Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: lebhuntfish on January 13, 2015, 09:23:54 am
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As the title says, this is my first shot at a hickory build. I got a good bit accomplished this weekend. I got it from a very ruffed out stave to a stave that looks like a bow with a fair start on floor tiller. I done a little straightening and bent the tips back a bit. Also straightened out a bit of deflex in one limb. While doing that I added a bit of reflex to the whole thing.
What do you all think so far? By the way I used a heat gun to do all the Bending. No cracks and it held the bend, all but about 1/2 on the tip. (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150111_165958_zps0f1mzo3l.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150111_165958_zps0f1mzo3l.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq9.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq9.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq9.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq9.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq_edit_1421156070290_zpse2niva7b.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150112_154507_zps8zcoxtq_edit_1421156070290_zpse2niva7b.jpg.html)
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Sorry for the double photos. Patrick
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Patrick, it looks good so far. How much reflex is in it? Hickory handles minor adjustments with dry heat but generally steam gives you better results. Once you get down the tiller road a bit you might consider tempering the belly. Hickory does react well to tempering.
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Pat, if I turn it over on the tips and measure from the back to the table it's 5 " of reflex. Some of that is natural. I do plan on heat tempering it once I get the tiller lined out a bit.
I thought about the steam but I've had bad results Bending other wood with it. Thanks Pat for the info, I have another stave and may try stream when I get to that one. Patrick
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Another question Pat. It's never been clear to me, but do you use oil or not when heat treating? I think not because your trying to slowly toast the belly. Patrick
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Patrick, no oil for tempering. You want to toast the wood to a nice chocolate brown. I use oil for making adjustments but no oil for tempering.
With that much reflex you generally have a tendency to overstrain the bow just getting to brace. This can cause more set. I like to put in about 3" to 4" and end up with a flat profile or a slight bit of reflex when all is said and done, except for the reflexed tips.
I have had problems with reflexed tips pulling out when using just dry heat to bend them. If you leave the tips thick then narrow the width after first brace I think you'll have a better chance of the reflexed tips holding better.
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Keep an eye on your fade length Patrick, getting a little steep bud. Pat has you steered straight.
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Good luck Pat, I'll be watching this one.
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Thanks guy's it's still fairly heavy. I think the actual reflex minus the bend I done for the static tips is probably like 2.5 inches or so.
Pat the tips are still a little wide as well as thick. I'll remember what you said about thinning them after brace.
Thanks Pearl, I was a little unsure about that myself. The handle is still really thick so I'll have some room to work them out.
Thanks David, I appreciate it bud.
I hope to get some work done on this one this week. I'm kinda excited about this one it's a new adventure to me. Thanks for all the replies and advice. Patrick
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Don't thin the tips(thickness) but narrow them(width) after you see how the string tracks.
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Ok Pat, thanks will do! Patrick
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Wood is 8 times stronger in thickness than in width. Think of a 2x4. O it's side it will bend easily. On edge it won't. You can reduce lots of physical weight without loosing strength by making your tips thick but narrow.
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Do you have a front profile picture?
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Your absolutely right Pat!
I think so Falcon but it's before I cleaned it all up. In the pic the tips are only tapered about 6" I since have changed that to a 10" taper. The handle is also not as bulbous now. Patrick
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-08/20140809_195330_zpsfdcozzso.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-08/20140809_195330_zpsfdcozzso.jpg.html)
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Lookin good Patrick!
Listen to that old bearded guy, his knows what he's talking about. :)
DBar
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Will do DBar, thanks! And thanks Pat for all your advice! Patrick
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Well tonight I came home from work and worked on this hickory. I got my limb width even but still a little wider that my finished width. I got one limb to the best floor tiller I have obtained to date. I flipped the stave over and began working on the other limb. I was starting to see a really nice bend in that limb too. I worked down a small area that was still stiff. I checked the Floor tiller again and man it was starting to look good. And I thought to myself, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this stuff. Then will critiquing the bend again on both limbs "BOOM" the bottom limb busted and hit me in the knee.
Now I inspected the break after I checked to see if I was bleeding. What I noticed was that it seamed to break right where I Had a few small dents from where I had popped the bark off with a draw knife. Now I had planned on fixing this before I got it braced but I never thought it would break while floor tillering.
I also noticed that the spot it broke was pretty much the same spot I removed some deflex in about a 6" section. But I didn't scorch the wood at all. Also it had some different little redish streaks almost like pin knots in Osage. I noticed that because they were only in one section and the rest of the bow is really white and clean.
Here are several pictures of the break. I would like to see what you guy's think. Was it because of the dents or? Patrick
OH by the way, I didn't have a fit and start throwing things this time. You all would have been proud. (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184757_zps55sompnr.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184757_zps55sompnr.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184910_zpsfqasea2s.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184910_zpsfqasea2s.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184958_zpsh94yidwi.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_184958_zpsh94yidwi.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185022_zpsqfi3zmfx.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185022_zpsqfi3zmfx.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185113_zpsxjueijtc.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185113_zpsxjueijtc.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185216_zpsmu3tvddm.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185216_zpsmu3tvddm.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185253_zpsir6rqymo.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185253_zpsir6rqymo.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185401_zpsavevc3gz.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185401_zpsavevc3gz.jpg.html) (http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185621_zpseymkzpvd.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150114_185621_zpseymkzpvd.jpg.html)
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Hickory dosn'tt break like that unless fungus is in the mix.
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That's kinda what I was thinking. Looked like an unusual break
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So if it was you guy's, would you consider using the other limb as a take down? I have a Franken bow to make for mojam.
Oh and I also noticed that the broken section sparkled when I rocked it back and forth under the light.
And I'm pretty sure I hit my elbow on my shave horse. Because now I have a big bruise starting there. Patrick
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Too bad man, that's one reason i don't recurve the tips u till i get it to about twenty inches if it goes boom i don't lose all that work
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I'm learning that bubby! Patrick
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Was that dead standing or on the ground for a long time? Like they said ^^^ good hickory shouldn't break like that, straight across the back. That's a shame though...
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I don't know David. A fella I met at mojam gave me two of them. All I know is that they were cut in the summer of 2002. They were stored in his garage. I think his name was Clay, he is from Willard, MO. Wish I would have gotten his number. Patrick
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Bad wood Patrick. Healthy hickory doesn't break, it just folds over!
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Did you scorch the back?
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Patrick - When I've seen that red colored stuff in a break, which was also on Hickory, it looked to me like it was bug damage. Sorry you got hurt. Mr. Pearl Drums is right about hickory folding rather than exploding, ...unless there is something wrong with the wood. I'd be leery of using that other limb.
OneBow
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switched, I didn't scorch the wood at all.
Thanks Eric, I wondered about the bug damage thing but I didn't see any holes at all and the split on the inside is really clean. After reading the replies I don't think I will use the other limb for anything but firewood. Patrick
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Yep, that looks like wood that had begun to degrade for some reason. I would not use the other limb.
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Ouch
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Any time wood, and especially hickory, breaks across the grain like that you know it has rot in it. A lot of times you can tell by how crumbly the wood is while you are working it. Hickory is hard and gets kinda glossy looking when using a draw knife on it.
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Thanks guy's!
Pat, now that you mentioned that, I did notice that that section, probably about 12" long it wasn't glossy like the other limb. Patrick
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It doesn't take long for whitewoods to get infected with fungi. Only a few days on the ground will do it even if it is stored in his garage. I wonder if he stored it on the floor or on a rack off the ground.
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I didn't know that Pat. I'm not sure how he stored it in the garage. Patrick