Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jim Davis on February 05, 2017, 04:50:49 pm
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Catchy title, huh? Well this bow is made from a billet from a healthy tree joined to a billet from a tree that was about 1/3 dead. Both billlets are kind of snakey and they are joined by the "holey" matrimony of a steel sleeve. The bow is a takedown with the billet ends epoxied in. One end of the sleeve was coated with wax inside to make it possible to remove it after the epoxy cured. I have made four or five bows that way and like the results.
The bow is 66" ntn and pulls 43# at 28 inches. Very nice to shoot and the only thing it does is propel the arrow.
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Man that is cool, first I've seen of combined new/old wood. Do you think the limbs will "age" inconsistently after shooting it in?
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More pix.
I like simplicity and rarely put overlays on tips. Don't need them.
As for the bare round handle, sometimes I wrap in leather, but it doesn't make the bow shoot any better, so usually not. (I admit to liking the look of leather.
Think about this: With a round handle, the string cannot be off the center. The handle simply rotates to the balance point. Run that around in your head a while. Draw pictures if you have to. I like round handles. So did archers for hundreds of years--or thousands.
Going out to shoot it some more.
Jim Davis
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Man that is cool, first I've seen of combined new/old wood. Do you think the limbs will "age" inconsistently after shooting it in?
Since both limbs were good and dry, I don't think their stiffness will change, but I expect the yellow limb will brown over time and they will look alike.
Jim
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Alright Jim! Totally unique and easy on the eyes. I love it!
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I really like this bow. Got lots of character. Very attractive lines. Takedown just makes it cooler well done.
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What did you use the sleeve? I have a McBroom 2pc takedown and would love to be able to make one myself.
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Bow started out with about 3/4" of reflex. Now has about 1/8" of reflex after "resting," about 3/8" string follow when first unstrung.
Jim
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Good job on some challenging billets.
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Very cool bow! Cheers- Brendan
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I have been using 1-1/8" OD seamless mild steel tubing. I get the draw-over-mandrel material from Online metals or Speedy metals, also online.
I do use a lathe to cut it to length and round the edges, but careful work with a hacksaw and files would look fine. I don't use an inner sleeve, just make the wood a nice push fit, coat it with epoxy and push it in. That's for the first limb. for the second, after the first epoxy has cured, I coat the inside of second end of the sleeve with wax, then epoxy the second limb in. I do line up the limbs rotationally so that if the wax doesn't let go easily, I can shoot the bow until it does.
I pin the fixed end with a round-headed brad and put a light mark in the other end of the sleeve and the base of that limb with a cold chisel to register the limb when reinstalling it.
Jim
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Nice bow, I like the 2 contrasting colours on each limb.
A take down is still on my list
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Nice work on a characterish take down bow.Nice to hear your process too of the handle.I did that once with osage from 2 different trees.Worked out fine.It was long ago and I should make another.
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Nice bend on that one Jim......
DBar
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Very cool bow
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Why do you do the wax/epoxy on the second limb? To insure a tight fit? My McBroom is one of those Carbon/Fiberglass sleeves and falls apart easily when unstrung. It does creak sometimes.
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The limbs are epoxied directly into a single tube. The wax is to keep the second one from being locked in and unable to be pulled out. There is no inner sleeve and outer sleeve arrangement--just a single tube with a limb root glued in. The epoxy on the second limb is to make a good fit--the wax to is keep it from being permanent.
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Interesting marriage Jim. Kinda gives new meaning to the phrase gold digger. This time the young one has the gold. Nice looking bend and thinking out of the box on that handle.
Bjrogg
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Nice work Jim, I have done that a few times with broker new and old bows.
Pappy
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I like it Jim. Arvin
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That is a nice one Jim.
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Jim, that is an awesome bow. I love the tiller. Well done. Jawge
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Now that is clever! Well done!
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yes very well done, lots of nice character,,
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That's a pretty unique looking bow, and I will be trying the single tube idea some time.
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Thanks for noticin' folks. I don't know whether its psychosomatic or whether the bow is special but I'm shooting better groups than I have in weeks and just feel confident with this bow.
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Why do you do the wax/epoxy on the second limb? To insure a tight fit? My McBroom is one of those Carbon/Fiberglass sleeves and falls apart easily when unstrung. It does creak sometimes.
Lubricate it with Vaseline.
Nice bow Jim, it would be interesting to see what the fit is like after 5 years.
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The thing about the fit is, if it gets loose, just lightly sand the epoxy, spread on another coat and put the bow together until the epoxy cures. I shot the bow with no epoxy in the second end, just a good push fit, and it was fine. I don't expect any problems from the handle.
This is my fourth or fifth handle using this method and they all still work fine. I have also made some with screw-together joints with the roots epoxied in. Some have let go to the point that they can be rotated in the steel, but they have not gotten floppy and I just pinned the root to stop the rotation.
Over all, these are so-o-o-o-o-o much easier than a glue splice that I can't imagine ever doing one of those again--unless the grid collapses and we can't get any supplies and . . .
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Very handsome bow, Jim.
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Very interesting bow, I like that it's a take down and I like the contrast in the limbs.
Kevin