Author Topic: Fancy boo backed ERC (No. 51)  (Read 47412 times)

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Offline simson

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Fancy boo backed ERC (No. 51)
« on: September 22, 2014, 12:05:36 am »
Some months ago a friend asked wether I would like to have a branch of a juniper which he had to cut away as it was broken down by a storm. And of corse I did. He brought a piece, kinda a quarter of a stave with that broken storm violation on one end. The sap was creamy, the heart wood light brown. I laid it in a corner of my shop to let it season. Some weeks ago it came in my mind again and I examined the piece, thought it looks a lot like ERC. But that color and it was grown in Germany … . I made a fresh cut with my hacksaw and saw the purple color – ERC indeed, German ERC. Unbelievable, it grows here.
Here is the “stave”, about 40” total, last 12” not usable (broken end)




I didn't know what to do with that weird piece so I bandsawed it in slats about ½” thick, kinda quartersawn.







This is what I got, slats or boards with sap on one half side and heartwood on the other. Beautiful wood with hundreds of pin knots and some larger ones.




Looking at that slats with that nice colors, I decided to combine it opposing






I have bought some boo slats, this should became a backing for my two slats, here is the 'splice'. I cut away the sap in the handle area in a rectangular shape.




My plan was a diagonal handle, it should look like the heartwood turns over to the other side. Here is the idea marked easily with a 1” wide masking tape




Some curves for a funky transition …




Before cutting out, the back was strengthened with two slats of flooring boo, all glued together with TB 3




And rasped down for a smooth transition








two pics to show the idea of the switching over heartwood

P14




.... more will follow soon  .....
« Last Edit: December 19, 2014, 03:24:25 am by simson »
Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline Pat B

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2014, 12:11:04 am »
This ought to be good.  8)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Weylin

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2014, 12:59:11 am »
Can't wait to see this finished. You come up with some crazy ideas, Simon. This will look awesome, I'm sure.

Offline leehongyi

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2014, 04:31:09 am »
i am afraid that this kind of joint will not survive.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2014, 06:51:35 am »
i am afraid that this kind of joint will not survive.
He's strengthened the back and may well glue a riser block onto the belly too, he know what he's doing so it should be fine....
I'm watching with interest... it should be one funky bow :laugh:.
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Will H

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2014, 07:29:26 am »
Can't wait to see this one Simson! Very creative!!
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Offline Badly Bent

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2014, 07:54:46 am »
Fancy indeed. Cool project Simon, I'll be watching.
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2014, 07:57:57 am »
When your good, your good.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline PatM

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2014, 09:54:06 am »
More than likely a hybrid cultivar of Juniper than true ERC but it's basically the same wood.

gutpile

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2014, 10:16:06 am »
afraid the boo will over power the erc...interesting splice ...awaiting finished product...gut

Offline Blackcoyote

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2014, 02:04:02 pm »
Simon you're posts never disappoint....can't wait to see how this one turns out!
Drew - St. Johns, Michigan

Offline simson

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2014, 02:26:55 pm »
Can't wait to see this finished. You come up with some crazy ideas, Simon. This will look awesome, I'm sure.

Weylin I like to do awide variaty of bow designs and esp. like to do experiments. some come out good, some not.
but always lots to learn and much fun to work on

i am afraid that this kind of joint will not survive.
He's strengthened the back and may well glue a riser block onto the belly too, he know what he's doing so it should be fine....
I'm watching with interest... it should be one funky bow :laugh:.
Del

Yeah, what brother Del said! The layer of the ERC slats is only stressed by compression, the tension is on the backing, the boo flooring slats (power lams) will work for stabilisation.

The bow is ready, just needs some finishing work ( couple of oil coats) and about 50 or 60 shots are done  -- still holds fine.

More than likely a hybrid cultivar of Juniper than true ERC but it's basically the same wood.

Yes Pat, for sure  - ERC is not a native (word?) tree in Germany

afraid the boo will over power the erc...interesting splice ...awaiting finished product...gut

Yes, I had the same thoughts. I have trapped the backing heavily and the next 500 shots will show wether it is a chrysal candidate or not. But I'm optimistic , I have a good feel

All: many thanks for your comments and your believe in me  :laugh:
Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline simson

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC (warning pic heavy)
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2014, 02:36:15 pm »
Next steps:
(no pics, sorry – all deleted by accident)
The whole thing turned out a bit short with the stiff handle, I tried to lengthen the bow with the backing and additional underlay. Both, the backing and the underlays were steam bent, they should work as stiff levers of a mild static. My thought was very light boo levers to save mass on the outer limbs. The backing was glued on with a mild deflex.

The handle got an extra piece of ERC, glued down in the diagonal position of the handle.

Some tiny horn nocks were added with super glue.

String bridges are made also out of horn. I have small plates, about ⅛” thick, for every lever two of them were heated, bent and glued on with super glue.

The limbs got a 5 edge profile, heavily trapped on the back (45°) and a ridge bellyside. It tapers in the outer limbs into a square profile (before bridge), then into high trapezoid (levers).

The exotic handle position and that soft wood invited me to do some fancy carving on that piece. I tried to balance it out symmetrically, or better opposing.

The arrow pass is made out of brass sheet, curved horizontally and vertically. It took a time to hammer it out matching the bow's curves.

All the work is done with handtools (exc. Bandsaw), flatteneing boo and slats done with a rasp. Yes, I know the glue lines are not the best.

This bow is made out of 15 components:
3 pieces ERC (2x slats, 1x handle glue up)
5 pieces boo (1x backing, 2x powerlam, 2x tip overlay)
6 pieces horn (2x tip overlay, 2x2 lams string bridges)
1 piece of brass sheet (arrow pass)

This bow is very snappy with a good load already at brace. It looks a bit fancy, but was really fun to carve out.

length ntn 60”
mass: 360 grams = 12,7 oz
46#/ 27”

I usually don't name my bows, this one of the few were I did.




Looking at her knotty purple wood she remembers me on some stuff when I was young
…................................... so, I couldn't resist she got the name: PURPLE HAZE!


Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline simson

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC (warning pic heavy)
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2014, 02:38:09 pm »


profile pics ….












we didn't capture the exact fulldraw, this is at about 26”, but I think it is o.k.



the beauty of boo curves



and ERC curves
















Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline simson

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Re: Fancy boo backed ERC (warning pic heavy)
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2014, 02:39:03 pm »
the switching over heartwood





feathering out the boo underlay at the levers



here more visible at the other side


the string bridge made out of two horn laminates




the levers are very narrow, only 6mm






the tapering out of the ERC slat


very tiny horn overlays


ERC color matching string in the groove


here you see the boo backing and the boo underlay with the power fibers


well, many pics, I know. I apologize if you got tired
Simon
Bavaria, Germany