Tillering a reflexed stave- Calling it done

[Hawkdancer]

Nice job!  Should be a good shooter!
Hawkdancer

[bentstick54]

Thanks everyone. Not near perfect but shoots pretty good, and hope to be stable and long lasting.

Tradslinger, I have lot of learning to do myself as this is only #15 for me. I did do some heat corrections to take a few side to side bends out, and to line up the tips. I built a 1/2 caul to match the clean limbs natural reflex and added more reflex to the limb with the knots to balance them out. So they were pretty close to balanced when I started tillering. The reflex held pretty good until it got to about 22” on the long string when it slowly started to disappear. Most was lost in the outer 1/3, but then a little farther in. Tips started out about 2-1/4” ahead of the handle and still has about 1/2” remaining on the limb that had the natural reflex, but none on the heated in reflex limb. The inner 1/3 where the knots are resisted bending and I was afraid to over heat it because of the knots. All that being said, yes I hoped to maintain the reflex, but am happy it turned out as well as it did. I put the 1st coat of Truoil on it today.

[Tradslinger]

Hey, that will be one beautiful bow. I understand about the knots. when something makes you nervous, you probably have a good reason to be. But that is what makes Osage so cool, usually they have character that just makes them stand out from others. I still have to work around knots for the first time, been putting it off. I got some osage that had been sitting out behind a barn for 20 years or more. the problem was that the longest pieces were only 50". So I splice two together for my first one. I plan to use a steel sleeve to make joint for a one piece. Gotta love taking a piece of wood and turning it into a weapon for sport or hunting that has been around for thousands of years and stlll is effecient. Looks like you are becoming a pretty good bowyer.