Help With choke cherry bow layout

[burtonridr]

I want to build a hunting bow from choke cherry for my brother. This will be my second attempt at building a bow for him, the first ended in a broken bow, which might have been choke cherry also… Im having a tough time finding good information about the best type of limb profile for this wood, and also starting dimensions.

My brother has long arms, he has a 29-30” draw length, so that makes things a little more tricky for me. But I’m hoping to end up with a bow that can produce around 50lbs at that draw length.

What would be a good nock to nock length?, Limb width and profile?

The piece of wood I end up with will probably be around 4” diameter, so it will be bordering on a high crown, would it be a good idea to decrown it and go with a flat back?

Any information to help with a good layout would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

[bushboy]

I would go for a 64" Eastern woodland style.

[burtonridr]

Thanks for the reply bushboy. I will research that style of bow a little, at a quick glance it looks like they are similar to my hunting bow.

I got a 3" round 73" long section of chokecherry yesterday, I will rough it out today and see how it goes. 64" seems short to me for my brothers long arms.... I think I'm gonna go a little longer to be on the safe side, but I like the looks of those eastern woodland bows 

[Parnell]

I recall seeing dimensions for a plains bow made of Chokecherry from one of the bow Encyclopedias.
I’d take into account the environment where he’ll use it.  If it’s lower humidity or conditions are relevant, you could go bend through the handle 60” and even sinew back it to make a powerful bow.

I’m figuring you are out west?  I’d consider staying true to the areas traditions...

[bushboy]

I could be wrong ,but I always thought a Eastern woodland was a d bow.

[burtonridr]

Man I'm probably going to pay for not doing more research before diving right in.... but I split, roughed out, and formed it up today. Its going to sit outside in the form and quick dry. I'm in southern idaho, and it has been in the 90s with low humidity, probably wont take to long to dry. I put elmers glue over the handle and fades to hopefully prevent checking.

I roughed it out to 67" long 2" wide limbs out to 17" off center, then taper to 3/4" at the tips. I've got it strapped to a board with 3" round pieces of wood on each end to flip the tips. I'm basically following the same steps as my vine maple hunting bow.

I should be able to finish it out in any style, but I would really like to avoid a bend through handle bow. I want to keep the heart wood on the handle, it has a couple knots and should look really nice when it is all cleaned up.

Do you guys think, given the dimensions, draw weight, and draw length that it will be asking to much for a piece of chokecherry keeping the handle stiff?

[Parnell]

Sounds like you've got plenty to work with...I haven't touched chokecherry so I'm not real sure. 

You are on the mark with standard eastern woodland bows, they bend through the handle.  Often people will refer to them as d bows but I've seen others say the D refers to cross section...but, I dunno!

Guess my mind was moving to considering a high crowned back doing well with sinew and low humidity out there.    I really like a bend through the handle bow but I know many people don't. 

[burtonridr]

Sounds like you've got plenty to work with...I haven't touched chokecherry so I'm not real sure. 

You are on the mark with standard eastern woodland bows, they bend through the handle.  Often people will refer to them as d bows but I've seen others say the D refers to cross section...but, I dunno!

Guess my mind was moving to considering a high crowned back doing well with sinew and low humidity out there.    I really like a bend through the handle bow but I know many people don't.

Yea I thought the D refers to the cross section. But I think the eastern wood land bow is also bend through handle?

I've been in love with the bow made by Zion in this thread.... trying to make one has been like chasing a unicorn.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=37895.0

But I'm just not sure if chokecherry is strong in compression or stretch, I cant tell if it behaves better with a flat limb or D limb or what. I'm kinda thinking I might just have to start shaving and see how it goes since not many people use it as bow wood. But I have access to a TON of it around here.

[burtonridr]

I could be wrong ,but I always thought a Eastern woodland was a d bow.

I wasnt really sure at first.... still not totally sure really.

Is this what you are thinking?
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=14370.0

[burtonridr]

This one looks pretty wide and flat, but it looks like it only is working a small section of the overall limb. It did fail, but I have to wonder that if it were tillered to work the outer limbs more, maybe it would not have failed.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=35265.0

[Parnell]

Eastern woodland bows are typically a more or less rectangular cross section and bend through the handle with basic carved in string nocks.  Utilitarian bows that would have been the most practical thing to make especially considering the tools being used to make them.

Zion's report sure is good for the wood!  That bow doesn't look wide limbed at all and yours is considerably longer.  So sounds like you are building a straight forward American Flat Bow...4" handle gradual fade out to 2" wide limbs.  Sounds to me with the wood report that 2" wide may be overbuilt...but again, I have no experience with that wood.

[burtonridr]

Eastern woodland bows are typically a more or less rectangular cross section and bend through the handle with basic carved in string nocks.  Utilitarian bows that would have been the most practical thing to make especially considering the tools being used to make them.

Zion's report sure is good for the wood!  That bow doesn't look wide limbed at all and yours is considerably longer.  So sounds like you are building a straight forward American Flat Bow...4" handle gradual fade out to 2" wide limbs.  Sounds to me with the wood report that 2" wide may be overbuilt...but again, I have no experience with that wood.

Yea you are probably right, I'm might be over building with 2" wide.

[burtonridr]

Just an update: today I looked at the formed up drying bow, in just around 24hrs with the bow sitting outside it has started to show small checks on the belly(like 1/4" long, and the knots are cracking). So I applied elmers glue to the whole belly, the back still has the bark.

I will keep adding to this thread as I build, hopefully it will help out the next person seeking info on chokecherry.

[burtonridr]

Just an update.... The stick was dry last weekend when I checked it, so I tillered it out over the last few days.

Current dimensions are 64" knock to knock.

Profile from center 4" (overall) handle, 3" fades (2" wide), 12" limb (2" wide), then taper to the tips (1/2" tips).

Limb thickness runs from about .77" at the fades to .54" at the end of the 2" wide portion of the limb. Then stays about .56" for the rest of the limb. The last 4" or so gets a little thin and gets down to about 3/8" ... about an inch of set toward the tips at this point. I think I will try glueing on antler tips for this bow to stiffen up the last 4".

I had knots right at about 21" from center on each limb, so they dont bend much at that point.

Right now I came a little under on what I was shooting for, as far as weight goes. 45# @ 30".

Just a note, the chokecherry wants to tear in one direction on one side of the limb, but behaves on the other side..... I think there is twist in the grain? The sureform rasp has been handy on this one.

I will post up pics in a couple days when I get the handle roughed out.

[burtonridr]

OK here are some pics, these were a few days ago.