Mountain Ash in Archery - Primitive Bows Forum

RSS
Email

0 Points

Forum Jump

Mountain Ash

Author	Comment
shezli	Mountain Ash	Lead	[-]
Posts: 15 Aug 27 12 10:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hello, This is a bow that I have been working with for a while. I pick at it a bit then leave it and so on. All in all it's been close to a year since I felled the Mountain Ash tree that you see here. Now there are a few things here that I am concerned about. 1. The tiller: I see that the ends are not the same to start so I am worried that I will stress one limb out if I go for a pretty looking even tiller. Also the belly has some crapy spots that wanted to splinter when I was roughing it out. It looks almost like some of that will be in the finished bow. I'm not the best at seeing tiller so help with this is much appreciated. 2. Checks in the handle: I was hoping for a thin handle with a short grip, not a beast. The checks look like they run deep so I am wondering if I will have to plane the handle down and add some other wood in order to make this happen or would it be a good idea to just turn it into a bend in the handle design? 3. Heat Treating: is this too far along to heat treat? I have heard over and over that ash (white?) really likes it when you heat treat the belly. I live in a dry part of northern Alberta if this makes a difference. 4. Tips: Where I have them roughed out, the string bisects the handle nicely. However I was going to try for the pin knocks which are starting to look worse and worse in my mind. Any design input for this? Anyhow thank you for any help. I usually like to learn on my own however I think that I owe this piece of wood the best that it can get so I'm swallowing my pride for the time being.
	Remove this ad
shezli		#1	[-]
Posts: 15 Aug 29 12 6:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Looks like i'll just post a pic when it's all finished.
ryoon4690		#2	[-]
Posts: 736 Aug 29 12 6:47 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Sorry no one has answered so far. I planned on doing so earlier but forgot as I saw the post on my phone and forgot to respond once I got home. 1. The tiller looks like it's starting to bend more in the inner limb. But before changing tiller, I'd adjust the taper toward your tips so it's from mid limb to the tips. 2. I don't see the checks you're referring to in the pics but since the handle isn't working it shouldn't matter. It looks like you have plenty of depth to narrow the handle to a comfortable 1 1/8" wide. 3. Now would probably be a great time to heat treat the bow. I like to heat treat my bows right after they're floor tillered so that I can induce a good amount of reflex without straining the wood too much. 4. Nock design depends mostly on looks so do whatever you like best. I prefer filed in string grooves opposed to pin nocks but either will work. Just make sure you don't cut into the back of the bow. Best of luck to you! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
prignitzer bowman		#3	[-]
Posts: 128 Aug 29 12 10:22 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hello Shezli, I was hoping some of the more experienced guys here would address your problems, I know how irritating it can be when no one gives his or hers help. IMO you need to shape your bow more than it is at the moment, before you carry on with tillering. From your photos it looks like a straight piece of wood? I think you need to decide if it is a pyramid bow or a what ever you want. The tips look very large but you can reduce them a little later. What I am trying to say is that the arms need to taper more to the tips. I would work on the handle later as well. How wide is your wood? After you taper it (Pyramid or Holmgaard, I would go with pyramid untill you have more experience) look at the tiller again, it will have changed a bit. I don't think it is bending enough at the moment to really comment on it. But: Right limb is bending more, left limb needs work on the mid limb. But define your bow shape and let us have some new photos. I am not the most experienced bowyer so perhaps some of you guys out there will help out too. Best of luck - I have a piece of mountain ash that took quite alot of set so I am interested in how this works out. Prignitzer
Blocuststick		#4	[-]
Posts: 30 Aug 29 12 11:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	hi as Prignitzer said give more shape to it - measure the middle and then mark the stick every 5 cm . or 2 inch - you can number this marks from 1 to..... then try to give the wood the same width at the marks as on opposite side...so that its gets narrower and narrower at to the tips....so your wide is at least balanced at upper and lower limp... take time..AND i really recommend reading books like TBB1 - has great section concerning floor tillering and tillering itself - not go for any draw weigth...just try to make it bend equal. IMHO....cause honestly making bows has been discussed endlessly.....and don´t get me wrong...discovering on your own in practicing and even failing can help much more then the 500th explanation of the pro guys who roam here... and for my personal tip: use hand tools which are slow but can be uses precise like a file or rasp..... greets Blacklocuststick
shezli		#5	[-]
Posts: 15 Aug 31 12 8:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey guys thanks for your replies, I was trying to leave as much back on it as possible because it is a very crowned piece. However I will look at it harder and see what i can do for taper, especially after I have heat treated it. I have started using my rasp to slow things down. I have read all of TBB books, but it took me a long time as I am a very slow reader as well as being a practical learner. Anyhow, I think you have helped me get over this hump that I have been in for a while with this stick. I really appreciate your input and I will be posting some results.
	Remove this ad
prignitzer bowman		#6	[-]
Posts: 128 Sep 1 12 12:28 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Some woods are good with a crown, but it would help if you give the dimensions. Also you do need to practice with a draw knife, a lot of people use it the wrong way round - I did for a long time till I read either here or on another platform that the proper way to use it is with the bevel down, it takes off less wood but doesn't rip into it, still needs practice. Every piece of wood is a lesson learned before it is a bow.
bluestone52		#7	[-]
Posts: 198 Sep 1 12 10:55 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I almost always use my drawknife bevel up. I only use the bevel down for tighter curves because it tends to bite more and chip out.
JustinL		#8	[-]
Posts: 1063 Sep 1 12 11:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Just my 2 cents. I do usually use my drawknife bevel down but I find it seems to work the same either way.. The important part is your angle of approach. With the drawknife bevel side up you need to have it almost flat to not dig in. With bevel down its more around 20-40 degrees, This is just easier for me to keep constant and remove an intended amount. Which is why I prefer bevel down.. I think there is no right way just what works best for you. I think it is definitely important to try it both ways.. The only time I have a problem of chipping out is when I try cutting through growth rings. cutting from thinner to thicker if that makes sense. Like if I already have an even taper from handle to tip, where multiple growthrings have been cut. If I more in the direction from thick to thin I have no problem, Moving from thin to thick will most likely lift on a growth ring and rip it up.. Some of my finished bows have these in them because removing it would require lowering weight. It doesn't look the best but doesn't seem to be a problem. I hope that all makes sense. Also when I have a knot like in your 6th picture down, I usually put the draw knife down and use a rasp to work that area. "Every creature born in the biological community of the earth belongs to that community. Nothing lives in isolation from the rest; nothing can live in isolation from the rest. Nothing lives only in itself, needing nothing from the community. Nothing lives only for itself, owing nothing to the community. Nothing is untouchable or untouched. "Every life in the community is owed to the community--and is paid back to the community in death. "The community is a web of life, and every strand of the web is a path to all the other strands. Nothing is exempt. Nothing is special. Nothing lives on a strand by itself, unconnected to the rest. Nothing is wasted. Everything that lives is food for another."--Daniel Quinn, Pg.23, The Book of the Damned Last Edited By: JustinL Sep 1 12 11:18 AM. Edited 1 times.
prignitzer bowman		#9	[-]
Posts: 128 Sep 1 12 11:35 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Agree with you totally Justin. Good tip about rasping knots.
shezli		#10	[-]
Posts: 15 Sep 2 12 6:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I measured it and it goes as follows: Length 67" Width 13/4" and I'm leaving around 3.5" for the handle (not including the fades) It's about 3/4-1/2 inch deep (front to back) Not sure how to measure the crown but it seems to be a lot. I'm thinking I might trim the ends down a bit, perhaps an inch or two. I will definitely be using the rasp more as it takes much less wood and there is a lot less chance of a big bad splinter! Last Edited By: shezli Sep 4 12 11:17 AM. Edited 1 times.
	Remove this ad

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash