Time to get back to the bowyer shop...

[Chisler]

I couldn't hunt today, so I got to thinking about building new bows.  Not sure if this is thr right spot to post this... but here goes, try to post some photos too, just food for thought.  http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s169/chisler1959/tradgang/greenwood001.jpg[/IMG]]photobucket  

 http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s169/chisler1959/tradgang/BOWYER066.jpg[/IMG]]photobucket  
 http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s169/chisler1959/tradgang/101507024.jpg[/IMG]]photobucket

[Chisler]

I have a sweet shooting 3 pc takedown long bow that I built last year, so now I feel I can get creative and try something different...  I have some nice black locust I could back with ipe (sp??).

[the Ferret]

Sweet mother of gawd, look how straight and clean that is.  

[Minuteman]

Is that osage?? Great googly moogly thats uncommonly clean!

[Jack Guard]

Beautiful looking black locust.  I cant get over how straight and clear it looks,  Cant wait to see what ya make !

[Chisler]

Sorry, didn't mean to mislead anyone - the straight stuff is pignut hickory from Ohio last summer.  I spliced a blank and made a pretty selfbow with it - but the compression fractures on the belly (called chrysalis??) would scare you.  They scare me. It shoots nice, I'm a beginner, but I think it's gonna explode with the next shot.  I guess I didn't teach the hickory to bend in a calm and patient manner - bent it too much too soon before it was ready.  I wish I had some Osage or Locust that looks like this Hickory.  Any comments or advice concerning the compression fractures?
  I love looking at the grain of the raw/fresh wood - I'll try to post some more photos as I get them.

[4runr]

Man, that split made my eyes bug out.  

[George Tsoukalas]

Nice stuff. Hickory makes a great bow. Are you sure that's hickory? There doesn't seem to be much lighter colored sapwood there. You have to really work at causing a chrysal in hickory. It's tough stuff. When you rough out the bow take a llong sliver and try to break it in half. It's a;most impossible to do so. Compression fractures happen in the belly (chrysals, frets) and have 2 causes. (1) Improper design of the limbs. Too narrow. Too short. In this case, they occur over the whole limb. (2) Improper tillering. The limb bends too much in a spot in relation to the rest of the limb. It chrysals. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Of course none of the experienced bowyers on this site have ever had a belly chrysal. That is except for me. May be a half a hundred times! Ash, osage, yew, black locust have all gone the way of the chrysal. Never on hickory though. LOL. Enjoy.    Jawge