Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Weylin on July 28, 2012, 11:45:07 pm

Title: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: Weylin on July 28, 2012, 11:45:07 pm

I've been working on a bow for my boy's 3rd birthday for months now. I had it tillered nicely and I just had a couple pounds to take off of it before I finished her up. The string wasn't passing over the center of the handle so I clamped it to the table, hung 20 lbs. off the end and heated it up with the heat gun. everything was fine. it bent nicely and just needed to cool off. But stupid me decided to borrow one of the clamps that was holding it down so I could work on another stave while it was cooling. I didn't get the new clamp on as well as i thought and as I took off the original clamp the bow twisted and the weights pulled the limb backward instead of to the side. It snapped just off the fade with no hope of repair.  >:( >:( If I'd have just waited 10 more minutes for the damn thing to cool off everything would have been fine. Oh well, lesson learned.

Interestingly, this kid's bow was being made from a bow that I had previously broken while making a bow for my dad. it snapped near the tip so I piked it down and converted it into a bow for Ronan. Apparently this stick just didn't want to be a bow. I think I'll try again with a little piece of oceanspray.  ::)

Title: Re: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: lesken2011 on July 29, 2012, 12:08:43 am

Sorry to hear that, Weylin. You obviously can work on several projects concurrently. I have a hard time pulling the trigger. I just stand there in the shop trying to figure out where to start. I'm sure it won't take you long to get a good one put together for him.

Title: Re: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: Badly Bent on July 29, 2012, 01:46:07 am

Also sorry to hear that Weylin, those small, lightweight kids bows give me trouble too. My daughter wants me to make one for my 3 1/2
year old grandson and I'll soon have to get after it because I know it won't be a quick or easy bow to make for me. Good luck with your next attempt at making one of those little buggers.
Greg

Title: Re: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: Josh B on July 29, 2012, 02:59:57 pm

That's a bummer!  Those little bows are tricky.  Josh

Title: Re: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: Weylin on July 30, 2012, 03:27:30 pm

I wish I could blame it on the fact that kid's bows are tricky but I just did something stupid.  :-\

Title: Re: Broke my kid's vine maple bow
Post by: tom sawyer on July 30, 2012, 03:41:11 pm

So he gets a pair of cool drumsticks for his bday.  At 3 he's not going to care that much.  I've played many a tune with broken kids bow drumsticks and my daughters always enjoyed them.