Saturday 22 March 2014

Damn Damn and Thrice Damn

The Ash bow is doing nothing for my opinion of Ash at all in fact it's even making me doubt my skill as a bowyer at times.
I was getting the tiller looking even at about a 4" brace. I pulled it back to 70#, which isn't excessive seeing as how I'm aiming for about 85#, the area where the deflex dip was seemed to suddenly be weak again. Close examination revealed the dreaded silvery diagonal hairline of a chrysal * .... groan, my heart sank.
So what do I do?
a) Throw it in the corner of shame?
b) press on regardless and end up with a puddingy 60# bow with a ton of set?
c) Heat treat that area again to toughen it up and press on carefully?
d) Put in a patch of heat treated Ash?
e) Make tea and toast.
Hmmmm I think I'll go for e) and then maybe c)
I don't hold out much hope, but maybe it will be ok as an intermediate practice bow for one of the guys working up towards a 100#. It'll prob end up being a freebie or a loaned out bow... it's not going to be fit for sale. Still it's how we learn.
Not only is every man his own safety officer. He's his own quality control too.
I'll post some pics if I get it back to a worthwhile draw length.

* Chrysals are compression fractures on the belly where the wood is over strained, they are barely visible and go surprisingly deep (3 or 4mm easily) they are usually visible as fine diagonal lines. There are pics on the Hazel bow page of my website 'Delsbows' down fairly near the bottom of the page.
https://sites.google.com/site/delsbows/home/hazel-primitive-bows

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