Bending scarf joints (handle)

[Tom Dulaney]

The handle is a little over an inch wide with the side plates, the bone side plates measure a little less than 1/8" thick per side.  The bone side plates do also have a convex shape to them.  Basically there is still 3/4" of wood still in that handle under the bone side plates, they are not "paper chip thinness"
You are making assumptions based on archeological drawings, people who are not experts in the archery field

Um, yeah, no, there is most definitely not 3/4" inches of wood left in the handle of this bow.

[PatM]

Why would a narrow splice be any more feasible than just a narrow continuous piece?

It's not a matter of feasibility, but rather pointlessness. Why narrow a handle to paper-chip thinness just to attach some bone plates to it? What it looks like is two limbs spliced to bone handles.

 

Almost all of those bows had multiple stiffening plates. This is not a one off bow. A narrow stiff handle is more center shot.

I would say they are not bone stiffening plates, but handles in to which the limbs were spliced.

  The bone plates are documented as separate slabs.  I'm not sure you understand what a scarf joint is. How exactly are you proposing the two limbs actually are joined?

 See this image for the same structure.

http://kgx.narod.ru/bow/bow.gif

[Tom Dulaney]

  The bone plates are documented as separate slabs.  I'm not sure you understand what a scarf joint is. How exactly are you proposing the two limbs actually are joined?

 See this image for the same structure.

http://kgx.narod.ru/bow/bow.gif

Based on what I've read, from internet postings such as this one, nobody really has any idea what function the bone plates serve.

Look at this picture. The blue line represents the glue line where the two bone plates are joined together. You can see that this produces two female fishtails in to which the two limbs (with tapering male ends) can be inserted (glued) and sinew wrapped. My this is similar to, but not identical to the joints described as "scarf" joints on Scythian bows in this PDF.




It looks to me like that is exactly what this is.




Your picture was interesting but it looks like an artist's impression rather than an actual archaeological drawing. The bow as illustrated by archaeologists does appear to be two limbs spliced together.

[PatM]

So you think that two pieces with no continuous connection to each other is stronger than one piece waisted in to a narrow strip and reinforced with bone?

 Any bowyer worth their salt could tell you that bone being about 7 times stiffer than wood allows dramatic reduction in width.  Many of those bows were made with wood of questionable strength and stiffness so adding bone dramatically increases their abilities.

 
This is the same principle with I beam risers in modern bows

[scp]

Um, yeah, no, there is most definitely not 3/4" inches of wood left in the handle of this bow.

What practical difference does it make? Even if there is no wooden handle under the bone plates, there must be something in there. What difference does it make whether it is one piece (with the limbs) or scarfed pieces?

The handle is rather thick. Though just 1 inch wide (in the front profile), it appears to be a couple of inches thick (in the side profile) at least. That means it is more likely to have a separate handle piece and the limbs are spliced into it and the bone plates are added. Do you have any idea how wide (high in the side profile) are the bone handles? Practically it would be a lot easier if there is wood under the bone plates. What difference would it make if it is the same piece as the limbs or a separate piece? Either way there must be a separate piece on top of the limbs (in side profile) anyway. What difference does it make whether it is made of the same bone plates or another separate piece (of wood or whatever) under the bone plates? There are many ways to skin the cat.

[DC]

I would like to try and make a bow with a handle like this by bending two pieces of wood in to those shapes and gluing them together. It just seems to me like you have more opportunity to get a better fit with this method, as opposed to scraping.

Go on ahead, report back when you're done. If you squint a bit it looks like two limbs 'V' jointed into a bone handle, should work but I've never done it.

[bubby]

I hate to tell you this but that archaeological drawing is crude as hell. The ones that patm posted are much more detailed, do you just want to argue about it?

[sleek]

Its not a scarf joint for starters. Its a cobbled together v splice by what your drawing shows. And yes, if there is enough surface area, that will work.

[Tom Dulaney]

I hate to tell you this but that archaeological drawing is crude as hell. The ones that patm posted are much more detailed, do you just want to argue about it?

I don't think that was a drawing of a bow that was dug out of the ground, I think it's an artist's impression of whatever they thought an ancient bow was supposed to look like.

[DC]

Even worse.

[PatM]

I hate to tell you this but that archaeological drawing is crude as hell. The ones that patm posted are much more detailed, do you just want to argue about it?

I don't think that was a drawing of a bow that was dug out of the ground, I think it's an artist's impression of whatever they thought an ancient bow was supposed to look like.

  So, the second part of bubby's statement?

[Aaron H]

Obviously you know more than everyone else, so I can't wait to see what you come up with.   

[bubby]

Man that pic that patm posted the link to is pretty detailed, almost looks like a guy that knew what a bowyer would like, cross sections and everything

[mikekeswick]

I would've though it was obvious why bone was used... As Pat said bone is very stiff compared to wood......
Yes please do make one of these and show us. It won't take long!

[bradsmith2010]

maybe that bow is just decorative and not meant to shoot,,,,