Primitive Archer
		Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bohunter0908 on October 28, 2011, 03:39:49 pm
		
			
			- 
				Howdy y'all
 Well I'm attempting my 3rd
 Bow its an elm stave
 In a kinda pyramid/mojave
 type style so far just roughed out
 has a lot of natural reflex
 hope yo keep this one in one
 piece   :-\ wish me luck
 -Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				thats looking very good i love this type of bow.
			
- 
				Good luck on this one! Front profile is looking very good. You'll probably want to take some of that reflex out once you get the limbs thinned.
			
- 
				Thanks fellas
 I was kinda wondering about that reflex I like that it has it
 Just don't know if its to much Oh
 And I forgot to add specs it is 56.5" tip to tip
 2" at fades going to .5" tips thanks for looking and as always
 Any input is welcome.
 - Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				most of the reflex will most probably pull out it might be an idea to match up the reflex in both of the limbs so they should turn out even
			
- 
				Bo, reflex is great, but it makes it harder to get to brace.  It'll have lots of early string tension and the temptation to leave it on the long string too long will be strong.  I agree,  you need to make the reflex even.  I messed up my last reflexed stave and came in way under weight...then broke the bow trying to heat treat it.  It had about 6" of reflex a side.  Yours doesn't look that bad.
 
 George
- 
				Y'all are right about evening
 out the reflex I didn't realize how
 uneven it was until I looked back the pics
 I got it pretty close to a floor tiller stage
 Today but may have to change my style a little
 Due to some cracks it maybe a almost molly
 pyramid mojave hybred some sort of design
 I ain't giving up on it yet. I'll post some pics so
 Y'all can see what I'm dealing with and maybe
 give me some ideas. As always thanks for the advice.
 -Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				Well
 another one bites the dust
 I was getting close to puttin it
 On the tiller stick I was given a
 Floor tiller check and it decided it didn't
 want to be a bow after all >:(
 -Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				Easy on the wood killer ;)
 
 Get back up and learn what ya did wrong and try again. Don't think I need to tell ya what went wrong...I think you know.  8)
 
 I know it can suck and be frustrating going thru the learning curve,but when ya finally get one flinging you'll be ecstatic.  ;)
- 
				Bohunter, too late to help with this one. We had a bad storm here in NH. No power or internet for a couple of days but I know what happened to your stave. You got yourself in a cross grain situation. You had a character stave and you tried to get it to look like a trim FG bow. When laying out a bow, step 1 is to draw a line down  the center but follow the lateral grain so it will go in and out ... left and right with the grain. If you don't do this it probably will break. Then you measure on either side of that line for the width of the bow. Here check this. Questions welcomed. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html
- 
				Blackhawk
 It does suck loseing
 One but it'll take more than
 a couple of busted sticks to
 Stop me I did learn something
 and that's what counts
 
 Jawge
 It didn't have much snake to it
 But as always your input and web
 Site are greatly appreciated
 I think what got me was when roughing
 Out I pulled a lil splinter up on the back
 on the edge of the limb and I tried to get
 By it but it went deeper than I thought :o :-\
 -Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				Are you sure the wood you are working with isn't dry rotted,for it to break at just floor tiller don't sound right with elm,or most any other wood for that matter, no matter what kind of mess you may have made laying it out. White wood will dry rot fast if left in the weather. Just wondering ? :) :)
 Pappy
- 
				Pappy
 It wasn't dry it hasn't been seansonimg long
 Maybe 2 or 3 months and this perticular piece
 Was in my garage. I thimk a lot of my
 Problem is impatience I'm just so
 ready to make a shootable bow
 At a hunting weight that I get a lil
 Over zealous and try to rush :-[ ;D
 -Bo-
 Laporte TEXAS
- 
				Bo,
 
 Impatience and reflexed staves do NOT go together.  It is trickier to tiller a reflexed stave because it is working harder (read bending further) than a straight one is at any given point in the process.  The temptation is very great to bend it further than it's ready to bend.  Of the bows that have actually broken in my presence, whether I did it or somebody else, over a third were reflexed staves being worked to get a string on.  Do yourself a favor and use osage or hickory for your first heavier bow.  They will tolerate minor tillering mistakes and still shoot.  Given where you live, I'd stick with osage.
 
 Get yourself a day off, jump in the car and drive up here to my place.  Normally when I help somebody build a bow it takes them 8-12 hours to get the back prepared and start tillering.  If you're really in a hurry I can do most of that part for you in a few minutes while you watch.  Then, you can do the rest to get some experience.  From that point, it doesn't take long to be tillering and then shooting.  The fastest I've ever had somebody with no experience go from stave to bow was 16 hours and most of that was chasing the growth ring.  Of course, most of my seasoned wood is crooked and will need bent (and then a day to rehydrate), but even so - believe me, it is the quickest way to a hunting weight bow, and all you'll spend is the time and gas to get here.  Since it's hunting season, check with me first.
 
 George
 
 
- 
				i didnt get my first do till the third try either, and just a tip start out with a longbow and it will make you feel a lot better about making bows. i would suggest you goto the poorfolkbows.com website and make an elb. at least that worked for me :D