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yew holmegaard--full draw pics--tru-oil finish
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nah, they're just there to give you something to remark about...
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well i've put some more time in on the thing. Got my bandsaw back: that speeds things up!
Today i gave the initial shape to the handle. I've preselected an upper limb (based on a big knot just out of the fades on what is the Lower limb) and carved the handle to provide good arrow-pass in the right spot. I'm going for a dished handle on this one, too, first time. See how that goes. Tell me what you think of the sapwood and how it steps down on the back. I like it, and it makes the handle stiffer so i can get closer to center on the arrow side. The sapwood is not the same on each end of the handle, again because of that knot.
I was careful when bandsawing the relief cuts on the handle, but still went further than i intended...i call these mistakes "INCENTIVE" for working with the rasp and scraper.
Also today i started actually floor tillering this thing, and here are a couple belly shots during tillering. I'm just about to cut nocks on and i'll post pics of that later.
I've had a couple of cool ideas for this bow today. Both have to do with the tips.
One, an issue that presented itself right away: TIP MASS. With the knots out at the ends like this, i thought it was gonna be a turtle bow. But i'm finding you can take those knots right down. But i also thought of carving designs out of the sides of the tips, which would relieve mass and create a sort-of I-Beam effect. Any ideas?
Other idea about the tip overlay. I have a bunch of rosewood, but is the heartwood of yew strong enough that i shouldn't have to bother?
Thanks for looking, guys
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Okay so i floor tillered it until it bent smoothly, then hit it with a nock-to-nock string. My desired weight on this one is +/- 60# @28. Well i'm not far off.
With the string set so that it's braced 1.5 " from the heartwood ring which is the bow's back, it pulls to 50# at about 18". It's not got the perfect arc yet so i'm not gonna pull it past until i eliminate possibilities for hinges to set in.
As adb will agree, the holmegaard has to maximize the working limb, since it's so short. This means i'll be heading toward the fades as soon as possible, but i have a flat spot to take care of before i do.
Sorry, can't give tillering pics, cuz i do it all in the mirror and with a tiller stick. Mirror for shape, stick for poundage.
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You can see a few things in the above pics.
1. Look at the back of the handle, come down a few rings to the darkest ring...this was the one i initially mistook for the heartwood! Good thing i kept going...
2. The string is almost dead center despite the little twist in the limbs. I will use this reference point to help me tiller. Essentially, the working limbs will be parallel down their length, but obviously i missed a spot! I can take wood off the side there to bring the string to center and thereby help tiller.
3. I discovered how to use the rings to gauge thickness of the limb, not only down its length, but across from side to side. I'll show a few more pics to demonstrate, but the gist is this: if one side has more parallel growth rings running down the limb (i.e., if the edge-grain section of the flatbow limb is wider), then that side of the limb is thinner. I have a bunch of tillering left to do, and as the forthcoming pictures will show (if they aren't too terrible), all of the wood to come off will come off the thicker side of the limb.
Notice that the limb that is showing has even grain patterns: this limb is equal thickness both edges...but due to the twin knots that spot is a bit high and so it has to come down.
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