Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: gfugal on November 29, 2016, 04:52:52 pm

Title: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: gfugal on November 29, 2016, 04:52:52 pm
43" NTN @ 26" Draw. 28#. Will include photo of me drawing it to full length when I have someone to help take pictures. The tiller isn't perfect and has a hinge in the lower limb but didn't want to reduce the weight anymore.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: loon on November 29, 2016, 04:59:24 pm
Very very nice to see such a short bow without a tiny draw. What is it made of?
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: gfugal on November 29, 2016, 05:15:05 pm
sucky hardware store douglass fir. This is the first bow I've made and wanted to work out on a piece of wood I wasn't afraid of breaking. I think it could have been a little stronger if I didn't reduce too much wood too soon. I took off a good 5-8 pounds trying to reduce the hinge but I still didn't work out all the way. It has some chrysals and got about 2-3" set so It was close to its limit.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: osage outlaw on November 29, 2016, 05:55:49 pm
Is it backed with something?  Why the wool covering?
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: gfugal on November 29, 2016, 06:41:47 pm
it's got a thin cable backing and two layers of sinew. the cable was somewhat showing through the sinew and I also didn't want to smooth it out or do any wood finish so I just stitched wool on it for aesthetic purposes. It was a pattern of my own design and will adjust it for future bows.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: Stick Bender on November 29, 2016, 07:48:30 pm
I like your proto type design make it a little longer for your draw & better wood /sinew you wood have a nice little bow good luck with the next one.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: loon on November 29, 2016, 08:19:47 pm
I like that it is that short, and made out of wood considered completely unsuitable but it still works! though it is light.. really like the braced shape too
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: upstatenybowyer on November 29, 2016, 08:20:44 pm
Nice going :D Not sure what you have access to, but I would suggest finding a nice straight sapling of quality white wood (sugar maple, hickory, elm, ect.) and trying an American Flatbow. It's fun to make recurves, but they can be time consuming and challenging to tiller. Just my thoughts. Cheers!
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: mullet on November 29, 2016, 08:37:01 pm
Well,,, that should keep it warm. Hope y'all don't have a summer.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: bubby on November 29, 2016, 09:25:47 pm
you can see the hinge at brace that's easy enough. Luckily with sinew and cable backing and then with all that wool it should stay in one piece when it fails
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: gfugal on November 29, 2016, 10:30:35 pm
here's more pictures.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: DC on November 29, 2016, 11:14:32 pm
That's quite a bend for a piece of fir, I'm impressed :)
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: loon on November 29, 2016, 11:25:55 pm
That's a really awesome first bow. I like the bend. Would like to know if you make anything even better with better wood... or bamboo?..

Inspiring :p
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: gfugal on November 30, 2016, 02:32:04 am
Even if bows produced any heat for the wool to trap i don't see it being a problem, even in the summer. I live in utah so its pretty dry and doubt the humidity would be great enough to cause problems. Trapping moisture against the sinew is my only concern with a cloth covering. As long as i don't use it in the rain i won't have problems but in the future i plan on gluing and finishing it in a water resitant way, like a mod podge.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: mikekeswick on November 30, 2016, 04:13:11 am
Yes indeed an impressive bend from a piece of fir..........
Better wood,longer and wider and you'll have a good one next try :) 26 inch draw, stiff handle, sinew backed recurve should be about 58 inch.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: Parnell on November 30, 2016, 12:01:30 pm
That's crazy.  I'm amazed that profile and bend has held together.  Interesting first bow. :)
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: make-n-break on November 30, 2016, 12:18:06 pm
Dang. I'm not brave enough to try that combination even if it'd been my 21st bow. Nice work!
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: loon on November 30, 2016, 12:18:51 pm
Yes indeed an impressive bend from a piece of fir..........
Better wood,longer and wider and you'll have a good one next try :) 26 inch draw, stiff handle, sinew backed recurve should be about 58 inch.
Ah come on! Too much man-nee. If that's doable with fir, I'd like to think that a good wood, springy and good at compression, and still sinew, could be more draw weight with the same dimensions, maybe even to 28". But yeah, it probably wouldn't perform as well as a longer one? nor hold much reflex? but short bows are cool
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: bubby on November 30, 2016, 12:53:08 pm
Maybe short bows that are properly designed and constructed, by his own accounts it already has 3 in of set and chrysals
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: PatM on November 30, 2016, 01:31:01 pm
Agreed. You can really hold a sinewed bow together and have it basically functioning on the sinew more than the belly.
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: mikekeswick on November 30, 2016, 01:48:38 pm
Yes indeed an impressive bend from a piece of fir..........
Better wood,longer and wider and you'll have a good one next try :) 26 inch draw, stiff handle, sinew backed recurve should be about 58 inch.
Ah come on! Too much man-nee. If that's doable with fir, I'd like to think that a good wood, springy and good at compression, and still sinew, could be more draw weight with the same dimensions, maybe even to 28". But yeah, it probably wouldn't perform as well as a longer one? nor hold much reflex? but short bows are cool

I think you answered your own questions :)
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: bubby on November 30, 2016, 01:57:21 pm
Man Pat are we agreeing again😋
Title: Re: Wool covered short Recurve.
Post by: simson on November 30, 2016, 02:53:06 pm
Strange, very strange. Never saw a bow like this one. Dramatical bend on a bow with socks  :o  8)