Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on February 07, 2015, 02:06:42 am
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I've been messing with boyery for a year or so. Mostly making jigs and messing with too wet staves. In the last 4 or 5 months with some properly dried staves I got busy. I've made a dozen bows, haven't broken any. Obviously I'm not pushing the envelope hard enough. They all seem to shoot nice but I really don't know much about shooting. It's not getting boring,yet, but it is getting repetitious. Most of my bows have been long,66" or more. What would you suggest as the next step?
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Laminated bows?
Take-downs?
Short, sinew backed bows?
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100# Warbow @ 32"... that'll get you thinking... >:D
Or a shortie, or a flight bow, or a Molly or a pyramid.
Del
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cable backed bows
plain bows
horn bows
static recurves
holmegard
ishi bow
RD
Penobscot bow
Californian style bow
Warbows
Turkish, Hun, Korean, mongol etc, horsebow
there are many many options and craftmanships to learn :)
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There could never enough designs or staves that I would get bored. Even a realitivly similar design but different species or just different stave. Something always new. It's like a cold one or a glass of wine. It just puts my mind at easy at the end of the day. Something that I will forever do.
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Give those away and start over! ;)
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Static recurve.
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Are most of those oceanspray? Pushing the envelope with OS can be tough. Personally I would experiment with recurves and reflex or dress them up a bit.
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You could always learn how to shoot....
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You could always learn how to shoot....
Totally agree Paul. I made so many bows that I didn't even shoot after finishing. Decide which one you like and get good with it. Give the rest away and start making again. You will get better at making them when you learn what you like to shoot.
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+1 on what Paulsemp said.
I first started to make bow becaus it was cheaper the buying one. Then I got hooked.....
But I try to go out and shoot at least once a week.
There are a lot of good informative videos on youtube on instictive shooting. That should keep you pretty busy....
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You know what I make so give it a try, like others say try an R/D and go for it... >:D
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Thanks for the replies. Laminates are down the road a bit. I have a bunch of yew staves drying and I'm hoping to use the offcuts to make lams. I've made about 50/50 OS and yew. There is no point in building a heavy bow. There is no way I could test it and it would end up on the hearth quicker than most. I have made an exercise devise that I use daily so maybe someday but I'm 68 and have never been a strong man so I'm not hoping for much past 50#. I've joined the local archery club and my shooting is improving but at 20yds I still miss the bag more than I want(which is never). I built a 12 yd range in the back yard and get out there as often as the weather permits. I'm trying to keep the bark on an OS today and I guess after that I'll try some recurves.
Anyway in a fit of optimism I steamed this up last week. It's in the warm box(70 degrees and 50% RH) still losing a couple of grams a day. I was thinking recurves and got carried away. It's OS so it will bend. I guess alignment will be a PITA. I'm expecting quite a bit of the curve to pull out and will probably pike it to eliminate any unused curve. Can you point out any things that I should look for?
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That's a sweet looking deflex reflex, once braced they almost take a triangle shape, urs will still have reflex at the end in that profile. I love making statics. Short sweet and mean looking. Never made a long bow :o
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There could never enough designs or staves that I would get bored. Even a realitivly similar design but different species or just different stave. Something always new. It's like a cold one or a glass of wine. It just puts my mind at easy at the end of the day. Something that I will forever do.
So true I never get bored even when making the same design over again.
Anyways if you really want a challenge why don't you try making a horn bow?? That will really keep you occupied...
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Somehow I got the impression that making a horn bow was more waiting than actual building. Am I wrong?
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Building a horn bow from what I have read is very very intensive process. I'd make a few sinew backed bows before jumping to horn. Get a feel for it
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Somehow I got the impression that making a horn bow was more waiting than actual building. Am I wrong?
I believe there is lots of waiting time but also lots more work involved as blafair said
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why does it seem that many bowyers do not find much interest in arrows? I enjoy making each, but it is the arrow that flies straight and hits the mark. One aspect of primitive skills that I would not give up is the collecting of the necessary materiel's, and the time spent outside in the wild.
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Give those away and start over! ;)
+1
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why does it seem that many bowyers do not find much interest in arrows? I enjoy making each, but it is the arrow that flies straight and hits the mark. One aspect of primitive skills that I would not give up is the collecting of the necessary materiel's, and the time spent outside in the wild.
I quite enjoy making arrows and just finished a spurt of arrow making. I'm thinking that maybe flight archery is where I want to be. A guy can work on optimizing bows and arrows there.
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Give those away and start over! ;)
+1
I'm looking for recipients. So far compound bows are king around here. My son is in the SCA and so I'm hoping to give some there.