Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: jwillis on March 06, 2011, 09:00:05 pm

Title: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: jwillis on March 06, 2011, 09:00:05 pm
I was shopping in Home Depot one day this winter and decided just to take a quick look a the red oak boards...lol. This 3/4" x 2-1/2" x 6' board with perfectly straight grain on all sides was on the top of the stack. It was a quarter sawed board. I decided that I'd better buy it or I would inevitably regret it later. The bow is 66" NTN, 42#@28", 2-3/8" wide at the fades with a straight taper to 1/2" tips outside the nocks. I put a fair amount of time into making it really balanced, so it shoots really nice and is super quiet. I used Tightbond III to glue on some 6" tip extensions on the back side of the limbs and shaped them into flipped tips. This is the first time I've made these and I am really happy with them. They seem to make up for the inevitable set in the limbs and seem to improve the cast of the bow a bit. I aligned the grain on them so it is really hard to see they were added. The handle is built up on the belly side with a piece of black walnut and built up about 1/8" on the back side. The shelf is 1-1/2" above bow center, making the lower limb about 1-1/2" shorter than the top. I really like the way this makes the bow balance at my bow hand index finger when carrying the bow. It was a little harder to tiller this way, but it sure does balance and shoot nicely. The shelf is made out of a couple of pieces of leather but I really don't like the way it feels. I think I'm going to take it off and replace it with a floppy rest. The tips have buffalo horn overlays that came from knife scales that I bought on Ebay. Even though the back was just fine, I backed the bow with brown paper because I just like the way it looks, plus I'm considering painting on some camo or hieroglyphic decorations with a brush or a template.

I twisted up a 14-strand, red,  BCY452x flemish string for it with some material that was a gift from my friend Hank in Iowa. He also sent me a new serving tool that he made for putting on mono serving material. It has a nylon V-block on it so it doesn't put any dents or scratches on the servingl. Like he suggested, I got some 20 lb. Cajun red mono fishing line at Wal-Mart for the serving. It served it up really round and slides off my fingers smoothly. Hank calls this string design a "Satan's Anus"...lol. He didn't care much for the string, hence the gift to me, but I like it just fine. Sorry for the nerdy model with the glasses and t-shirt.

(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010019-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010018-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010015-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010014-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010013-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010009-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010008-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010007-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010005-2.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/swimslug61/red%20oak%20board%20bow/P1010002-2.jpg)

Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: Bevan R. on March 06, 2011, 09:24:11 pm
Looks like a shooter to me. Nice job.

Bevan R
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: bubby on March 06, 2011, 10:03:41 pm
not much set there, nice bow, Bub
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: NTD on March 06, 2011, 10:15:45 pm
Really nice bow!  looks sleek and fast.
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: bryan irwin on March 06, 2011, 10:28:39 pm
sweet tiller i like it .
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: Ifrit617 on March 06, 2011, 10:30:42 pm
Nice bow... I personally like  the string...  ;D
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 06, 2011, 10:45:59 pm
Very nice bow with an excellent tiller. Well done. Jawge
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: wvarcher on March 07, 2011, 12:15:38 am
Nice job.   The transition from the handle to the fades looks great.  I made a bow with a shorter LL.   it's one of my sweetest shooting bows. 
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: ErictheViking on March 07, 2011, 01:18:24 am
great bow. love the braced pic. the horn tips are sweet.
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: RyanY on March 07, 2011, 03:02:00 am
Everything on that bow looks nice. I just used red oak on a handle of a bow I made and it sure looks great when polished up. I've been using hickory staves but seeing this and working with some red oak makes me want to grab a board. Great job.
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: n2huntn on March 07, 2011, 03:28:31 am
That's one to be proud of.
Jeff
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: Dvshunter on March 07, 2011, 10:33:19 am
nice bow. Great job blending everything together.
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: Pappy on March 07, 2011, 11:01:36 am
Beautiful bow,finish work is excellent. The grain and the way you blended the tip are very nice.  :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: red oak board bow with tip extensions (pics)
Post by: Josh on March 07, 2011, 12:00:59 pm
Very Nice Red Oak Bow!  Tiller looks great on it. this is one of my favorite bow woods to work with.  Got it bookmarked for the March BOM contest as well!   :)