Update: Looking for help reviving Dad's old Osage Snake

[bjrogg]

To bad . I was really hoping you could get her shooting again. Nice effort and will still make a wall hanger
Bjrogg

[Parnell]

This is such an interesting post and I admire your due diligence at the attempt.  Doesn't seem I've really seen too many examples of well crafted osage longbows like this from, you figure the early or mid 1980's?

I'm assuming your dad made the bow?  If so, that is very intriguing considering the lack of information and availability at the time to pull that off.  I'm wondering if you could or would share any information about how your dad learned the process...mentors, etc.  You have a picture of him with it from a successful hunt?

Don't want to be too forward in asking these questions but it seems pretty significant.  Just don't see much from that era in time.
Also, it would make for a heck of an interesting magazine article...just a thought.

I'd be on the hunt for a similarly snakey piece of Osage and try to reproduce it!  Be a heck of a great process and another awesome layer of connecting with your dad's spirit. 

[PEARL DRUMS]

The tiller is off a good bit and what you see are "stretch" marks, basically tears in the ring. I had a feeling this wasn't going to work after you posted pics. That's why I mentioned tossing all my advice out the window on the other site you're posting on.

[sleek]

Please point on a clear side profile image of the bow, where the cracks lifted. I'd like to see if it was the limb I was worried about.

[bradsmith2010]

since the bow seems quite heavy,, maybe scrape off the sap wood,, I am guessing that is what cracked,, down to a good layer,, then sinew back the whole bow,, and make minor adjustments in the tiller to get it working more evenly,, I have a feeling it will shoot,, sometimes I am overly optomistic,,,just saying if it was my bow,, I would not give up yet,, since it didnt blow,,,,or at least down to a non cracked sap wood,, then sinew back,,

[sleek]

I'd leave it. Trace it out onto another stave and make a replica if anything.

[sleek]

since the bow seems quite heavy,, maybe scrape off the sap wood,, I am guessing that is what cracked,, down to a good layer,, then sinew back the whole bow,, and make minor adjustments in the tiller to get it working more evenly,, I have a feeling it will shoot,, sometimes I am overly optomistic,,,just saying if it was my bow,, I would not give up yet,, since it didnt blow,,,,or at least down to a non cracked sap wood,, then sinew back,,

Chasing a ring down below the crack does work btw, but for this bow, I'd reccomend against it. We may have learned here exactly why sapwood is historically shunned in bows. It may degrade and break when an all heartwood bow would have lasted 100 years.

[bradsmith2010]

Sleek I was thinking the same about the sap wood, good point and observation,,

[bentstick54]

Sorry to hear it didn’t make it.But as already stated at least you still have a wall hanger that was passed down from your dad. I’m sure he would be proud to just see it having on your wall.

[Pete Noto]

Thanks again for all the replies guys.   I've put her back up on the wall...for now.  When life slows down a bit, I just might consider scraping her down to a ring past the tear and then backing it with something.  My dad was an engineer, a physical guy, and a lover of tools.  I have many "non-useful" possessions of his to remember him by.  I think he would have prefered I find a solution and get her back in service.  Until then she hangs above my workbench in the man cave...miss you Pops.

Sleek, here is the side profile shot you wanted.  The Sharpie is pointing at the larger of the two tears, the smaller is just above it.  I misspoke earlier, it was the lower limb, not the upper.

[PatM]

you figure the early or mid 1980's?

I'm assuming your dad made the bow?  If so, that is very intriguing considering the lack of information and availability at the time to pull that off. 

   
  Interesting perspective but I never found that there was a lack of selfbow information available at any point.
   As a kid through the 70s and 80s I had no trouble locating this info in a library.  A remarkable amount of info was still actually out there.

 

[bradsmith2010]

Since its a wall hanger for now,,,wouldn't hurt to sand and see how deep the crack is,,,

[sleek]

If you are determined to save or destroy it, I'd scrape the crack away, see how deep it is. then I'd consider sinew on the back to bring the poundage up.

[bradsmith2010]

I have hope