Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Matt S. on December 21, 2010, 08:00:39 pm
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Hello all, I've been making bows on and off since high school and now, a decade later, I find myself drawn back to the ancient art.
First of all, I use boards because I don't have access to any staves, and the only boards I can get are Red Oak from Lowes (unless I drive 25 miles to the nearest Home Depot to get Maple). I'm actually fine with that... for now.
Anyways, I've always wanted to make a 50# bow, all my previous ones have been in the 35-45# range, so after I found a few really straight grained boards I decided to just go for it.
Here's the good news: I successfully made a 50# red oak bow out of a 1x2". It is just over 70" long, with a 4.5" handle and 1.5" fades. Limbs are full 1.5" wide until 14" from tips, where they taper to .5" nocks. The bow only has about 1.5" of string follow and slightly less set. Definitely my best yet, since I have a 35# bow with the same amount of set. The bow shoots great, at least in my very limited experience. The oak even has a very pretty grain, half of it is red and half is white.
Here's what concerns me: I realize I rushed this bow out, and after reviewing its tiller, it definitely bends way too much near the handle. It's the perfect tiller for a pyramid bow, but not this flatbow.
Here's my dilemma: do I retiller the bow, even though it shoots fine and pulls 50# (an arbitrary attribute, but still important to my naive bowyer spirit). Will its current tiller shorten the bow's lifespan? Do you think I could retiller to get a better bend, and then shorten it an inch or two to keep the same weight?
Here are a few pictures:
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TRE2EZy1CCI/AAAAAAAAA4o/YH27nyHYz-k/s912/50redoak_tiller.jpg)
(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TRE2EGhd70I/AAAAAAAAA4g/vlu3kh0ghE0/s640/50redoak_limbprofile.jpg)
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TRE2EY8lOrI/AAAAAAAAA4s/TqAD7udDyK8/s1024/50redoak.jpg)
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
-Matt
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Looks pretty darn good. I bet if you heat treat it and then work the midlimbs you might not lose any weight.
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Go ahead and put some of the wood back on the limbs right next to the fadeouts.
Or start narrowing the limbs from where the bend starts to straighten out, say about 1/3 to 1/2 up the limbs from the fadeouts. You can then shorten the limbs a few inches and retiller to the 50# draw.
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although if that were an R/D that'd be a real pretty tiller ;D
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There is nothing wrong with that tiller. Enjoy your bow. Jawge
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If that was my bow, I would shoot it till it doesn't shoot anymore, which will probably be a long, long time. Go spend another 5 bucks and have fun makin another one ;). Great lookin bow, and bet it shoots great too.
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"There is nothing wrong with that tiller. Enjoy your bow. Jawge"
I gotta second that. It does look like it bends alot in the beginning of the limb, but not in anyway like it hinges off the handle. Maybe the right could bend a little more mid limb. But then again maybe not. Too close to tell for my eyes. But the stiff outer limbs will give you a great shooter! Think you got a holmegard tiller going on right there,... Naw, if it was me I wouldn't touch it. Looks great man.
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Matt's correct. His braced/drawn profile doesn't match his back profile. Goin' to cost himself some cast and make his bow more shocky.
You might try trapping your limbs starting very light at the handle taper and progressively widen your trapping once you get to mid-limb. That would certainly help relieve some handshock and perhaps help the bow's profile.
Or you could tie on some temporary nocks and see how your profile looks by making your bow several inches shorter. Good luck............Art
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Thanks for the replies and advice from everyone. I think I may just leave it be for now and if it's still bothering me later, come back and clean it up. I have several nice, straight grained 1x2s and a couple of 1x3s just waiting to get their turn on the tillering tree ;D
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I'm with Jawge, the tiller looks good. If you have to do anything, maybe whittle a very little bit about 5" in from the tips.
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Shoot it and enjoy it gets my vote. You have more wood, if ya just have to do some scraping I'd start another.
Jeff
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If my tiller came out looking like that I would be thrilled and would be outside shooting it. And if Jawge says it is good, then it is good.
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Cut it down to 68" ntn and scrape the outer thirds of the limbs. Problem solved.
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Like the other guys say, now't wrong with the tiller.
Ok it's not a circular tiller but that's just a matter of style, it's smooth and even. I'd say try a different shape on your next on if you want to... there's no right and wrong.
I'm sure that some folk think mine are a tad circular or whip ended, but ya gotta make 'em how you like 'em.
Fine bow, don't do too much more without enjoying it a bit first, if you do work down the outer 2/3 a tad it may loose a wee bit of weight but will probably improve the safety margin.
Del
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Cut it down to 68" ntn and scrape the outer thirds of the limbs. Problem solved.
Thats it.
Greetz
Cord
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Although I can't argue with the alteration advices, I have to agree with Jawge and others; it looks pretty darn good!
Frode
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As said, it looks good as is. However, if you want more bend toward the tips, do exatly what RyanO said and pike it down to 68" (which is still plenty long) and scrap the outer 3rd of the limbs about 10 times. Do this, you'll have exactly what you want and shouldn't lose any weight.
CP