Willow deflex-recurve

[Christian Soldier]

Hey Squirrel, its Dan from Slinging.org.

I'd say go for it, maybe just deflex it. Keep it really wide (3" would be reasonable) most of its length (and also keep it long as possible) and see what happens.

Worse case scenario you have some well seasoned kindling but more bow making expierience. 

[k-hat]

Don't have an opinion on the willow, but i do on the oak.  I suspect that a lot of your cast and set problem (actually, all) is due to three factors:

1. too narrow (oak needs to be at least 2" wide for a decent weight), and yes a pyramid is one of the best designs for oak
2. crowned as opposed to flat belly
 (these two have been identified, but there's a third...)
3.  a garage kept and tillered bow during the rainy months.  I'd say that raised your mc and caused a lot of cast-robbing set.

If you don't live in a dry-ish climate, temper the belly (either way it will increase cast).  As far as splinters, i'd also suspect the board selection based on your statments ("all edges slightly off parallel").  You also have to watch the actual grain direction in oak (any board for that matter), not just the ring orientation.

I'd say try a great tempered design on a prime red oak stave, and you'll probably give up on trying willow

[simson]

Willow is no bow wood!
A christmas tree is pine and no bow wood too

Take everything else - it would be better

everything is said (IMO)

[ionicmuffin]

i always keep my bows and staves that are already dried in my house. it probably isnt the best conditions, but either way its not terrible either. i only keep the bow out there in my garage for tillering. and since its probably around 70% relative humidity its a good thing i dont. ive always gotten set, so maybe i just need to heat temper because it does help to reduce set. if your using a board, its almost a must that you keep the belly flat, because the back is flat. another thing i have yet to try is to not hold the bow at full draw for more than a second or 2. that helps. and on top of that, while tillering you should have it at whatever draw for no more than a second or two because holding it there at a certain draw can rob it of cast as well. im still working on this of course but ill get there. One way of solving this is to use a pulley system that you can draw up and down over and over without holding it at a draw for more that a second at any one time.

[Joec123able]

CHECk THiS GUys willow bow out !   http://northernwildernesskills.blogspot.com/2010/10/alaskan-willow-bow.html?m=1. 

[Joec123able]

Everyone on this topic has me wanting to go harvest some willow and even worse wood then willow,,, cotton wood Im really considering harvesting some cotton wood and Willow and try an make a hunting weight bow from it iin just feeling up to the challenge.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Go for it superstar.

[Slackbunny]

If you already have the willow and don't have other plans for it, then go for it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained right? With the right design and some luck, you might just get something out of it...but I wouldn't be counting on it.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Wow, this is encouraging. Sorry guys, All I have is an oak 1x2 that is 75 inches long, as well as willow. the oak is already started. I am going to try with the willow. Maybe a weak bow, Heck, a 25 pound recurve is not bad.
Short draw- 20-25 inches.
THanks for the advice. I have heard of pyramid bows....
I tried to pick the boards from the pile that had good, straight, not-crazy-swirly grain.
Should i try to work the board down to one ring? it will probably end up around 1.5 inches wide...
Also I got a 6 inch diam ash log, around 100 inches long. I am probably going to make some light bows and some arrows from it.
-Squirrel.
Also, who is this Squirrelslayer guy?
Also, Hello Dan!

[Christian Soldier]

Ash is a pretty dang good Bow wood. Improve your skills on the Willow. Cut the Ash to 65" and 35" then make a couple "mear heath" style bows and some split timber arrows from the ash.

That's what I'd do. Again, learn some woodworking skills on the willow, and learn all you can about tillering and bow design before starting on that Ash log.

I don't know much about board bowsbut I'm sure the other guys on here would be more than willing to help you out.

[k-hat]

Can you post pics of your board?  Easier to see if it is fine as-is rather than talk it out.

Jawge has some good info on picking boards to compare:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,15690.0.html

I wouldn't chase the ring unless it was sub-par otherwise.  If you can only get 1.5" width, make it longer and go with a more parallel limb design imo.  You'd be surprised what a difference tempering the belly will make.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Hm... How to temper a board belly? Never tried it. have 2 heat-things- Fire, and a 28 inch wide oven.

[bubby]

squirrely you can temper with the stovetop burner set some blocks up to get the stave about 4" off the burner go from there, try and get a nice brown color to the belly

[bushboy]

Heat guns are pretty cheap,bout 20 or so bucks,have use a propne torch with sucess as long as you keep it moving!stove element would also but you would have to make a a jig to hold it in reflex,

[k-hat]

It'd be really cool to use fire, that's how the natives did it!  I've seen some posts on here with folks reverse stringing a floor tillered stave (very low!) to hold the reflex, then tempered the entire limb over coals.  Course I'm lazy and like to do other things while the tempering, so i use a heat gun and prop it up;)