See my earlier crepe myrtle post. I was using a stave from my yard and I knew it had a lot of knots on it. But I proceeded anyway. Getting pretty close on the tiller and was on the short string. Occasionally this one would make a cracking noise as more of the thin bark broke loose. Nothing to worry about on crepe myrtle, or so I understand. As the bark cracks away from the wood, I just use my scraper to pull of the loosened piece. Then while exercising the wood (can't call it a bow yet), I heard a big cracking noise. I examined and saw problems around one of the bigger knots. I could see a big hinge there also. I pulled again and it broke. No surprise. But I said to myself "Ok, that's it--I'm done. I give up and I ain't going to waste any more time on this. I am just going to make arrows!" :embarassed:
I gathered up the scraps and started cleaning up the mess. I walked by the wagon that had rejects in it ready to burn and I stopped to look at a piece of east Texas cedar that I had looked at many times before.
Then, for the first time, I saw that the back of the stave had no knots for at least 48", which is rare for this scrub cedar. Well, ok, it had one knot on the side, but I can work around that. And it had no lengthwise cracks in the section I would use. I flipped it over and all of the potential belly section looked good. It is deflexed and a little crooked, but it is beautiful to me.
So, here I go again.
