Rowan warbow 77"

[JNystrom]

Here is a little rowan branch, 77" aka 196cm long, 41mm wide, 33mm thick in the handle. Nocked with deer antler tips, i started bending just tonight, getting to 110 pounds. This is all still new to me, as you can see from my horn nocks. I just noticed that my "horndrill" is wrong shape(its still made 12mm wide, like ewbs article suggests), and doesn't create enough deep and wide hole as needed. This is why my nock's are as they are, but i plan to change this in the next one....

I am chasing as much pounds as i dare to pull. I think i should push 120-130lb with this wide stave....
I maybe should brace it next.

Anyway, here is some bend. Left limb might be bending a bit too much.

[FilipT]

That left limb will surely be playing tricks on your eyes. Looking forward to next update!

[cadet]

Those kinks are going to be challenging to tiller - but will look unique if it works. I look forward to seeing how you go.  I have some elm and hawthorn with similar kinks.

[Badger]

   It looks like that area just to the left of the handle is going to be what limits your draw weight. Might be playing tricks on my eye but it seems to be at its full bend radius right now. Do you know the physical weight of the bow at this point?

[JNystrom]

Yep, 15"~ from the handle left, its bending quite much. It still has 36 oz/1kg of weight, so i feel confident.

[JNystrom]

Little more... Here its 120lbs, i got to brace it next time.
I like these comparisons with paint, really makes you see the bend!

edit: Now that i look at it, looks like that left limb start that we spoke of, took even some more bend... I thought i worked it to ease some off, but tomorrow i really need to be careful.

[Marc St Louis]

The outer limb on the right might give you trouble

[mikekeswick]

Yes outer right is looking weak and I would say watch that deflexed spot on the outer left limb too. Bear in mind that when you brace it the mid limb into outers will bend more than with the longstring.

[JNystrom]

Thank you all for tips! They sure are helpful. I'll get it braced and post some progress.

[JNystrom]

Well that was relaxing... 2 hours of try's to brace the bow, loud cursing, not to forget the fearing of blowing the bow on your face. I was alone and had to do it standing, while pulling with long string and sliding the normal string on place. This was a new thing to me, so at least i learned it well, when doing that 15 times and once slapping the string on my fingers really painfully.
I made two strings for the bow, first a 8 strand bcy 452x and when this stretched like hell, a 12 strand string also. Well even the 12 strand string stretched and streched. Since 1 strand of bcy 452x should stand 70 pounds, 12 strand should be 820 pounds, aka 4x string for a 200 pounder. I'm aware the bow  is now way over 120 pounder at brace height, but not a 200???
Surely the next step is to put some 20 strand string on, but i must ask, is this a normal thing? I haven't had these problems before with my strings.

I fixed the tiller though and got it bending a bit more nicely.

edit: Or maybe i just shouldn't brace it yet? Balance the tiller and draw couple more inches with the long string.

[mikekeswick]

It is useful to brace these biggies early to see the true shape.
Use a 20 strand tillering string. Use a lighter string once it is tillered to full draw.

[DC]

When you make a new string even with supposed non-stretching string it has to settle in(for lack of a better term). I think what happens is the twists tighten up and the wax gets squeezed out. This takes maybe an hour or so(your results may vary). If you can pre-stretch do so. Also the longer you make the tails and the farther down the string you twist the more it will "stretch". I always thought my loops were slipping so I kept making the tails longer and longer. The problem got worse and worse. Finally someone on here convinced me that I only need about 7" to make a loop. Now they only "stretch" a little. Takes about a half hour to settle right down. All this is for a Flemish twist string. I've never used 452x but I think it's the same stuff as FF.

[Badger]

JN, you can measure the current draw weight of your bow while it is still on the long string. It will read just about the same poundage with a long string as it would read if it were braced. So if it says 120#@24" with your string hanging down loose 6" it will still read about 120#@24" when you brace it. I know that sounds counter intuitive but it is pretty accurate.

[JNystrom]

Thanks for the advice's again!
I was just thinking what was the ratio for long string vs short string. I remember Del talked about it in his videos, just couldn't remember how was it exactly.
Anyway, now i got it braced, 20 strand, little bit stretching and little bit scraping did the job. When i first time tried to brace it, it must have been somewhere around 120#@20", so maybe 180#@30?? No wonder the strings stretch...

Here it is 100#@20". I feel the tiller is close to spot on. 5" brace height. My earlier attempt was to get as much poundage of the stave as i could and i can feel the hunger growing... The profile is quite nice for a white wood bow (still 40x31mm in the handle) and with heat treating, i could bring the poundage up another 10lb. What do you think of achievable goal?

ps. It weights 33 oz atm.

[JNystrom]

Well... It broke. 1" higher brace height and 105#@21".
Apparently it had extreme spiraling growth. It's quite common for rowan, but not this much. That spot left next to handle wasn't bending way too much anymore, but that is where it broke.
No worries, i got very nice stash of wych elm staves... Already got one coming.