Author Topic: Should I continue on a bow with chrysals? (Read 3709 times)

Christian Soldier · « **on:** June 18, 2013, 04:19:45 pm »

I've got a hickory 'west coast' short bow I'm working on now that had a slight hinge that I just worked out (worked the arrows above and below the hinge and haven't touched it since I saw the crysals) but I noticed it got a little chrysalling when it had the hinge.

Its still got a good ways to go draw length/weight wise (I'm about at 15" of an eventual 24" draw) and I'm okay if it comes out a little under what I wanted. Should I continue on this bow or just move on to the next stave?

Thanks.

Dan

Joec123able · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2013, 04:30:21 pm »

I would move on

Pat B · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2013, 05:22:35 pm »

If it is a special stave or bow you could always add a more compression strong belly lam like osage or ipe. This might be more than you are comfortable with now but save the bow with that in mind at a later date.
In the meantime go ahead and start a new bow.

mikekeswick · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2013, 03:54:10 am »

Short answer - no

dwardo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2013, 05:32:08 am »

If you have enough wood to be able to correct the tiller and remove the crystals then yes.
Only thing is they run very deep, much deeper than they look on the surface.

Usually there isn't enough wood to do this.

Dances with squirrels · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2013, 07:30:00 am »

To me, chrysal is French for kindlin'

Pappy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2013, 07:33:18 am »

What Pat said,if you don't want to go that rout,then what Mike said.

probably ant coming out while tillering.

Pappy

blackhawk · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2013, 08:02:27 am »

There is something that needs to be learned here so you don't do it again....if it was just a "slight hinge" (a subjextive and debatable phrase pending on ones own opinion and experience level)as you said then your design was probably too narrow and not wide enough to support the load(as long as the wood was dry)...so was you wood dry? What were the specific dimensions? How much weight were you pulling(never pull past intended target weight) ...you obviously did something wrong for it to fret at only 15"..and learning why and learning from the failure will help you in the future and to not repeat that mistake

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2013, 08:50:07 am »

Good point Chris.

Pappy

George Tsoukalas · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2013, 09:42:46 am »

These days. I do.

There are fixes that will forestall the inevitable where the bow folds up like a book at the hinge.
First step is fix the tiller by leaving the hinge alone. It goes deeply into the wood.
I've had some success slapping some rawhide over the hinged area. That will buy some time.

Jawge

PEARL DRUMS · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2013, 10:25:20 am »

What! Jawgey your suppose to be holding mater plants up with ANY flawed bows!

Id belly patch it and fix the tiller.

Christian Soldier · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2013, 11:04:08 am »

Quote from: blackhawk on June 19, 2013, 08:02:27 am

There is something that needs to be learned here so you don't do it again....if it was just a "slight hinge" (a subjextive and debatable phrase pending on ones own opinion and experience level)as you said then your design was probably too narrow and not wide enough to support the load(as long as the wood was dry)...so was you wood dry? What were the specific dimensions? How much weight were you pulling(never pull past intended target weight) ...you obviously did something wrong for it to fret at only 15"..and learning why and learning from the failure will help you in the future and to not repeat that mistake

I'll move on. Dissapointing, yes, but its part of the learning process I guess. Hickory isn't exactly a rare or exotic wood and I've got a few other staves I can start on.
Not sure if these questions are rhetorical but I'm going to answer them anyway.

It was a legit hinge, didn't see it during floor tillering but started to work it out after I braced it. I should have fixed it completly right then but it looked 'better', but I continued on the other limb and getting some of the other problems and drew it a little further to 12, then 15 observing how the other limb was stiff (which also would have helped in chysalling), not paying much attention to the hinge, probably my biggest mistake there.

It was 2 inches wide most of the limb tapering to 3/8" tips and a 1" bendy handle, 50" long. Doable AFAIK, but without the hinge. Its been seasoning 4.5 months. About 1/2 of that in 'shaped' form. Never put it on the scale but it wasn't pulling really heavy or overstessed due to draw weight.

Just my complacency in tillering.

Moving on to to the next staves now. Thanks for the help guys!

Primitive Archer