Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Don Case on April 17, 2014, 01:43:57 pm
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If you have a stave with a cross section that looks like this poor picture how much of the edges(vert lines) should you trim off? I read somewhere that the little triangle bits are contributing more weight than anything else. I realize that the amount of crown is going to make a difference but I'm looking for a rough idea.
Thanks
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You don't have to square them up at all if you don't want to. Make the bow with an oval cross section, or make the belly flat and just round the corners off. Ive done it both ways depending on the woods characteristics.
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2x
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What is the overall width?
What is the draw weight I'm after?
What type of wood?
Overall length?
Too many variables to answer with any specificity. If it is highly crowned I will tend to go longer and narrower v shorter and wider. You still have to have enough muscle to carry the load.
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When I asked the question I realized that there were a lot of variables. I just thought that in the big picture there must be some "rules of thumb". There doesn't appear to be :(
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Don, it is true that those corners are just dead weight.
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I'd just remove those sharp corners until "they look good". Now, doesn't that sounds vague? O:)
But honestly. How would the wood 'know' where this sharp corner, that is indeed only dead weight, ends? Where does the limb start contributing in energy storage and how would you determine that?
I normally round the corners of a rectangular cross section to about the radius of a small pea. So in this case, I would remove the triangle until I can make half a pea sized edge.