Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: leonwood on January 12, 2019, 05:02:43 am

Title: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: leonwood on January 12, 2019, 05:02:43 am

This elm was cut in the fall of last winter in a small forest nearby. I roughed it out the same day for quick drying and started working on it a few months later in the summer.
Tillered it to 55@20 with a goal of about 60@28. Usually when I am at this stage I glue on some tip overlays and start narrowing the tips.

The stave had pretty bad prop twist and the limbs come out of the handle uneven so I started correcting it with some heat. Got most of the twist out but made a mistake when tryin to fix the alignment and one tip cracked on the side. Too much sideways clamping pressure in a short area. Threw it in the corner of shame and left it there for a while.

A few months later I stumbled upon this thing when sorting through some staves and decided I should try to save it by adding some leftover bamboo over the crack on the belly. Used an offcut from a bamboo backing to make two strips and glued them on the belly of the tips using the same form I used when flipping the tips with heat. Used titebond 3 for this.
This actually was so much easier then I thought it would be! So I decided to share the "failed" bow here so the new guys can see that some mistakes can be fixed without to much trouble!

Since the stave was cut in winter there still was some leftover cambium on the bow. I actually like the look of that and accentuated it a bit using some water based stain.

// specs:
Wood: elm
Length: 66 ntn
Draw weight: 50@28
Max Width: 1.75 inches
Handle wrap: leather cord and leather strip
Finish: water based stain, spray on poly
String: 8 strand fast flight

// profiles
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4859/46652706731_84459d1119_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7836/46652707211_10d84f6e66_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/46608806912_e1a0798bc7_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7804/45737607505_db1c92e5e8_b.jpg)

// braced
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4836/45927941644_852231f847_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7868/46652707711_a6e46b4d46_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/39687531473_20c0cbcf54_b.jpg)

// details
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7872/46652706631_da38dc2a4f_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7817/32778014178_6a4e8cf8ed_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7894/31711131417_cf5bc6715c_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7845/31711131427_e09e689226_b.jpg)

// reinforced tip
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4868/32837035578_050f1c1bc1_z.jpg)

// fd
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/46652738001_b8f7ee4836_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Swampman on January 12, 2019, 05:39:20 am
Wow, another absolutely beautiful bow with perfect tiller.  Great job on the pictures too.  What a great bow. 
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: BowEd on January 12, 2019, 06:04:04 am
Good fix Leon.The fix blends in well.Nice work and I like the color of the back and the sleek look on that one.It's funny how a little time goes by and a plan evolves to fix it.
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: hoosierf on January 12, 2019, 07:24:15 am
I really like that one. She’s a beauty and I love how elm shoots. Masterful.
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Sidewinder on January 12, 2019, 07:32:24 am
Man you really killed that one dude. Excellent job and even better story on your journey to a solution. Well done.   Danny
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: txdm on January 12, 2019, 09:07:49 am
Beautiful bow!
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: M2A on January 12, 2019, 09:22:31 am
Very nice all around! Elm has caused me problems every attempt so far. Great save, that's a dandy bow.
Mike     
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: DC on January 12, 2019, 09:44:36 am
Very nice! Is it a bit hollow limb?
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: upstatenybowyer on January 12, 2019, 10:00:44 am
Wow that's beautiful Leon. Nice save!
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: PaSteve on January 12, 2019, 04:41:13 pm
Great job. Great execution on the "save". Blends in perfectly.
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Badger on January 12, 2019, 05:00:33 pm
   Good save, that came out great!
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Little John on January 12, 2019, 05:37:27 pm
Very nice bow, nice save and love the handle
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 13, 2019, 12:00:44 am
Very great fix up! Did it stiffen the tips more? How long is the static part of the tips?
Thank you for showing us!
Cheers B2TW
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: bjrogg on January 13, 2019, 05:31:02 am
Nice bow Leonwood. That one certainly doesn't belong in the corner of shame. Glad you rescued it.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Bowman on January 13, 2019, 06:10:49 am
Great bow. :-)
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on January 13, 2019, 06:15:53 am
Beautiful bow! Jawge
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: Bayou Ben on January 13, 2019, 07:08:46 am
What a clean overall beautiful bow.  Another awesome bow!
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: leonwood on January 13, 2019, 12:28:19 pm
Quote from: DC on January 12, 2019, 09:44:36 am
Very nice! Is it a bit hollow limb?

Well spotted ;D I actually do that with all my flatbows lately. Not functional at all but more because I love how my slightly curved scraper works (lol) And I like the look of it.
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: leonwood on January 13, 2019, 12:31:36 pm
Quote from: backtothewood on January 13, 2019, 12:00:44 am
Very great fix up! Did it stiffen the tips more? How long is the static part of the tips?
Thank you for showing us!
Cheers B2TW

Not that much. Before glue up I had to take quite some wood of the belly to flatten it. This was enought to make it almost the same stiffness after glue up
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: leonwood on January 13, 2019, 12:33:51 pm
And thanks for all the compliments! Sometimes an accident or a mistake really turns in something good ;D
Title: Re: Fixed elm flatbow
Post by: JohnL on January 14, 2019, 07:34:00 pm
Love it