ORIGINAL: bigcountry
ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily
Actually, after looking at the right limb a little closer, the first third is not all that bad, I might not even touch the fades, but the left does need the first third loosened a bit.
This was before I really screwed it up. I messed around with the right limb and ended up getting a bad hinge 10" from then tip. Bow is down from 55lbs to 40lbs now and still looks bad. Only think left to do is try to get it right and pike and heat treat the belly. Remember that instruction in Trad Bible Vol 1, where they said, "don't go and try to take a bunch of wood off all at once or you will turn that 60lb bow into a 35lb real quick?" Well, lesson learned.
I have put it away for a while. And figured I would come back to it. Figured if I can get it right, I will pike it by taking 2" off each tip, and sell or give away to someone with a 27" draw. It will be 60" bow at that point. I made the width 1 3/4" at the fades, so I think it will handle the shorter length.
I also have a bunch of sinew. This is an option too after piking. And might be safe for my 29" draw.
I just don't have the eye you guys do for these things yet.
It takes practice. I would not give up on the bow. It sounds like you are see-saw tillering. when you are at the point you are at with that bow, get away from the rasps, scrapers (unless you are real good with them),and surforms. Use a low grit sandpaper. I use a bur scraper with a very mild burr and/or 35 grit sand paper on a block at the point you are at. Osage will show tiller effect real quick. Much faster than a dense wood like ipe. Once you get it tillered out, you can heat in some reflex, pike it, and back with sinew . And you are right, at 1 3/4 osage can handle quite a bit of tension as long as its backed. If you uses sinew, heat in some reflex then let the sinew pull in more as it dries. Ive never had much luck heat treating bellies, so i cant help you their.