Bow Dimensions

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blakey

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Hi guys, i would appreciate some advice. I've started chopping out my last stave from my unknown timber which it seems from all your comments might be Ash? It's only 67" long coz unfortunately that's how the Council crew cut it. Could have done with another 6" at least. Here's a pic (I hope) of it alongside a previous bow from the same log:


Here's the dimensions. Previous bow is 35mm wide and 25mm deep in the mid-section. New stave is 40mm wide and 35mm deep in the middle. Here's the thing; the previous bow pulls in the low forties, and will probably settle downwards yet I think because it was only made recently. But the new one, as you see it in the pic is only budging a few inches with 100 lbs hanging off it, which is all the weight I have? Does anyone have an opinion about the kind of weight a short 66" bow will carry? The cambium is completely intact on this one (on the previous it was breached in a couple of places). I'm really surprised at the stiffness of this one, I was hoping for about 70 lb, but this must be in the 120s? I'll have to reduce it to get it on the tiller, but I'm wondering what kind of poundage I can realistically expect with such a short length? Any ideas appreciated. Cheers
 
D

Deleted member 7654

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I think it depends entirely on the wood, a bit of 2x1 pine from the wood yard will support a lot of weight, but it won't make a decent bow.
A 66" Yew stave will make a 28" draw 70# bow no problem, but Hazel would be pushing it to get 50#.
Short answer is dunno, but if you want to maximise the potential go for wide as possible as it will be less stress on the wood. Look upon a wide bow as like having 2 of your low forties bows lightly taped together side by side, same stress in each but put 'em together and it's twice the draw weight :)
Del
 

blakey

Active member
I think it depends entirely on the wood, a bit of 2x1 pine from the wood yard will support a lot of weight, but it won't make a decent bow.
A 66" Yew stave will make a 28" draw 70# bow no problem, but Hazel would be pushing it to get 50#.
Short answer is dunno, but if you want to maximise the potential go for wide as possible as it will be less stress on the wood. Look upon a wide bow as like having 2 of your low forties bows lightly taped together side by side, same stress in each but put 'em together and it's twice the draw weight :)
Del
Thanks for that Del. I had a go at reducing it last night but kept it wide as you suggested. Got it down to about 70 lb and 24" on the tiller. There were lots of horrible cracking noises and I thought I buggered it, but finally realised that it was the remnants of the bark letting go. Just got in from a comp today, and cleaned off all the bark, only to find a breach in the cambium probably from a bang with someowt heavy? Fortunately it's near the handle so I ran some glue in it. To be safe I whittled it down some more. Now about 60 lbs and drawing 27", so I'll probably leave it at that. Wish I knew what the wood was, so I could forage for some more. Cheers
 

CraigMBeckett

New member
Blakey,

Why are you bothering with the cambium it does nothing for the bow? The only good thing about the cambium being intact is that it tells you the sapwood surface is probably intact.

Craig.
 

blakey

Active member
Blakey,

Why are you bothering with the cambium it does nothing for the bow? The only good thing about the cambium being intact is that it tells you the sapwood surface is probably intact.

Craig.
Hi Craig. I read somewhere that it's best to leave bark and cambium for wych elm. The idea of bark is obviously a nonsense. And I know it's not elm, but I thought it safest to leave the cambium. It's a lazy amateurs way of limiting potential damage to the bits that matter. I now have 3 working ELBs for the boys at the club to play with, so my mission of insidious insurrection is underway. Next, 'shooting in the bowe'. The elders have been wagging their beards in disgust at me for a while. Cheers
 
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