotty and splintery looking, so I put in a little insurance - and it looked cool too.  I put the first of several coats of tung oil on it today.  That's about all the finishing it's going to get.  It really shoots good.  Now I am anxious to start on the good stave out of that tree! 

[Josh B]

Slick little shooter to be sure!  Josh

[H Rhodes]

Thanks Josh.  Gotta better picture of the bend on this one.  It isn't completely fully drawn, but my wife and I are photographically challenged.   

[beetlebailey1977]

I agree, looks pretty good to me also.  I look forward to trying some different staves myself.