birch bark backed osage bow

[Badly Bent]

Happy weekend gang. Here is a bow I made last June but I never posted pics of it. It is a nice looking bow but I haven't shot it much because it has some unpleasant hand shock. I'm thinking of taking the scraper to it and try and remedy the shock problem. So if anyone has a suggestion as to where I should concentrate my efforts I welcome the advice. It is not a horrible amount of shock but I prefer none at all in my bows. I'm thinking if I can get it shooting nicely I'll put it on the raffle table at the Marshall MI shoot.

[Badly Bent]

Here is a view of the tiller from the other side and a few more pics

[Dances with squirrels]

Nicely bent, Badly Bent.

[Danzn Bar]

Wow Greg!!!...love the bark back and that tiller looks OK to me ......don't know where your getting the hand shock.
Hope to see it in person in a month...I've got a recurve that I'm going to add to the raffle or auction at Marshall. Hopefully we can stir up some cash for the club..... That sinew back recurve I was working on ended up at 37# at 28" so I think it would be great for a kid....or grandson??? it pulls about 28 @ 26" .......I shot the 3D course at Moontree with it...If Nate is at the Classic this year maybe he can shoot it some? See if it works for him.
See you guys soon,
DBar

[Aaron H]

Bend looks good to me Greg, awesome backing too, that birch bark looks really cool.  River birch I'm guessing?

[Badly Bent]

Thanks Squirrel
One of your osage recurves would draw a lot of interest in the raffle Bill and quite a few ladies and teen shooters at that event so 37#would be popular there. I was thinking this one of mine may end up under 40# if I start scraping the belly and thats what made me think Marshall.
Thanks Aaron, actually it is paper, (white birch). Peeled the layers and this is some of middle layers, burnish it with steel wool and it gets this reddish color. Also used a little dye here and there on it.

[bubby]

Greg i don't know the tiller looks pretty good, maybe the top limd could come around a little more. Take that new fancy phone ya got and video shooting the bow, then edit to slo mo and you can see the limbs work

[BowEd]

Pretty bend on that stick Badly Bent.I must say I usually like osage as it is but that burnished birch bark looks better.I've heard of fellas putting a strap of lead under the handle wrap to help reduce shock.In other words making the handle heavier.Don't know if it works since I've not shot their bows.Lot of fussing to do that too I'm sure.Rewrappng etc.
Somebody will like that bow I'm sure of that though.

[Badly Bent]

Sure bub, like I could figure out video, editing, slo-mo. HA!

Ed, don't think the day will come when either you or I go as far as putting lead in our handles.
I've tried raising brace height and heavy, 625 grn. arrows, and although it takes care of most of the shock it also makes the bow a real dog as far as cast goes. Maybe the tiller is to circular for the back profile, maybe the additional weight of the backing, uneven tiller?
I might have a bowyer friend or two shoot it and give their opinion before I go to reshaping and refinishing. I've shot bows that felt very shocky to me that others have said were smooth to them so go figure.

[upstatenybowyer]

Profiles look sweet. I dig the birch bark as well. Here's a few notes from TBB 1 on hand shock...

"the outer limbs of bows with severe hand shock can be retillered, slightly "whipping" their ends, then shortened sufficiently to maintain draw weight"

"high-strung bows, full-draw short bows, and deflex-recurve bows have less hand shock"

"Bows with stiff, or only slightly bending mid-sections (not just handle sections) tend to release with less hand shock"

"Both working-grip and stiff-grip bows have unpleasant hand shock if tillered too round in the handle"

Don't know if any of that helps, but it's a beauty of a bow either way. 

[Trapper Rob]

That's a beauty really like the bark backing.

[selfbow joe]

Really like the bark on the bow. Nice work!

[Mo_coon-catcher]

That looks beautiful with the birch bark back. I wonder if a couple scrapes from mid limb out on each limb would help to reduce shock a bit and not reduce weight too much.

Kyle

[Badly Bent]

Kyle, I'm thinking your right but also thinking it is mostly needed in the top limb as bub hinted to.
Do you see that too? Thanks man.

[bjrogg]

Hope you get it tamed down Greg. That's a really sweet looking bow. That birch looks great. I really like the bend if you can get rid of the shock. What's your weight, draw length and ntn. I bet you'll get it smoothed out.
Bjrogg