Purple leaf plum stick D/R

[backtowood B2W]

I roughed out this 5 year old shoot green, bent it sealed to a plank and let it dry. I was not able to bring the profile in symmetry, so I steam bent it to decrease some of the D/R in the lower and induce some into the upper. Also some straightening for string alignment. It looked good but the next day a lot moved back. So more corrections with the heat gun until I was happy with the symmetry. Started tillering and a lot of it jumped back again! Once again a dry heat session, until the wood spoke to me… I stopped forcing the wood as I developed some belly cracks, decided to leave the shape as it was, and finish the tiller with what I got. The ends of the cracks I pricked with a needle ( the idea is to stop them running further and to see if they are running further, a trick shown me from a great bowyer)

[backtowood B2W]

It is 62“ ntn and weights 42# at 27“
Symmetric limb length and a short semi stiff handle which I upholstered with black leather and a cane wrap to hold everything in place.
The upper nock is a brunch and the whole tip cranks out heavily so the tips came out quite beefy ( w: 15/32“, d: 5/8“ ). Heat corrections weren’t an option at this knotty area. I was able to leave some bark at the tips and handle, but the working parts I had to bring down to the c ambium. And at the spots where I bent it green and tied it, also the cambium went off. So i scraped some at the back to get a symmetric pattern.
To tell you about set is quite difficult as I don’t remember the original shape of the shoot  and also I messed around a lot with corrections. String tension is good at brace and light arrows let you feel a bit handshock. Speed is good, it is accurate with a good release which reacts more sensible to me.

[backtowood B2W]

Woodspecies: Purple leaf plum, shoot
42#27“
brace height: 5"
Max w: 1“
semi bendy Handle 3“
Fades: 1 1/2“
symmetric
Finish: Tungoil

[backtowood B2W]

The unbraced pic is made after unstringing, and 1/2" string follow goes back to 1" set.

[backtowood B2W]

nocks

[backtowood B2W]

Thanks for watching, feel free to let me know what ya think
B2W

[burchett.donald]

  Looking at the unbraced pic vs full draw I see everything moving/working...Nice work B2W, really like the pin nocks...
                                                                                                                                                                            Don

[bassman]

Some serious bow makers on here like Plum as a bow wood. Nicely done.

[bownarra]

That is a cool stick!
More mid to outer limb bend would get rid of the handshock. When r/d bows have perfect tiller they are virtually dead in the hand but of course I see you had limitations with the knots, shape etc on this sapling.

[SLIMBOB]

I like it a bunch.  Plum is on my bucket list.

[Marc St Louis]

Looks good.  What are the marks in the limb around the knot?....compression fractures?

[DC]

Cool bow. I like the Plum.

[Hawkdancer]

Nice job!  Like the plun!
Hawkdancer

[TimBo]

Great job seeing the bow in that stave and making it happen...especially with a challenging design like D/R!  Also, I am stealing your grip idea...

[backtowood B2W]

Thank you don, glad you like it!
Thanks bassman, I know and making them is a lot of fun, shooting em too!
Bownarra, I also like the r/d with more bend mid limb but on this one the transition is more inwards so I put most bend there( I did' want to mess too much with profile corrections midlimbs too outwards as there are many knots). The handshock is noticeable with really light arrows.
Thanks slim bob, I wonder why there aren't more plum bows around!? Is it hard too find? You should definitely try it, is a pleasure to work with and responds to corrections fast...
Marc St. L., the marks are tension fractures caused by dry heat bending, I think there is a limit at bending wood...
Thank you D.C. And hawkdancer
Thanks TimBo, the grip isn't actually my idea, sword grips were made like this they only unwrapped the leather to get even more structure and grip.