I was driving home from work, after a bunch of wind throughout the day and saw a big white ash branch in my neighbor’s yard that had broken off, so I grabbed it and started making my first self bow. I haven’t been able to buy or harvest a stave so i was very excited. Knotty stave, green, and full of snakes. But it looked straight tip to tip. I was almost to floor tillerinf and was checking a limb for even bend and must have put too much force, it was bending evenly but I did apply a stupid amount of force on this bend. Can that alone break a bow in process? Or was it a bad selection? I will post pictures. Snapped off clean towards upper limb

By the way, this is a symmetrical design it just looks asymetrical in the second picture because I was on the stairs. Very disappointed to have broken this stave!!! Devestated because it was my only piece to work on and it was starting to look so neat.

You can dang sure apply too much force! I treat the tillering of a selfbow delicately. Never pull it past target weight. IMO tillering is teaching the wood to bend as much as it’s getting everything to bend how you want it to. Wood ain’t perfect, it can break just because it’s gonna break. That said, I haven’t used ash. They say if you ain’t breaking, you ain’t makin. Still sucks though!! Good luck on your next one!

Good point elderly OCR

Whatever the cause, the important thing is to start another one. Turn the tragedy into a textbook.

Anyone have any seasoned ash? I really loved the grain of this stave

To quote Jawge, "If you aren't breakin', you aren't makin'".

Congrats. You've taken your first step to being a bowyer.

Experienced bowyers and more so with new bowyers we really have to keep certain things under control when making a bow. A scale is very important because we always want to know how hard we are pulling on it. It could have broke for a lot of different reasons most of which have nothing to do with you or you could have made a mistake. Either way you probably learned something here.

Don't throw it away until you know why it failed. Very important lessons can still be found in it.

Can I tell you what I think maybe I see? It's hard to tell in those pictures, but maybe I can give you something to check on. It looks to me like the limb is wider and thicker between the break and the tip, than it is at the break.

With few exceptions, for an even bend, a limb should get thinner and/or narrower from dips to tips, never thicker AND wider. Thicker can create a weak spot behind it. Wider can create a weak spot behind it too. Both together can be bad news. Just something to look at.

It's really hard to say from information we have. It could be the wood, tillering, violated ring on back, drawing to heavy. Or like a plane crash a series of events that all come together to spell disaster. I'm pretty sure most of us have broken at least one ourselves. I have. Like a plane crash it deserves a investigation to learn the cause. Build another but take your time. The two most important things to concentrate on are a clean unviolated ring on back. And most important of all properly tillering the bow. Get everything bending evenly and sharing the stress. Afraid all the ash here is dead and not worthy of bow staves anymore. Best of luck. Hope you get a shooter. It's an awesome feeling when the plane doesn't crash.

Bjrogg

Like Jeff said above.

Where it broke was way thinner than further out towards the tip.

That made it weaker there.

Also you said it was green.

Wood has to dry and season before making a bow from it.

That looks like a very difficult stave for a beginner.

I saw a big knot that seemed to span the width of the stave. I see that it did not break there.

Perhaps an easier stave or board is in order. Info on my site.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge

Bummer. Looks like you had that bow shaped out nicely for what looks like a knotty, wavy stave. Keep making, you'll get there in no time! Good luck!

Jawge I’ve done board bows, really wanted to make a selfbow for this year’s season. Yeah it was a very snakey knotty stave but I think I might have been OK? if I didn’t overflex the limb too early?

Beardzeone? Whiteblackfoot? That jut looks like a tough stave. Jawge

Yes and had a lot of knots, that’s why some areas were still thicker, was trying to slowly work at em to avoid tearout or taking too much off. Man, very disappointed!!!! Was having fun and just happened to find that nice sized piece. Bidding on a seasoned stave on ebay now, much easier looking to work at Jawge, you’re right that one was difficult. Really love the snakey knotty looking bows though so a bummer indeed

I didn’t even tell my wife yet about bidding on a stave yet whoops

I agree they are fun to make those character bows. It is good t start with a nice straight, no knots stave. Jawge

Joseph, my first bow broke also, but I knew why after making my first successful one.

It was just plain putting the cart before the horse, I was over stressing the limbs, I got so excited that I was almost successful with my first one that I just rushed it.

Success on your next!

Id suggest getting Paul Comstocks "Bent Stick" pamphlet for a few bucks. Its cheap, simple to comprehend and a good starting point.

White ash is dead dying in your state, probably why the branch hit the ground to begin with. Starting with healthy wood is rule #1.

If it helps, my first one broke too. About 10 years ago I made a board bow and was very proud of it - I thought I nailed it and it shot well. After about 200 shots it blew up at full draw with the top limb smacking me right in the face . . . which actually improved my looks! I've made a dozen or so since - still trying to make that perfect bow. Sure is fun! Hang in there!

This is my first successful bow

Buddy showed up at bow making night with an osage bow that he finished up and had been shooting all day. He strung it up and handed it to me and said, take a shot. I drew the bow back and about half way back the bow collapsed. I handed it back and told him it was a shooter. We all laughed.

At some point it is going to happen again if you continue to make bows.

Definitely second the Bent Stick. Great book. I had lots of breaks before I got a bow. Jawge

Jon, that's why I don't' shoot other people's self-bows.

reddogge this is a good crew that gets together on Thursday nights. The guy that brought the bow said after it snapped, I didn't like that bow anyway and tossed it in the fire place. But you are right about shooting another persons self bow.

I remember when I first started making selfbows I was afraid to let anyone shoot them. I didn't want to even get a scratch on them. After about 30 or so I started really enjoying my bows. I always have one I'm dragging around with me. My very favorite thing is to watch someone else shoot my bows. Especially someone who has never shot a selfbow before. I do keep a close eye on them though and give them some basic instructions first. It's very rewarding to see the smile and surprise on their faces. So far none have broken. I sure hope I didn't just jinx myself. I do agree though. If You or someone else has a selfbow that they a very attached to, probably not a good idea for anyone else to draw it. I'm attached to all my bows, but I've learned to let them go and I've enjoyed them so much more since I have.

Bjrogg

Bows that break when others draw them are destined to break, within reason of course. I offer my bows up often and am offended if the person doesn't draw and/or shoot it. I know what Im asking for when I ask. I cant tell you how many times I spent hours or days on a bow only to have it fail during the build. I simply toss it in my junk corner and start another one without skipping a beat. You have to have thick skin to enjoy this hobby, wood bows will fail on occasion.

Well said drummer boy

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