Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: BowEd on February 28, 2018, 04:38:52 pm
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It was warm enough to do a little bow work today.Been meaning to put this one on the DONE list.D/R design.Glue up with smooth on.Reflexed just a bit past midlimb.10" handle.Widest point at fades of 1 and 7/8" wide.68" TTT.Around 16.85 ounce mass.Cowhorn overlays.42#'s @ 28".
It's in tiller good I think.Slightly positive but close to even.I feel I may have it working too much in the reflexed portion of the limbs though @ full draw.Critique welcome.
I hav'nt tested speed on it yet.It as a ducky looking day here.No sun.A few 11.5 grain arrows through it seemed to spit pretty good though using fast flight string.0 hand thump.After unbracing from a 2 hour brace and shooting it showed around 1/2" of soft set.Back to original profile within an hour.
That brings me to a question.Just because it takes very little set does it mean it is performing as good as it can?I realize it's saying I'm healthy yet but maybe that does'nt convey over to getting the most out of it to the arrow by possibly having it working too much in the reflexed portion of the limb.It'll be sunny soon.I'll shoot a few arrows through the chrongraph to find out
(https://i.imgur.com/CLhYo0v.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aLhnNgX.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Z41I656.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2NPq7kv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YLGPWVs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zkMpZ52.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AnVuOjf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/amZK2Jd.jpg)
A better angle.Not quite to full draw though.Looks better to me.
(https://i.imgur.com/peStv43.jpg)
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I think it looks great! I want to try a ERC laminate some day
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Ed I think that bottom first 10" is a bit stiff. Otherwise, good work on a tricky wood.
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Fine looking bow!
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Very nice looking bow Ed love the R/D profiles ,I would bet it's fast when you get to testing.
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Ed I think that bottom first 10" is a bit stiff. Otherwise, good work on a tricky wood.
I see what you mean Pearl.I'll do a little adjustment.It's trickier more for some than others.It's just enough poundage for me to like.
Thanks for compliments from you other guys too.It's been a while since I've shown a bow.
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Beautiful !!!!! :OK
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Very nice
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Yes Ed! I love that combo. I always look forward to seeing your bows. ;) )P(
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Looks good Ed as always. Arvin
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That's a pretty one! Agree with Pearl about the bottom inner but that's an easy fix!
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Nice bow Ed, looks like a clean piece of cedar!
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For some reason I can't remember I've got a whole bunch,maybe a dozen of red cedar strips 2" wide and over 6' long around 1/4" thick.Some areas of at least 3' have nice straight grain on practically all of them for billet making bows I suppose.The trouble they are only 1/4" thick.
I think I resawed them from a large piece looking for good grain @ 6' long but could'nt find any.Although I think they are useful for some type of cedar bows in the future.
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Looks good. You could make a tri-lam with the 1/4" thick strips
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Could be full of manure but I kinda thought a maple/cedar/osage bow could work.Edge grain all the way with all 3 different types of wood.
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Bring the chrony with ya. We'll get it tested for ya. :BB (-S
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I do plan on getting it shot in that's for sure before finish.
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I bet that's gonna be a pretty one Ed. I like the second full draw picture better even if it's not quite full draw. Could possibly be a little stiff first bit out of lower fade but your closer to it than me and better eye for tiller than me to. I love the look and smell of red cedar.
Bjrogg
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Thanks fellas.I tillered it with 80 grit sand paper.
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That came out nice, looks like you found a good combo.
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Great looking bow!
Mike
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Beautiful bow, that’s what they call gull wing shape right? Perfect weight for targets, stumping, or whitetails too!
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Very nice
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Beautiful bow, that’s what they call gull wing shape right? Perfect weight for targets, stumping, or whitetails too!
It's a delfex/reflex design.
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Nice looking bow
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She's a beauty. I JUST made (not sanded and finished yet) a hickory-backed BL that looks almost the same from the front. Great design, R/D with reasonable reflex and skinny tips.
I second the tri-lam suggestion. Take them down a little in thickness to use as the middle lam, then glue a solid 1/4" on top of that, and off you go.
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You know, Ed, for such a funny looking duffer, you sure turn out some downright sexy bows. Your hallmarks are clean lines, excellent tiller, and elegant finish. This one is no exception.
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Great looking bow Ed. I love working with cedar, especially sinew backed. Hadn't thought about using maple.
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Great looking bow Ed, seems like a good combo.
You should take a few more pics, esp. some details like tips ...
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The unbraced profile is really nice. Looks like it came to the string beautifully as well. I'd love to see the belly with finish on it . Well done!
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I thought " that is a beauty " the first glance. If the bow is to correct draw wt. I would not touch a thing. The length will make for a comfortable shooter and tiller is too good to risk anything correcting.
My opinion!
Greg
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I like it also ,cedar anything gets my attention.
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Thanks to all for the comments.Cedar seems to have an allure that draws some to wanting it to be bow wood for them.The look/smell/and potential I suppose.Adding to the difficulty most times is finding suitable wood for it.The maple cedar bond has been done many many times before.This was more or less a bucket list build.
I went to a fun shoot/build at Wright city.Mo. last weekend.Shot it a bunch with many there on a nice target course provided there.It's still ALIVE!!!Took the chrono to the event too.Did'nt know how it would be accepted but was pleased to see people shooting through it with many different styles of bows which said volumes on it's own.Favorable sunny conditions there did the trick too.What I found out was mostly that on those course shoots what impresses people most is hitting the 10 ring in the target with good arrow flight.Also helps a bunch in not losing any arrows too I might say.The quiet whispery flick these bows will have too.
I still could'nt resist to know what this bow I had would do for speed.The mid to upper 170's with a 10 grain arrow/FF string was about the limit @ 28".Fair to midland I suppose.Course the bow does not have much if any set back of handle of the tips but shoots very pleasant and clean.I've got self bows myself that do better than that but are'nt as pretty I suppose and definitely not as light in the hand.I'll get some finish on it as soon as the weather gets warm enough to spray it with my lacquer in the shed and probably just put a rawhide handle on it.
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That ought to make the contrast between the two woods pop out! Remember to post more pics of the finished product!
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Mid to upper 170s is very far from bad, or even fair I would say.
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I guess that all depends on what your used to getting or have gotten,but your right it is'nt a slouch of a bow either.I'm probably my own worst critic.A backed bow should get into 180's I think with a 10 grain arrow.
That's the way it goes for me though.Some bows make like I like and some don't even paying as close attention as I can to them while tillering.
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Id say the upper 170s is a win win Ed I really like the smooth side profile transition from deflex to reflex bet it shoots shock free & stable !
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Yep Rich....That's #1 priority nowadays is how smooth they shoot.If they do that it's mostly all good.
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Finally got the finish on this bow.Still 42#'s @ 28".68" TTT.The finish did a little for the contrast.The poor mans' yew I've heard it called.Without the density & tight rings of course....lol.Really true too as the cost of good yew is rather spendy and this red cedar grows around me here.As you can see in the background of the bow pictured,but that one would not be a very good candidate for a bow to me.This bow was made with trunk wood from a large trunked red cedar.Using 1/2" thick core of cedar I think.I can't remember any more,and 1/8" thick maple backing.All edge grain wood.Sometimes big branches on large red cedars' are used too but made like self bows then with a flat grain on the belly.Most know this that have tried it before.Just info for newer bow makers out there.
Resting on an osage post.
(https://i.imgur.com/CLhYo0v.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CV1Iyjh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fX52L3V.jpg)
Top view profile.
(https://i.imgur.com/hNp2NfB.jpg)
Belly grain.
(https://i.imgur.com/QVXS4I8.jpg)
Brace.
(https://i.imgur.com/aLhnNgX.jpg)
Full draw.
(https://i.imgur.com/Z41I656.jpg)
Pics of overlayed tips of cow horn.
Top limb.
(https://i.imgur.com/PpdF5Au.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mQ5k4oF.jpg)
Bottom limb.
(https://i.imgur.com/wBz0Xx1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2NPq7kv.jpg)
Handle with my usual raised horn dot arrow pass.
(https://i.imgur.com/zkMpZ52.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/amZK2Jd.jpg)
Grain on belly.Both limbs the same.
(https://i.imgur.com/AnVuOjf.jpg)
Grain on back.Both limbs the same.
(https://i.imgur.com/s8bCh9H.jpg)
Thanks fellas for previous comments.
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Another good lookin' sweet shootin' Mr Ed stick!
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Thanks Mike.
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Knew it'd be beautiful. Nice work Ed.
Bjrogg
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Ed Im Im impressed with that bow ,but Im just as impressed with your new photography skills , I suspect you have a helper 😃
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Very nice.
Yes ERC has been called " poor man's Yew " for as long as I can remember and it is close but any knots makes a bow more susceptible to compression fractures.
Looks like a very "branchy" Juniper growing behind the bow
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beautiful! I only tried it once with hickory backing and it fretted because I made it too narrow for the ERC. I have to try it again with one made the proper width. :) I do have some big staves from a huge ERC that I cut on my farm a few years ago...most have an inch of sapwood. I'm looking forward to seeing your bow at MoJam. You did your usual great job. :OK
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Just saw this post - I mentioned seeing it finished and am not surprised at how beautiful it is. The light / dark contrast is striking. Wow!!!
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Thanks fellas.
BJ...Thanks a bunch.
Rich....Robin has got a lot better camera than me that's for sure.I did take the black background pics at night of the tips and handle with my camera though.She is a big help taking full draw pics though.Always available to help.
Marc...Most times here if I want to check out probable red cedar here I go to the Amish sawmill.They have logs laying there for special order cuts from people for boards.They do make benches out of it too and that's when I look at the 2" cut lumber.The red cedar on my property is'nt big enough yet.
Bob...I'll be seeing you at Mo Jam.It sounds like you've got enough red cedar material to be making some bows from it.Self bows or backed bows.
barebo....I could'nt get the right kind of contrast during day time shooting so I tried that night time shooting and it showed it a lot better.I did'nt finish it right away while the colors were really nice a bright.I tried sanding it a bit to bring that back out but was afraid I might lose some poundage doing so.....lol.
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That's a might fine looking bow you have there. I kike the Maple backing better than sinew, just a good contrast of colors I think.
Did you cut the maple backing, or purchase it ?
Steve
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S.C. hunter....Thanks.Actually the maple was free and rescued from a construction site that was under remodeling.They were going to throw them away.We got quite a few boards.Picked the straight grained ones out.A friend of mine and myself resawed them and ran them through his drum sander.We got quite a few.2" wide by 3/16" thick and 6' long.