Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Oakenshield on July 29, 2015, 09:07:44 pm
-
Hey guys, tomorrow ill be re-curving some tips on a yew bow I've been working on, and I just had a quick question. when you boil the tips does it effect the set of the bow? What about stain, will it stain the wood? My main concern is adding more set by introducing moisture back into the wood. If you've ever made a bow from green wood you know what I'm talking about, the set is tremendous.
Thank abunch, Oak
**EDIT**
update on this bow guys, I'm having a little trouble solving this problem. scraped quite a bit and its not fixing my problem areas. I marked where i think the problem areas are and some other info on the picture. I would really appreciate some input guys. Don't mind the mess please, I'm still moving in.
Thank you, Oak
-
Are you redesigning an already made bow?
-
Hey pat, thanks for the response. No, this is a bow i just finished floor tillering.
Thanks, Oak
-
We need a little more info! Is this yew stave seasoned?
As pat asked, an existing bow or a new build?
I recurve my yew bows when they are fully braced and pulling about 20"
I boil or steam, both work. I hit it with a heat gun after. I got nothing to prove it, but I feel it helps set it in, and also dry it out quicker. I let them sit a couple days too.
Steaming or boiling your tips won't give your bow set, but many other things will, mainly using unseasoned yew.
And I find it does stain the sapwood a bit, but most comes out with some sanding
-
We need a little more info! Is this yew stave seasoned?
As pat asked, an existing bow or a new build?
I recurve my yew bows when they are fully braced and pulling about 20"
I boil or steam, both work. I hit it with a heat gun after. I got nothing to prove it, but I feel it helps set it in, and also dry it out quicker. I let them sit a couple days too.
Steaming or boiling your tips won't give your bow set, but many other things will, mainly using unseasoned yew.
And I find it does stain the sapwood a bit, but most comes out with some sanding
I'll keep my eyes on this one. I just started working on the yew stave I got from you Ryan. Patrick
-
Hey wiz thanks for you're reply, that was the answer I was looking for. Yes, as far as I know the wood was seasoned for a year. I just not got the tips bending decently on the floor, and it hasn't taken any set yet. So from what you're saying, I think I'm going to tiller it a bit first before I induce recurves now, thanks for that tidbit. Here's a pic of it now, though not much to look at yet.
-
Where's the pic bud? Patrick
-
Sorry i'm new :P i edited the post. The bow has some natural reflex in it already which i hope will benefit me. And i saw you guys talking about leaving the bark on but i was a bit worried of it snapping off and the loss of tension causing me to draw the bow too hard when tillering. So i scraped it with a cabinet scraper down to the first growth ring and left some of cambium (sp?) layer on. Maybe ill sand that off later?
Oak
-
+1 on what Wizard Goat said.
I've never actually boiled, but with steaming you get pink water dripping out, but the wood cleans up fine.
The wood can always move in ways you didn't quite want and recurves can pull out... I agree that heat treating can help set the bend in place.
Del
-
Hey guys so i'm holding off on the tips until i get this thing more tillered in. My question is about draw weight. I'm in the process of tillering the bow and i feel it is too strong for me so far, cause i can't pull it back to 27" with the loose string on haha, but i think the tiller is even. My plan was to even them out first then bring down the weight. In the pictures the left (top) limb is 1" longer than the right (bottom) limb. I guess i'm just making sure i'm on the right track, let me know what you guys think, any advise is appreciated!
Thanks, Devin
-
That bow looks ready to be low braced, if not fully braced. Consider building a pulley type tree, much better for exercising and allows you to take quick pics without over stressing the wood. If If you feel your very close with the tiller and have a good thickness taper going on, take long scrapes down each limb and keep monitoring your tiller.
-
X2 on bracing that one
-
Ok thanks wiz and bub! I plan on making a pulley rig for my next build for sure. Usually I take a quick pic with my phone and take it off the tree as soon as possible so I don't stress it too much. I'll be too busy to get any work done on it this weekend but I'll get to it early next week I hope. I'll update when I recurve the tips, I think lebhintfish had the same questions.
Thanks again, Oak
-
I added a picture and question to the OP...thank you
-
Don't fight it any more. Take that bow to FULL BRACE! It will change your tiller. String it up to full brace and take a picture of it with a clean backdrop. Then post that pic. I'm positive it will look different. Patrick
-
haha to FULL BRACE IT IS LEB! I've been trying to take it slow out of fear for either breaking the darn thing or giving it more set than it could have. ill brace it now and get better pics. I was working with the light i had last night so that was the only available space for pictures. Here goes nothin.
-
I really have no idea. I see a hinge when its unstrung, its quite obvious, but not on the tree?
-
It's there, right above the doorknob.
-
Your right, put yourself a bunch of x's on the belly in about a 4in spot right where the hinge is. Don't touch that spot again till you have the right limb Bending better. Work on the section from the right of the hinge out to about 6in from the tips. Work that section and flex it several times between scraping sessions. Leave the left side alone till you get the right side squared away. JMO Patrick
-
Your right, put yourself a bunch of x's on the belly in about a 4in spot right where the hinge is. Don't touch that spot again till you have the right limb Bending better. Work on the section from the right of the hinge out to about 6in from the tips. Work that section and flex it several times between scraping sessions. Leave the left side alone till you get the right side squared away. JMO Patrick
Also work to the left of the hinge some. Your trying to weaken the right limb till it matches the bend in the hinge area. If that makes sense. Patrick
-
Okay guys i took all of you're advice, and i think i got this thing bending semi-decent at 26". Right now its pulling 54# @ 26" and im starting to feel like i'm close to my first real success in this hobby :). But before i get excited for nothing I'm gunna ask you're opinion one more time, see anything i should be concerned about? Especially you Leb, i really appreciate you're insight, youve helped me allot.
Thanks Again, Oak
-
Thanks oak! You need a little more work. I would take a few more scrapes on the right fade. You hinge is almost gone but not quite. Then take a few scrapes from the outer third of both limbs. Post several pictures of your progression. Also, what draw length are you after? What poundage are you wanting? After a short scraping section, take a draw pic and a braced pic and an unbraced pic. Post all three. Try to get a clean backdrop. We can tell a lot from those pictures. I'll check in later. Best thing to do right now is go SLOW! Wait for us to respond before going any further. We will get your bend good for you. Also don't leave it pulled for more than just a couple seconds to get a pic. A bow that is full drawn is 2/3rds broken. Patrick
-
You bet Leb! Thanks for so much help! Okay so i started to see that same strong spot in the fade when i got the pic up on the computer. I'm removing 5 scrapes at a time until its fixed. This is it again after 10 scrapes. I was going for 55# @ 28" but if its a little stronger that's fine, i don't mind the extra weight. just means i gotta make more arrows that's all. Also, the set is horrible! maybe it will go away over night? Is there any way to straighten this thing back up?
-
Take some more off the inner 5 inches of the right fade. And a little off the inner 3 inches of the left fade. And a little more on the outer third of each limb leaving the last six inches alone. Remember to feather it all out. Don't make abrupt start and stops. Exercise it good, take another picture and let us see it again. I would leave the set alone. It shows in the right limb exactly where the hinge was at. Go slow your really close. Patrick
-
How is your bow coming? Patrick
-
That set is perfectly reasonable... with the tips on the floor, can you get more that 2 fingers under the grip?
IMO 1 finger is great 2 is fine, 3 is getting a bit much. It's relatively short and working quite hard...
Set isn't the evil some people make out, would you rather have chrysals or a broken limb?
It can be removed at this early stage by heat treating belly with the bow clamped up with a tiny hint of reflex (maybe a 1" block under the grip)... but There are risks. It will also give you upto 10# of extra draw weight which can be used to refine the tiller.
It's not without risk tho'
I'd leave it alone and enjoy shooting it...
Del