Carving a Juniper Short Bow
Channel: Dan Santana Bows
Date: 2021-02-14

Making a juniper short bow from a rough and rotten stave, for challenge and practice. In the end it was the prettiest stave I've ever worked. The bow draws 30# at 24" and is unbacked with a chased ring back. 

 There were some major drying checks in the stave I wasn't able to get rid of by wood removal, so I decided to leave them in the bow and shoot for a lower draw weight. The stave has a few inches of natural deflex, which is normally a disadvantage but  gave me some extra margin for error I really needed.

 Keep in mind that most species of wood are perishable and not suitable for bow making use after exposure to decay. Some of the few exceptions are Osage, Yew, Locust, and Juniper.

In the end I got a fun snap shooter perfect for indoor shooting in my shop range. My other projects were all in a drying stage, so it was great to fit in a quick bow from my favorite wood to work. It's been a few days and the shop still smells like cedar. 

Go make a bow

-Dan



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