Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Prarie Bowyer on April 19, 2012, 03:47:06 am
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First I owe a big thanks to Pat M, Gordon, and several others for making this possible. Several months ago I set out to make a fish killing bow. But I couldn't just have yer regular stick and string. It had to be quality and sweet AND work from a kayak. Along the way I found other cool bows and learned to make them.
This one is something of a breakthrough for me. I feel like my mind has been freed on how deep I can get wood to bend. Bamboo backed hickory. 65# @24". 49" Tip to Tip. I'm putting one of the cloth copperhead skins on it but I'll make more and one of those will be fish skinned. Possibly Sturgeon. ;) Bend in the handle (I think). It will get horn tips and arrow pass I hope. Recurves are kerf cut with a bamboo splice inserted.
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3473.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3472.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3463.jpg)
While I'm at it I wanted to show you guys my gluing form for this. Versatility is big for me and because 908% of my bows are boo backed they seem to work out best when glued up in a crown up configuration. What I cam up with is this. I can controll and adjust the bow length and the amount of recurve by the amount of the form I use and how I space it. Also I can place blocks and wedges under them to get different effects.
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3464.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3465.jpg)
I clamp them in place then wrap everything with rubber clamps and remove the other clamps. Works like a charm.
Next on the bench same form. 60" long.
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3462.jpg)
SO onto the Finished pics.
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3530.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3527.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3525.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3522.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3521.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3519.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3518.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3519.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3515.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3534.jpg)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/scottnlena/IMG_3533.jpg)
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Wow I just made the same exact bow out of white oak and I'm waiting for the sturgeon skin to dry to put on the back.
Great minds think alike.
Good looking bow
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Actualy I'm trying to score some sturgeon skins for it. Well it's brother. I put the fake snake skins on this. I hope to use it this weekend.
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love bamboo nice bow man
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That looks great!
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That's a great looking "shorty".
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Good lookin bow, PB. I would love to see one in the form next time around.
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Very nice!
do you have a close up of the " kerf cut with a bamboo splice inserted." Just curious to see
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That looks great,nice bow,can't wait to see it all prettied up. DaveO a friend of mine tried the fake skins on some kids bows a few weeks back and you really have to be careful trimming them,they didn't trim smooth like real skins,they tried threading out on the edges,just a thought you may watch for if you haven't used fake before.He may have gotton some bad or cheap ones but I wasn't impressed
with the way they finished up. :) :)
Pappy
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looking real good, keep after it so we can see it bendin
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I want to do horn arrow passes. Can I get away with inlaid horn or how is best to do this?
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That looks great,nice bow,can't wait to see it all prettied up. DaveO a friend of mine tried the fake skins on some kids bows a few weeks back and you really have to be careful trimming them,they didn't trim smooth like real skins,they tried threading out on the edges,just a thought you may watch for if you haven't used fake before.He may have gotton some bad or cheap ones but I wasn't impressed
with the way they finished up. :) :)
Pappy
They are not real skins. However I haven't had that problem. It's just like backing with linen I would think. The instructions call for TB2 but I use TB3 for the extra moisture resistance. Some tips that I found helpful from my previous one.
Don't spread glue over the whole bow. Work in 6" increments.
Use a craft brush and cover every milimeter of the back and slightly over the edge.
spread the fabric down with your finger a bit damp. If you feel glue come through it's good but don't let it puddle up.
Don't pull it tight if you are working it down over bamboo. the area around the nodes will want to pull free.
Check back when the glue is pretty tack and re smooth it with a DRY finger or press down with a clean toothbrush (don't scrub just press).
Let that dry then ad a top coat of glue. I thin this a tad.
THEN when that is dry trim with a sharp exacto following the edge.
Then use a fine file to trim further and clean up.
some areas may have lifted on the edge if you got in a rush or pulled it tight or put the top coat down before the bottom coat cured.
Use a toothpick to work a drop of glue under these spots and then hold it down with a finger till it sticks well and then let it dry completely.
They look nice I think given that they are not real skins. But they are WAY less expensive. NO snakes actualy died for their skins, and they add some backing strength to the bow.
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You have come a long way grasshopper ;) That's a nice looking bow, one any of us would be proud to own. I like your form setup too.
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Sweet fish killer!!! great bend, it will be nice to have a bow in your kayak that you don't have to cant horizontal :)
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A great looking bow and I do like the forms, what width measurements on that bow?
Jamie
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I'm getting realy excited about this bow. When I firt saw them I turned my nose up at them and now I'm practicaly obsessed.
I took some shots today sitting down. I normaly shoot at a box in my yard and hope the arrows donw sail across the alley. any of you guys remember my primitive bunny and squirrel blunts? Basicaly a large river pebble lashed to the end of a bamboo shaft. 1/2" min diameter. At 18'(ish) I put that set of arrows through both sides of a card board box with fluflu fletching. Bow dropped a bit of weight after sanding and such. Pluss I started thinking that 65# is kinda heavy to be shooting alot and where I go it's pretty target rich.
I'm beyond thinking about fish shooting now. I've been able to paddle right up to ducks, geese, deer and turkey on my kayak. Not certain what is legal to shot like that but the regs aren't to clear so long as you have a duck/turkey call on you. I'm not even finding that they must be in the air. I figure If I'm sitting in a kayak on the water chasing a moving target I'll shoot ducks on the water. Odds are still way more in their favor. Pluss bamboo arrows float! Oh God this could be a blast!
I remember last year I was paddling along and there must have been 8 turkeys on the bank not 30' from me. So long as you stay seated and on the water in the kayak they almost ignore you! I've had deer practicaly sniff my head. Stand up and they split. Of course now that I'll be armed there will be nothing around ;D
I'm not even certain if it's legal to shoot from a kayak or if that qualifies as shooting from a vehicle.
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The bow is 49" Tipt to tip. widest part of the limbs is 1.25" like most of my bows. The grip section is kinda tiny in terms of hand space. Tips are about 1/2" wide. At the grip it's 7/8" ish.
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That bow is looking real good. I'm impressed with what you were able to do with such a short bow.
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Thanks guys for all the great coments and feed back!
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Finished pics added at the first. Probably should have put them here.
Working on the video now.
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Finished pics look great. Did you say you had to steam the tips to get them to bend? I know you added the kerf splice. What glue did you use for the glue up? What are your tips made of?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TciyPDw2O9c&feature=channel&list=UL
Many questions answered here.
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I remember the clouds opening when I shot my first short bow, they are fun. You have given me food for thought having just started kyaking myself.
Your bow looks great.
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Man you are really putting the strain on that shorty! great work. the kerfs really look nice.
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I'm wondering if I should make special arrows for it and how they would be optimized for this kind of short bow. Suggestions?