Osage takedown bow

[Muskyman]

Pappy and Hamish, both thoughts that have went through my head. I’ve even started chasing a ring on another billet. I’m going to try and highlight the side and see if I can tell if I went through the growth ring. If it looks okay I’ll continue with the build like Hamish said. The rings are pretty thick and I just can’t believe I went through it but, I’m prone to doing that kind of stuff.
Seems like every bow I start I end up messing it up somehow. I’m getting better and I do have a few I’m shooting. Either way I’ll keep plugging along.
Thanks Mike

[Hamish]

With rings as thick as you have, then if you went through a whole growth ring, there would be a noticeable deep furrough creating a lowspot.
It doesn't look like that so I bet you are fine.

Very easy to cut through moon rings on thick ringed osage, especially if you've mainly worked only thinner ringed stuff. Done it plenty of times myself. You need to take a different mental approach, and consciously remember how thick it is, and when you see some chalky stuff, that its time to stop working that spot, rather than plow right through. Easier said than done, sometimes.

[Jim Davis]

It's not as though you have an abrupt perpendicular violation, even if you have worked into the thickness of the ring. I'd just continue as it is. If it breaks during the making or after, you have only lost time by trying--your other option was to start over anyway.

[Muskyman]

I figured out the color change. It was simply that I hadn’t taken enough wood off to get to the ring I was chasing. Cleaned the sides up and highlighted it and saw it right away. Thanks for heads up Pappy.
Then I did something really stupid. Was thinning down the last 8-10 inches after I marked it with a compass and started filing away with my Shinto file and then it hit me I’m filing the back of my bow. Luckily I don’t think I made it through the ring. Like I said earlier, I’m always doing something to jack my bow up but this is about as dumb as a guy can get. Anyway I decided to go on with it. I have it on a long string and bending now. Put it away for today and will see if I can finish destroying it tomorrow.

[superdav95]

Bend looking good so far mike. 

[Pappy]

Looks good so far, don’t be to hard on yourself, we all make mistakes, I was once cuttings in nocks and realized I was cutting them backwards, and that’s just 1 I have many more stories like that 😉. Pappy

[Muskyman]

I’ve already did that to Pappy. I’ll probably invent a new way to do something stupid yet with this bow. I just haven’t thought of it yet. I have been thinking about doing a recurve with this bow. Hopefully I’ll bend it the right direction 

[Hamish]

Muskey, you are making me smile, Lol. I've never unintentionally worked the back of a bow(plenty of time left though). Unless you overworked one small spot, you're still probably fine. There still should be a bow in that stave.

[Muskyman]

I can laugh about it now Hamish. Wasn’t doing much laughing when I saw what I was doing 🤬
I’m going to finish making this bow and if it flies into a bunch of pieces I’ll cut the sleeve off and make another piece for the limb that breaks.

[Muskyman]

I’ve decided to change my username. I’m thinking maybe the mad destroyer, or maybe the bow barbarian. Something more fitting to my bow making skills.
Yes I pretty much did my bow in today. Trying to bend a recurve into it and it splintered on me. Went in pretty deep. I was using oil and in my mind not heating it to fast. Got about half way through the bend and saw it had splintered so I quit right there.
I think next time I’ll use the method that Waylon used in his how to video, boiling water.
Started a new limb for the one that went south on me. I might just forget the recurve and maybe do a little reflex on it. I’ve had pretty good luck with that. Going to keep trying, I’m prone to being mule headed so we’ll see who wins in the end..

[superdav95]

That sucks mike.  Forge ahead and use the mule headed mindset to keep going with it.  for recurves I too like Weylin’s method.  Also keep your growth rings on the belly to one ring also for the bend.  This will help with preventing lifting of splinters.  Flipped tips and milder recurves on Osage work pretty good with dry heat if you keep one solid ring on belly side as well and keep the thickness of the tip around 1/2”-5/8”  depending on draw weight wanting.  Unless going for more extreme recurves this method should work good for most bends.  Ive also used little oil during heat and bend on a form.  I have no doubt you’ll sort it out.   

Dave

[Muskyman]

Exactly what it did Dave. Split right where two different rings were.. thanks for the heads up

[Muskyman]

I might not be completely out of the game on this bow. Went out to the shed to work on my replacement limb and started looking at the one that splintered on me and filed out the splintered part and it’s still pretty thick.. so I figured what the heck. Got out the reflex form and clamped it down, put some oil on the limbs and heated it. Didn’t heat a lot but I think enough to introduce some reflex. Going to let it sit overnight and see how it turns out. Worried a little about the area of the limb that already had a little recurve in it because it’s been heated twice now. Figured nothing to lose.

[superdav95]

Atta boy mike. Way to keep at it.  Keep us posted on it. 

[Muskyman]

Thinned the limbs down to the thickness of where my limb split. And the reflex seems to be about 2-2 1/2 inches. Still have about 3/8ths thickness in the limbs.. put the long string back on in and it was 35 plus pounds at 15 inches so I should be good to go. Probably start tillering in the next day or two.
Still got a ways to go but, it might survive me yet.