Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: H Rhodes on February 06, 2013, 07:19:15 pm
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My shortest unbacked bow so far. 47" NTN and 35lbs at 26". Heat treated white oak. Limbs about 1 3/4" wide at the fades. Bendy handled and shows about an inch of set after a hundred shots. I just bought a belt sander and have gone nuts building bows. I should have discovered electricity a long time ago.
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NICE, love me some white oak, it'll really take some bending, Bub
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Sweet Jesus there Howard, absolutely outstanding. Them babies is real addictive, wouldn't want ya goin native like the old man,eh? Beautifull tiller also, Ya really aint scared of no 90 degree string angle are ya? 8)
rich
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Think ya got all the bend outta that one there Howard ;)
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Thanks guys. No, I am not scared to pull back on white oak Rich. These little bendy handle bows are habit forming!! I believe w. oak will take it and haven't had one blow up yet... Pretty forgiving bow wood.
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That's amazing.
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That is dang cool Howard! 26" of sweet bend on that shorty is amazing , your gonna be running with Jon W and Rich if you keep that up.
;)
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Wow that sweet ;D
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Thanks Arrowind, BB, and Ozzy. Greg, I am not in the running with those guys, but they were definitely an inspiration for me, along with the other talented bowyers on this sight, to go ahead and push the limits some.
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That is an impressive little bow there. You sure are busy making nice bows!
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Amazing bend, Howard! I've always known white oak was special but this sets it is stone...or wood I guess. ;D
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man that is a bendy little sucker :o , nice one. i have been threatening to get a belt sander( tired of rasping forever :)) may just have to get one.
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Thanks so much guys. Yeah, since deer season ended the sickness has really taken hold!
White oak is the stuff for a short bendy design - once it gets a good toasting it will hold it's own with the best of bow woods. I have yet to break a white oak bow - or even pop a splinter with it Pat.
I have rasped and drawknifed till my elbows are sounding like Rice Crispies! Buying the belt sander was the best thing I have done for myself in a long time. I got a a Porter Cable 4" X 36" and with this 40 grit belt it hogs off wood during tillering. Lot of tissue damage is going to be avoided in my joints in the future thanks to a band saw and this sander. I feel like I am cheating!
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Wowzer boy! That thing is sweet. Howard you will really get to love that belt sander trust me. I tiller a bow almost entirely with mine now. An even thickness isn't even really a challenge anymore. Now do you have my addy? ;)
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Nice bend on that one. :)
Pappy
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have gone nuts building bows.
Obviously. That's some nice bows you posted. And an impressive output!
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Real nice shorty, Howard!! You braggin on white oak all the time is what made me try it. It sure is good stuff!! ;)
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Unbelievable bend! Wow......
Don
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thats a little cracker. you got some real bend in that, well done.
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Thanks a lot fellows.
JonW, I sure appreciate your comments - your bows have been an inspiration for me and I can see that the belt sander is the way to go.
Kenny, I think that working with that good Mississippi white oak will spoil a fellow when you compare the difficulty of working with almost any other white wood. It splits good, bends good, and heats good. It's holding high on my list.
I am getting back to the yellow wood pretty soon though. I have a fine looking stave roughed out and drying.... stay tuned - more to come!
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Nice bow! Did you need to put much reflex into it before tillering?
Hamish.
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Thanks Hamish. Actually it was made from a half split of a four inch sapling and it dried into about three inches of reflex, all of which pulled out during tillering, leaving me with about an inch or so of set. I did flip the tips a little during the heating process, to help with the string angle some so it wouldn't pinch my big mits while drawing the string, which left the bow right at zero after shooting in. White oak without the heat tempering process is tension strong, but can be very prone to taking set - heat treating it is the key to getting the most from this species. I have had best results with toasting it right after low bracing the bow for the first time. I have a sister to this stave that I am trying to figure out what to do with...
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Oh my! What a bend you got there! :o. I've made some white oak (actually burr oak) bows in the past and I was always happy with the results. After seeing this, I can see that I was seriously sand bagging on pushing it to its limits. Very impressive, very impressive indeed Sir! Josh
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Thanks Josh. I have had really good luck with swamp chestnut oak and burr oak, but my best results have been from true white oak - quercus alba - it's the stuff. Toast it and pull the hell out of it - you won't be dissapointed.