Chased a snake today.

[cowboy]

I'm gonna need help with this one.
  Thanks to Pappy and GregB, and others on the other posts on how to follow the grain. I had no idea - have been chasing rings for the better part of a year now but had not a clue how to follow the grain.
  This peice of sage is off that big tree I cut several weeks ago, far as I can tell all of the staves have this snakey grain goin on. I cleaned up the back, then took the stave out in the sunlight (blinding sunlight) and could actually see the lateral grain rolling back and forth - everywhere I couldn't get to the early growth on the back with my drawknife I could see it better.
  Anyway I followed it pretty close (may have crossed it here and there) but that beats cutting straight through it like I've been doing.
    I'm wondering now: I have this thing @ 68" t/t - and am planning on flipping the tips (wanna make a pappy style snake bow ) for my 28/29" draw is that too long? or about right? Guess that's really all I wanted to know now - already know what I'll do different on the next one. Learn something every day - thanks guys!


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[mullet]

   64" would be better.

[1/2primitive]

Looks like a nice peice of osage, work carefully and slowly and you should end up all right.
    Sean

[cowboy]

That sounds perfect Eddie - 64". Sounds short for what I've been making (and I'm seeing now how length affects your hunting in brush). So ya really want to take your draw length X 2, then add a couple of inches for insurance. I'm gettin there .
  Thanks Sean: That particular stave has maybe three pins in it, practically spotless. Seems to me now that larger diameter trees are gonna be a lot cleaner.
 

[medicinewheel]

 ........   I'm wondering now: I have this thing @ 68" t/t - ....

for the non-native speaker: "t/t" - does that mean tip to toe?


hey cowboy, good luck with this-one: i have one in the works that looks similar to what you have here; want to flip the tips, too and never got it done. oh well, maybe today!?
frank

[Marc St Louis]

As long as the snakey profile is really following its growth then you could go down to 64" on a 28" draw but if you are looking for a bit of insurance then stick to that length. 

T/T means tip to tip Frank

[MattE]

Marc, you voiced my thoughts. I would even consider going longer! 64" will work but don't expect the bow to last long.

[DBernier]

Guys, Correct me if wrong, but at 64", 65", 66", you would store more kinetic energy for the same draw length than say at 68" or something above that. I know my 72" is as smooth as silk at 28" but it is slightly slower (using chrono.) than my 66".  If your draw length is not long enough to utilize the energy in the bow, except for certin issues, why make it over 64"to 66"?  I have a real snaky one I am going to work on this winter for next year. It is 66" long. Hey Paul, we can compare notes.

Dick

[George Tsoukalas]

For a 28 inch draw, I'd go 66 in ntn. That looks like a great stave. The idea on the vertical or lateral grain is when it goes left or right so does  your pencil line. This is not an issue when the stave is split because it will follow the grain when split. This will not happen when the stave is bandsawned though. jawge

[cowboy]

Lot's of good advice guys - I'm soakin it up . Think I'll leave this one @ 68" so the N/N will be about 66" since I already did all the chasing on it (I'm liking the way it curves ). The next one I'll cut down a couple of inches and compare the two. Going to clamp it to a board today - (the string does not cross the handle) and let it cure for a month or three before bending.
  Hey Dick, I'll take some notes - don't have a crono, but can at least compare to other bows I have. We'll compare with each other, I'd like to know how yours turns out too.
  Here's a pic of some of the other staves as split, you can see how the split edge rolls back and forth. Going to get several snakes outa that tree - plus a coupla other guys (you know who you are .
  Found another diamond back at the lease the other day - perfect match for the one a buddy gave me, or may use rat snakes on this first one. Is there anything special you have to do to the back before gluing on skins?




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[Pappy]

What Marc said on length. Looking good so far.
   Pappy

[MattE]

If the bow wasn't a stiff handle bow, 64" would be fine. I know that some might think this applied to all bows.Type of wood and design dictates what you can and can't do.

[Stickhead]

Cowboy,

Looks like you found the curves.  When I chase a snakey grain, I just let my hatchet find it.  I don't have any power tools, so I just pound a thin hatchet from one end of the stave to the other.  Then I take smaller slices off the sides to rough it in.  The hatchet automagically follows the grain, wherever it may lead.  Don't know if others do it this way, but it works for me.  After that, the rasp and I have a nice long bonding session.

-Tom

[Hillbilly]

Looks like it's gonna be a nice 'un.

[cowboy]

Thanks fellers!! Gotta let this one cure for awhile - will bring it back around then. Hey Tom, I do a lot of ripping with my table saw, and fine tuning with my little (I think nine inch) band saw - but I think me and the rasp know each other the best .