I can't afford to leave vast amounts of extra wood around the worst knot and overstrain the timber either side of it so I've taken the rasp to the big knot and it is begining to expose a little of the plugs, especially where I'm rounding the belly more now.
The tips have been slimmed and the string line looks good, which isn't too hard on a bow that long!
I've tightened the string a tad so it is taut, and winched it back to 70#, it's begining to show a promising curve and looks like it could be braced.
It's going to be a bit of a job to get a short string on it at that weight. Time for a cuppa. Maybe I'll have a break and work on tidying up the sapwood on the back.
At this draw weight with a knotty stave it requires plenty of thinking and a 'little at a time' approach. Once I hit that brace height it all starts to happen pretty quick and I'm keen to avoid getting a face full of snapped bow limb.
I've been dreaming about the darned thing which rather shows the amount of thought involved.
Midday, and I've made a string and got it braced, blimey it was tough. I took a few pics and got it on the tiller, my heart was in my mouth as I winched it back 60#, I stepped back and had a look, it was pretty good... Then I took it back to 70# @ 20".Interpolating out to 28" would give about 110# at a guess, so it's time to stop and carefully clean up the back and smooth it all off before plucking up courage and taking it to 90#.
Blimey, I'm pumped up with adrenalin, there's a lot of tension in that wood.
I tried to draw it a bit, but it was like trying to pull a brick wall, there is so much early tension I couldn't get it back enough to bring my shoulders/chest into play. I can pull 90# but couldn't make much impression on this bow.
My big old 75# has a fair bit of set and the weight comes in slower so you can get the limbs moving.
I think it's back to the 10 fast push ups night and morning to build my shoulders up a tad.
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