Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Fox on May 20, 2020, 07:24:06 pm
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Heya all.... Im helping my partner in crime make a bow.. and the stave that i got her she noticed some cracks on along the sides and she cant really carve them out because its at the width its supposed to be right now... the wood is hickory i cut two months ago and she is just ruffing it out to dry ( don't pay attaintion to the pencil lines just me explaining something the cracks are to the right of the pencile)
-Fox.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49918198017_609ba68698_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2j46P9v)94071 (https://flic.kr/p/2j46P9v) by spyjake9 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141458655@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49918198222_6dec57d608_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2j46Pd3)94061 (https://flic.kr/p/2j46Pd3) by spyjake9 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141458655@N02/), on Flickr
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as long as they're not running off the side of the limb i'd just fill them with thin superglue and move on with the build.
also some times plans have to change as the build go's along, we work with natural mateirials and we can't always force it to do what we want it too.
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Alright thanks.. the cracks are on the side of the limb not the belly or back so that is fine ? For some reason i thought those kind were fatel.... they dont run off though so hope its all good ..
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Woahhhhhh there partner. If those are on the side, make sure you can tiller past them or you may well find yourself in the hurt locker.
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Woahhhhhh there partner. If those are on the side, make sure you can tiller past them or you may well find yourself in the hurt locker.
Yeah there on the side... maybe ill be able to till past them not 100% sure... the design that was laid out was 1 3/4" to mid limb tapering to 1/2
tips and 62" ttt not totally sure the poundage probly around 35# i thinks what she wants. and her draw is 26" .... anyway you can think to get those cracks out? I'm thinking that's overbuilt so anyway i could reduce in some direction to get rid of them? thanks...
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It doesn't take much hickory to make a bow, especially 1 3/4" wide and 35#, your limbs may be 3/8" thick, well below the cracks.
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2 months cut before roughing out, the wood has still got plenty of moisture in it, and will check on the back if left uncoated.
Coat the back with white glue, so all the moisture leaves through the belly. Now that you are roughing the staves out they will dry quickly, even with a sealed back.
I've had freshly cut hickory start to check on an exposed back, that was left uncoated over my lunch break. It was a windy day, with little moisture in the air.
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Don't know why they checked on the side. Thin the excess off the belly and they will disappear.
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Could be a dodgy growth ring due to disease, wind shake or something...
Del
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I thought it was in the back Sorry.
Yeah checks/shakes in the side of a limb are more of a problem, I agree with the suggestion that have already been made I’ll just add that keeping the limb wide and shooting for a lower weight (you said 35#) should let you get past them
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At least you don't have any post hole beetle work.Reducing them right away after splitting is best.Getting moisture in stave below 20% immediately to deter any bugs.Sealing ends and back then too.It will reduce any checking then too.A band saw with a resaw blade makes short work of that.
The thicker the staves the slower the moisture leaves.Hickory needs to be stored off the ground.
Lot of heartwood on those staves or at least 1 stave for hickory.
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Okay guys thanks, yeah i think ill be able to get past them and... im hopeing my other staves from that tree don't have the same cracks cause thats half my staves! Yeah deffinatly bow ed about the beatles... you can work around them though? Yeah i dont have a working band saw sadly ..
I have a really old one that i cant fix.. not sure what to do with it...ussually i seal the ends and back and leave them and ruff them out 1 at a time and bring them from the shop into the house to try faster