Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: J05H on September 14, 2009, 07:07:44 am
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What do you guys think? I have the stuff ordered, and I'm just looking for a little advice. I was thinking of trying a R/D. I ordered the hickory at 1/4" x 2" x 6', and the Cherry at 1/2" x 2" x 6'. How thick should I make the hickory? What weight range could I safely get with a 2" width? Anything I forgot to ask that you guys think I need to know? Let me know. Thanks, Josh
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Many try, some succeed. :) HBC seems to be a sweet -shooting combo if it stays in one piece. Never built one myself, but from what I've seen here over the years, I'd take that hickory down to 1/8" thick or a little thinner and leave everything full length. I wouldn't try for much over 50# or so. Good luck, and maybe somebody with more experience with that combo will chime in soon.
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What Hillbilly siad, I've tried two and failed both times :'(
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I guess I've been lucky. I've done several hickory backed cherry, and a maple backed cherry, and they've all turned out fine. I did keep them all longish (nothing <68" ntn), wide, and low poundage (nothing >45#). All backing strips were 1/8". You must achieve perfect tiller with cherry, with no overstressing or hinges. All the cherry bows I've made had rigid handles with elliptical tiller.
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Thanks guys. Sounds like maybe I shouldn't have picked cherry for my first R/D. I'll be asking for lots of help during the process.
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it's all good, man! Just don't make this one an r/d...go for straight up longbow, you'll be fine
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I have a set of hickory and maple coming too. Would this be better for an R/D?
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That Hickory will need to be pretty thin and if the bow slat is only 1/2" thick to start, you better leave it pretty wide and long. I personally wouldn't even try a R/D.
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I bet maple backed cherry would be a good combo. The maple would be a little easier on the cherry
Dave
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Maple backed cherry is a good combo, but I wouldn't make it a R/D. If you want a R/D profile, go with bamboo/osage or hickory/ipe, etc.
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Maple backed cherry is a good combo, but I wouldn't make it a R/D. If you want a R/D profile, go with bamboo/osage or hickory/ipe, etc.
Thanks for the advice. The only problem is that I already ordered the wood. I should have asked these questions first. I would really like to try an R/D but I don't want to break these pieces. Any advice on what I could do with what I have? If I can only get one bow out of all of it, so be it. I could just make a MBC longbow and save the hickory strips for later. What ratio of Maple to Cherry? Thanks for the help.
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Just had an idea. Would 1/2" total be thick enough for an HBH R/D? The slats are 2" wide.
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On the HBC I would glue it up in a simple perry reflex style with about 2" of reflex and maybe even make it a D bow but then again I like D bows :)
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Make the Hickory less than 1/8" if you can and work the back to a round profile. If you use Maple then 1/8" thick but still round the back. Don't glue in a lot of reflex in, perhaps a couple inches at most. Keep the belly flat and make the width about 1 1/2" or a bit more