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Author Topic: another osage war bow attempt  (Read 8010 times)

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Offline sleek

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another osage war bow attempt
« on: March 25, 2016, 12:16:16 am »
And boy did I mess it up. 73" stave of osage with grain so fine that it looks like yew. I split the belly off the stave to save time. It split fine until the last foot and half. Then it turned into the stave and made it super thin. No worries its osage.  Half inch thick at the tip is fine right?

Well I made the profile and it was already bending floor tiller. I rounded the belly and chased some stiff spots. I wound up with a decent tiller but it felt light. Only 65#@28. So I am probably going to heat the belly good and hot to bring up some weight. May take two inches off also. Possibly 3. Id really like to at least be in the 90s@29". Thats a big gap to fill though.  Three inches off, I cant remember the poundaage gain per inch of pike. I think 5?

 Im probably just going to have a big bow that weighs little. Perhaps I will see if I can get 32" draw out of it. Add that with a belly temper and perhaps I will get to 90# if my tiller allows it. I could use it to train my form for when I finally get a bow made that pulls actual war bow weight.

I just shot it and it feels like a freight train fell off a cliff in my hand. Unholy amount of hand shock.
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mikekeswick

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2016, 02:59:52 am »
The handshock will be the tiller. Most people make these bows too 'round' you should have an elliptical tiller. Obviously elbs taper quite heavily in thickness your tiller should reflect this.
There is no way you will make 90# - I wouldn't even try. Sort out the tiller and use this one as a learning tool.
For every 1% of bow length you remove you'll get a 5% increase in weight. That is if your bow doesn't develop more set.
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2016, 04:35:42 am »
maybe it's a warbow for small wars   ;)

I'm still worrying about how to use my Osage from the monster tree... it's fine graing and I can't decide to edge grain (like 1/4 sawn) or ring backed?
Del
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2016, 05:45:35 am »
I will try for a fd pic later today.

Del, go for ring backed.  Leave the sapwood. Just remove the bark. You wont be sorry.
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Offline Badger

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2016, 06:42:36 am »
      I made a 140# osage war bow several years back about 74" long. I was the biggest dog I ever made. Looking back I think it mush have had too much moisture in it. Bow took no set at all but for a bow this weight was very easy to brace. I later cut it down into a 50# flatbow and it shot like a normal osage bow.
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2016, 09:23:14 am »
I have the same thing here going on. I feel like I could throw the arrow harder. It has taken an inch of set which I dont understand because this wood is dry and old. Not to mention its a huge bow. I really just want to make it shoot worth a darn at this point. Id hate to cut it down to normal dimensions.  I will start with reducing the tips.
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2016, 11:50:29 am »


I am gripping the bow below center. Tiller doesnt seem to appreciate that. I also neeed to bring the upper limb around a touch it seems.
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2016, 11:52:31 am »


End grain at the tip. Lots of rings.
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2016, 11:53:51 am »


Belly rings.
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2016, 12:17:05 pm »
Quote from: sleek on March 25, 2016, 05:45:35 am
I will try for a fd pic later today.

Del, go for ring backed.  Leave the sapwood. Just remove the bark. You wont be sorry.
It's not got a clean ring or bark back, but I can chase a ring, no prob, mind I think it has some sideways bend...
You can see I'm a bit scared of it ::)
Del
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Ruddy Darter

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2016, 04:57:35 am »
What sort of weight are you going to be aiming for Del, or just playing it by ear?
(If it's around the 100 mark I could give you the dimensions of my one, apart from the collapse at the centre around a knot(previous post) it had a lovely arc and the limbs took on relatively little set and was a sweet shooter, the limb cross section was very oval.)


Ruddy Darter.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2016, 05:13:44 am by Ruddy Darter »
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2016, 07:27:15 am »
Quote from: Ruddy Darter on March 26, 2016, 04:57:35 am
What sort of weight are you going to be aiming for Del, or just playing it by ear?
(If it's around the 100 mark I could give you the dimensions of my one, apart from the collapse at the centre around a knot(previous post) it had a lovely arc and the limbs took on relatively little set and was a sweet shooter, the limb cross section was very oval.)


Ruddy Darter.
It won't be a warbow... maybe a flight bow or ....an idunnobow
Del
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mikekeswick

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2016, 02:20:23 am »
Told ya....
Lower limb is weak and the tiller is too round. Reducing just the tips width won't achieve anything.
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Offline sleek

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2016, 07:42:24 pm »


Its still round but at least even. The hand shock is still so bad it hurts my wrist. So, if an elliptical tiller is wanted, will piking do the trick with no tiller adjustment?
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Offline WillS

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Re: another osage war bow attempt
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2016, 06:04:53 am »
I'd be inclined to say the tips are too stiff.  That'll account for some of the shock, as well.

Whenever I'm in doubt, I try and do a tiller comparison against somebody who knows what they're doing when it comes to warbows - this is one of Joe's 170lb laminate bows with a perfect circle (not an ellipse) laid over the top.  To me, that's as good as it can ever get, and I've a feeling yours could do with just easing off those tips a fraction, just to bring them round a bit. 



I know some people don't like the fully round tiller shape, but if you're getting a bit of a whack on release and the tips are stiff, that would be my approach :)
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