bamboo self bow build

[superdav95]

hey guys. This is not your typical self bow build.  it will be a 58" ntn bamboo recurve self bow that where the limbs have been z spliced at the handle.  This was then put into a slight deflex at the handle and then glued to a handle.  I will be gluing a horn plate over top of the z splice on the back side and possibly finger grooves added later.  anyway here are some build progress pics.  Im hoping this bow will be about 50lbs at 28"

[Selfbowman]

Love it David that will probably hunt at the flight shoot. Can’t wait to hear speed test.

[Badger]

 Nice profile, looking forward to the final results.

[superdav95]

Love it David that will probably hunt at the flight shoot. Can’t wait to hear speed test.

Yes I’m hoping it does well in speed testing to see if it will hunt at flight.  Fingers crossed.  I’ve got a couple heavy Turkish horn bows I’m going bring too to see how they do!  Should be fun. 

[superdav95]

Nice profile, looking forward to the final results.

Thanks badger!  Me too. 

[Tuomo]

Seems to be moso bamboo? Do you heat treat the belly?

[superdav95]

Seems to be moso bamboo? Do you heat treat the belly?

Yes.  It’s moso and it’s heat treated. 

[Robert Pougnier]

That's looking awesome so far! Are there plans to add anything to the belly or is it just the moso bamboo? Nice work.

[superdav95]

That's looking awesome so far! Are there plans to add anything to the belly or is it just the moso bamboo? Nice work.

Thanks rob.  Ya it’s just the bamboo nothing on the belly.  It’s been heat treated like my other builds so it’s basically a tension monster.  I made one of these steam recurve selfbows earlier last year but it was only 30lbs.  Shot nice but very light.  I posted a short video last year on it.  Typically with my bamboo bows they were 5 piece builds so was testing out the recurves really.   I had been testing many methods to steam bend bamboo.  It’s sounds easy until you try it.   We think of bamboo as this magical grassy wood material that we imagine will bend however we want.  The fresh green or even recently green stuff bends like rubber but when it dries and hardens it’s a different story.  The bamboo moso pole that I use is the larger diameter stuff which enables me to get the wider limbs. 

[Robert Pougnier]

That's awesome, I saw your youtube videos of the 5 piece bamboo ones and they are really beautiful. They look like a lot of fun to shoot! Really nice.
Do you do any flattening to the bamboo? I've only used bamboo for other fun projects but really want to make a bow sometime.

[superdav95]

That's awesome, I saw your youtube videos of the 5 piece bamboo ones and they are really beautiful. They look like a lot of fun to shoot! Really nice.
Do you do any flattening to the bamboo? I've only used bamboo for other fun projects but really want to make a bow sometime.

Thanks.  No heat flattening is done to remove the crown or rounded side.  I do use a series or rasps or belt sanders to remove material on the belly during tiller.  This gets the bend looking the way I want.  I’ve done build with lighter bows kids bows that were just narrowed and not tapered and they work pretty good too but for higher weight bows I use the full width with slight taper and narrowed tips.    Keeps mass off the tips but maintains draw weight.   We shall see how this one fares for draw weight.  I feel it will be around 50lbs.  Fingers crossed.  I’ve sent kits to guys over the years to experiment with.  Let me know if you would like one.   

[Will B]

Awesome bamboo selfbow, Dave! I love the splice and handle work!

Couple questions…What are the dimensions (length) on your handle and fades?  Any concern with the handle popping off or will the deflex in the handle help with that?  I’ll be watching to see how this one turns out for you.

[sleek]

If you get this to work right with those tips stiff enough, you may well build the fastest self bow in the world with no hope of ever beating it.

[WhistlingBadger]

Very cool.  Clay Hayes did a video a year or two ago where he went to a tropical island, made a bamboo self bow with a snake plant fiber string, killed a pig with it, and cooked it in a primitive bamboo pressure cooker!   

So yeah, I guess it can work.  Yours looks a lot prettier than his. 

[superdav95]

Awesome bamboo selfbow, Dave! I love the splice and handle work!

Couple questions…What are the dimensions (length) on your handle and fades?  Any concern with the handle popping off or will the deflex in the handle help with that?  I’ll be watching to see how this one turns out for you.

Thanks Willie.  Ya the handle section is 10” long and mirrors the limbs width at widest part which is 2 1/4” wide.  The bow is closer to 58.5” long ntn. The splice was 3.5” z splice. This I my second time doing this with bamboo and the first one didn’t explode so I hope this one survives.  I had pretillered the limbs prior to glue up so it should be close.  I’m guess and hoping at least 50lbs at 28”.  It’s basically a very wide pyramid type I guess. It may yet be the most crazy interesting bow for me yet if it survives.