Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Matt S. on February 21, 2011, 08:38:28 pm

Title: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Matt S. on February 21, 2011, 08:38:28 pm: This bow started out as a simple 64" ttt flatbow but due to my haste and a disastrous attempt to recurve the tips, I ended up piking it down to just about 57.75" ttt and 55.25" ntn. It also went from being a flatbow to a D-bow with very slightly recurved tips and tip overlays. Since the last 2 bows I had on my tillering tree ended in broken wood, I was very conservative with this one. My heart was pounding like crazy when it was getting close to being done! I guess a batch of bad bow luck really frazzles the nerves!
Here are its specs:
57.75" ttt, 55.25" ntn
1 1/8" wide in handle, fade out to 1.5" wide. Full width to last 10" then taper to 5/8" at nock.
40#@25"
Set: about 1.25"
Wood: Red Oak (1x2x6 board)
Finish: 2-3 coats of Danish Oil (medium walnut), followed by two coats of shellac (sandwiching my ink signature) and one coat of wiping varnish. I also used the danish oil on the string to darken it up as well. Handle is leather thong with a contrasting leather insert weaved into the back.

And here are the photos:
Bow braced:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWGoFUoDauI/AAAAAAAAA9E/cQ3JNHq4XYM/s640/ro-2nd-braced.jpg)

Tip detail: The obvious glue lines are the result of the overlays being added after the bow had been tillered while it was still a flatbow.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWGoxO2_5HI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/DTHY7Nv4y1w/s912/ro-2nd-tip.jpg)

Belly side of handle, I need to clean some of the glue off it:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWGoxGUIDhI/AAAAAAAAA9U/0H269O2EwhI/s912/ro-2nd-handle.jpg)

Back side of handle. Color isn't great, but the leather weave is a brick red color which contrasts nicely with the dark brown leather.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWLpCqFEgyI/AAAAAAAAA-U/yzmLv5tUa1M/s912/ro-2nd-handle%20detail.jpg)

Here I am getting ready to pose for my wife.... wait, did I just say that? ;D
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWLnS1CAezI/AAAAAAAAA-M/3cPn2tB9MDE/s912/ro-2nd-nocking%20arrow.jpg)

(Almost) full draw. The timing was apparently off a little!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWLnSzuRn8I/AAAAAAAAA-I/6Gtlt-5HVpE/s640/ro-2nd-fulldraw1.jpg)

Phone books and cardboard targets beware!
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_LSxukV3vd58/TWLnSookm-I/AAAAAAAAA-A/mwdXiMzGTnw/s640/ro-2nd-fulldraw2.jpg)

Hope you enjoyed the photos. I normally don't make bows this short, so this was a learning experience in many different ways. Oh, and it does shoot well, it's actually really fun to shoot!
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Little John on February 21, 2011, 08:50:09 pm: Hey that turned out pretty nice, like the nocks a lot. Nice save and cool first shooter. Kenneth
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: NTProf on February 21, 2011, 08:54:51 pm: Always nice to see red oak board bows. That one came out great!
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: George Tsoukalas on February 21, 2011, 09:02:01 pm: That came out great! Tell us about the recurves. Jawge
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Matt S. on February 21, 2011, 09:18:35 pm: Quote from: George Tsoukalas on February 21, 2011, 09:02:01 pm
That came out great! Tell us about the recurves. Jawge

The first time I was trying to recurve the bow I was using a heat gun. I think I must have rushed it when the tip broke.

After I cut the limbs down and tried recurving the tips again I had to use steam because my junk heat gun died on me (after only using it once!). As a side note, stay FAR AWAY from the $10 Harbor Freight heat gun!!

The recurves are very mild but definitely help a little with the string angle. They look a lot more pronounced than they really are due to the tip overlays.

I was very conservative all round with this bow during its second chance at life.
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Matt S. on February 22, 2011, 02:13:26 pm: Since this is my first "short" bow (besides a couple of kids bows), I have a couple of questions for those of you who have lots of experience making <60" bows.
Do you think I could have gotten this bow to a full 28" draw? Perhaps the handle area is a tad stiff preventing a longer draw?
Do you think Red Oak can take the strain of a full draw when it is this short, assuming a 40-50# draw and 1.5" wide limbs?
How does the tiller look on this bow?

This bow became a short bow on accident, but I like the way it turned out so much I plan on making some more shorties in the future.
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: aero86 on February 22, 2011, 02:59:53 pm: i will say, i made a 55 inch bow, with siyahs glued on. they were about 3 inches long at a 45 degree angle. it ended up pulling to about 27.5 inches. which is my draw length. it was all red oak, static handle
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Josh on February 22, 2011, 03:45:23 pm: Cool bow for the February BOM contest! When I buy the Harbor Freight Heat guns I buy them two at a time in case the first one goes out on me in the middle of a project LOL ;D
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: Matt S. on February 22, 2011, 05:22:05 pm: Quote from: Josh on February 22, 2011, 03:45:23 pm
Cool bow for the February BOM contest! When I buy the Harbor Freight Heat guns I buy them two at a time in case the first one goes out on me in the middle of a project LOL ;D

Isn't that the truth! Now I have to weigh the option of buying a half-way decent heat gun or see if I can get by with steaming for all my bends. Hmmm....
Title: Re: "Second Chance" salvaged Red Oak short bow.
Post by: profsaffel on February 23, 2011, 12:29:24 am: Wow, it appears to be 'Red Oak' month! Another fine display of craftmanship from a board. Excellent.