Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stickhead on July 15, 2007, 04:37:22 pm
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(New tiller pics are on pg 2)
Here's my latest attempt, which took a lot of pain. I had some ERC logs around 35", that I'd salvaged from a neighbor's brush pile. I had intented to make arrows from them, but a couple pieces just looked like bow billets to me. I didn't have much width or length, so I didn't want to give up 4" to splice them. I've been wanting a takedown hunting bow anyway, so I tried my hand a using a metal bow sleeve, per Jay St. Charles in TBB Vol 3.
ERC is notorious for breaking, but I got my heart set on making a T/D selfbow of at least 55 lbs, using a thin layer of sapwood for the back. I had just got it tillered to full draw, when one limb exploded on the tiller tree. Being bull-headed, I made a third limb and tried again. This time it made it to completion, and shot a few arrows. I put all of the finishing touches on it, went to try it again, and BAM! The new limb blasted to bits.
Through my tears, I inspected both busted limbs and determined that the point of failure in both cases was, as you might guess, at the joint of the smaller sleeve insert. Being extremely bull-headed, I made a fourth limb. This time, I put some B50 wrapping around each limb where it enters the sleave. This billet, being my third choice, had some twists and knots that made things interesting.
I got to thinking that corn snake skin would make for a nifty camo. Not having any cornsnakes, I faked it with markers and the sheds of a black racer over the top. I was leary of a knot at one of the tips, so I tried my hand at some elkhorn overlays. (Didn't really know what I was doing here, so I just kinda made them up as I went. Any pointers are welcome.) I put on a basic leather wrap, folded over at the top for a shelf.
The top limb is a tad shorter than the bottom, so I tillered it a bit weaker. I may have overdone this a little. Actually, I expected the short limb to end up on the bottom, but it shoots better this way. Here are the specs:
55 lbs @ 26"
68" nock-to-nock
1.5" wide at widest point, tapering to 1/2" at tips
It's had about 100 arrows through it, and I think it's going to survive this time. There are plenty of things that aren't perfect about this bow, but it's my best shooter yet and I'm reasonably happy with it. I'm still a beginner, so all suggestions are very welcome.
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Some more pics...
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And a couple more...
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Neat! The color on it is wonderful! I especially like the 'cornsnake' backing, Great job!
Sean
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8) ....does help to be bull-headed sometimes! - little bit more mid-limb bend in the lower limb i'd say?!
frank
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Very nice ERC bow. The snake skins are beautiful and the yellow B-50 compliments well. I agree with Frank about the lower limb being a bit still. Looks like the outer 1/2 to 1/3. Thats a neat idea about painting on the color and design and adding a shed skin over it. Did the other limbs break at the sleeve? if so, maybe a raw hide backing that is added before attaching the sleeve would protect that area. Pat
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Very cool stickhead,looks like you done a mighty fine job on that one.Its a beauty. :)
Pappy
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Sweet! Good looking weapon, and that's quite imaginitive artwork with the markers and shed skin. Good job.
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Hey Stickhead, sure wish you lived closer to PatB's and could come down at the end of the month. I would love to see that bow in the flesh. I will have about 8 pieces of ERC there and hope the fellows can get me started in the right direction. "Everything" about your bow is a class act and I so want to do one of my own. Great job and I admire your workmanship. Shed skin over paint? Out standing!
Dick
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Thanks for the kind words, guys. As for the tiller, I know it's a little stiffer on the bottom, which was partially intentional. I ended up weakening the top limb a little more than I intended. It was a little tricky tillering a new limb to match a finished, and I think the final sanding threw it off a little.
I don't want to lose any weight, so I haven't messed with the bottom limb's tilller. However, it occurs to me that since it's a little longer than the top (by 1/2" or so), I suppose I could pike it an inch. That way, maybe I'd regain the couple of pounds I lose from tillering. Of course, I'd have to relocate the overlay, but then, I've already done that twice before. Hmmm.
Dick - thanks, and good luck with that ERC. It can be a cruel mistress. Keep it wide if you can, and if you've got more sense than me, you'll back it. Fraid I can't get to NC this month, since I'll be heading up to Denton Hill.
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Its a work of art, love the snake skin. Tiller is bad at all. Way to persevere.
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Thats a beautiful Bow. Great job
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Congratulations on a very nice bow. Jawge
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I love that bow. I'll never look at cedar the same again!
How is cedar in compression strength? How does it compare to other bow woods?
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Way to hang in there; the finished product is incredible!!! Nice work! Joe
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Beautiful bow. Great idea with the skins. I have one of those sleeves that I've been avoiding for a couple years now. Maybe it's time to get after that.
J. D.
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After looking at the pics I posted and reading advice from y'all, I decided to retiller the bottom limb just a tad. I got it bending a little nicer, and I think I'm done this time. (At least for the moment.) It still has decent draw weight (around 53# at 26"), so I'm happy. It's got around 1 1/2" of set, which I can live with. I didn't want to tempt the ERC gods by doing any heat treatment or bending.
Saw Filer - my experience with ERC jives with what I've read. Namely, that sapwood is better in tension, but takes more set. And the heartwood is good in compression, but brittle.
Here are a couple of new tiller pics:
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I like it alot, attractive, functional, all in one takedown package.
VB
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The tiller looks much nicer. That is truly a beautiful bow. Justin
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I really like that bow...A LOT!! I've seen and cut lots of cedar, it makes super good fence posts. All the old men around here that whittle, use cedar. It whittles good if it's clear heart wood. Just because i've seen and used so much of it (not for bows), I know it's very light and stiff. I bet it shoots pretty hard since it can't have much mass weight in the limbs. I hope it holds up for you and you get to try it out this fall on some game.
How many bows have you seen that look good and smell good?
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You win the CBOM (Creative BOM) for this one. Great takedown. Tips, skin design make this one of the most distinctive bows I've seen for awhile. Looking forward to see how this one stacks up for Self Bow of the Month.