Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: AJMag on January 15, 2012, 03:31:47 am

Title: My first to finish
Post by: AJMag on January 15, 2012, 03:31:47 am
Howdy fellers. I'm almost done with all my finishing touches on my first completed bow. Red oak board bow, 71 ntn, was around 35-40 lbs at 27" before finishing touches, haven't measured since then yet. This was my second attempt at making a bow, no need to tell ya what happened to the first. :o  Wasn't too pleased with the way the camo clothe turned out, but it still looks better than the drywall tape i used to back it originally.  I used a couple pieces of squirrel zonker  strips I have for fly tying on the arrow rest that still needs a slight trimming. Also used cocobolo for tip overlays.  I couldn't resist that wood since i have so much of it on knife and pistol grips.  All in all I really enjoy it. It's a hoot to shoot so far, and even more to build.  Already tillering number two and beginning my search for a raw stave to try chasing some rings. I think I'm hooked.  I hope the pics work and please give some critique.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: mighty joe on January 15, 2012, 03:35:29 am
nice looking bow there.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: soy on January 15, 2012, 05:02:57 am
Hay great looking bow, congratulations ...welcome to pa and the addiction,fyi around these parts we require a full draw pic.aka the money shot >:D love to see it ;)
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: gstoneberg on January 15, 2012, 05:35:27 am
Looks fine to me, brace looks very good.  I'd also like to see full draw.  I just did my first cloth backing too, and will do it again.  Welcome to the addiction and to PA. :)

George
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: uwe on January 15, 2012, 08:18:11 am
Yeah, good job done.Wish my first looked like this!
Uwe
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: half eye on January 15, 2012, 10:53:51 am
AJ, very nicely done sir, looks a whole bunch better than my first one, Take that baby out after some critters, eh?
rich
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: gstoneberg on January 15, 2012, 11:30:09 am
AJ,

One thing you might want to consider on your next one is to put the handle lacing on the back of the bow instead of the belly.  Especially as you go up in draw weight I think you'll find the lacing uncomfortable in your hand.  Again, beautiful first bow.

George
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: PeteC on January 15, 2012, 11:52:33 am
Good job AJ.You're off to a great start. God bless
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Dazv on January 15, 2012, 12:21:38 pm
congrats to you for getting your first shooting bow! It takes allot of people allot more than one broken one before they get a shooter(including me) so great job and i would love to see a full draw picture.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: AJMag on January 15, 2012, 02:34:35 pm
Thanks for the kind words. I knew there would be some requests for the full draw and I'll try to get some taken later when there's someone around to take them for me. I was a little to anxious to show it off and didn't want to wait.  I was very confident the moment I found the board I used, that it would last a while, this next one I'm working on I have a feeling will see the fireplace.  If I'm right then I know I've learned something valuable. Anyway thanks for the tips and kind words, more pics to come.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Elktracker on January 15, 2012, 03:17:04 pm
Thats a nice looking first bow there! I agree the brace looks very nice, What kind of fabrick did you use? I have some camo 1.1 ripstop nylon I was thinking about trying but not sure it would hold up. Great work and look forward to the money shot!

Josh
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: AJMag on January 15, 2012, 03:38:12 pm
Well here's what I got. I was trying to get the shot in my hands but no one will be around to take it so this is it. It looks pretty different through the camera's eye, I see a couple spots I didn't see before, but no complaints.

Elk, I'm not 100% sure, I think it's just a thick cotton. I just bolted in and out of a fabric store before there was any blackmail evidence that I was there ;D  The bow is backed with two layers of drywall tape for the support. After I tillered it and shot it for a while I put the clothe on purely for looks then re worked it. I wasn't sure if adding glue and fabric over the back would change any off the elasticity, but it seems fine so far.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: mikekeswick on January 15, 2012, 07:33:51 pm
Good effort and it's pretty good fun when you get that first one shooting isn't it :)
Your tiller is pretty good, to help you with your next bows there is a spot on the outer 1/3 of the right hand limb where it's bending too much, can you see it? The thing to remember is that it was probably only a couple of scrapes too many that caused that. Don't worry though these little things become easier to spot the more you do.
Well done.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Keenan on January 15, 2012, 07:42:13 pm
Very nice bow. Graet tiler for your first bow. Congratulations, bet you are already planning the next one ;)
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: seabass on January 15, 2012, 07:52:20 pm
i think you did a great job.your tiller looks better than my first.i can't wait to see your next one,Steve
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Postman on January 15, 2012, 09:53:33 pm
Congrats on your first Shooter! ;)  welcome to the sickness!
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: HickoryBill on January 15, 2012, 11:28:49 pm
You will always remember your first bow..Looks great!
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Woodeye on January 15, 2012, 11:51:49 pm
Well done - the tip overlays look sharp.  Shoot it and feel the power of comes from a simple length of wood!
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: johnston on January 15, 2012, 11:52:22 pm
Nice bow. Bet your mind is whirling around backings you want to try and designs
and different wood and just all kinds of stuff that wasn't important before your
first shooter was in the books.
Don't worry, it gets worse :o :o >:D >:D :laugh:

Lane
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: coaster500 on January 16, 2012, 01:24:36 pm
Good work!!!

Felt good to fling that first few arrows I bet !!!

Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: oscar3b on January 17, 2012, 01:11:56 am
Hey AJ!  Great work!  I just finished my first bow too and it was also out of red oak.  At least I'm not the only one that just got the sickness.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: BakhSA on January 17, 2012, 02:38:07 am
Congrats on your first bow, AJMag. Great work!
Bakh
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Pappy on January 17, 2012, 09:39:30 am
Looks good,looks like a shooter to me.Love the grain in the wood,sweet. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: paulsemp on January 17, 2012, 02:05:10 pm
nice work! really good for your first. I agree with gstoneberg, the lace on the belly side will drive you nuts. I've tried it before and ended up redoing the grip. Nice shooter!
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: dwardo on January 18, 2012, 02:42:20 pm
Nice bow  8) Now youre hooked.
Much better than my first bow too.... Pretty sure i still have some of it stuck in the roof of my workshop, atleast a splinter anyway  ::)
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Parnell on January 18, 2012, 04:54:06 pm
Way to go!  Way better than my first.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: George Tsoukalas on January 18, 2012, 09:38:55 pm
Very nice! Congratulations! Jawge
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: AJMag on January 18, 2012, 10:08:37 pm
Thank you all for the complements. At the moment they are keeping my spirits high as my next bow is proving to be a challenge as I thought it would(poor board selection).  I definitely picked the right board to start with thanks to good pictures and explanations from sites such as Jawges. Hats off to you sir.
Title: Re: My first to finish
Post by: Sidewinder on January 19, 2012, 03:00:13 pm
Good job AJ. Its an incredible journey and certainly a sickness worth having. In fact its the only "sickness" if ever contracted that I did not want to be cured of. I think your tiller looks good and you are certainly in the right place to learn more. Keep up the good work.
 Oh, as an after thought, I'm not sure where you are at but getting out and harvesting some of your own wood is another good excersize you might want to start on. Sometimes it takes a while to locate a place you can cut some trees worthy of bows so I would start scouting if I were you.    Danny