Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Kenro on March 24, 2008, 07:58:47 pm

Title: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Kenro on March 24, 2008, 07:58:47 pm

Hello all,
 For those that dont know me from other trad archery sites my name is Ken Rohloff I live in Krakow WI. with my wife and 4 year old daughter. I started building lam bows a little over a year ago and now hope to graduate on to something a little more challenging. Which brings me to your primitive archery forum where Im hopeing to learn a little more before I get myself in over my head. Im sort of already in the middle of my first one and kind of know what to do with it but not really, as if that makes any sense ::)
Anyhow,I will check back in and check to see what some of you may have to say on steps to get me where I need to go and show progress as it comes together.
I will say that Badger has already helped me so much that I cant thank him enough. The guy is some sort of wood wizzard!!
 Kenro

(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1771.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1790.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1797.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1798.jpg)
I guess next step is to get it to start bending, eh?

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Ag09 on March 24, 2008, 08:25:14 pm

Quote

I guess next step is to get it to start bending, eh?

Think you gotta cut some nocks first  :D

But, from one newbie to another not-so-newbie, yes I would think you start bending now and seeing what needs to be shaved down to get what you want for your final draw. 

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: carpenter374 on March 24, 2008, 09:08:21 pm

Start with floor tillering. work the wood where it needs to bend more, then put the tip of the limb on the floor. apply pressure and watch the bend. get the limbs bending evenly about 4 in or so, the proceed to a long string and a tillering board.

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: DanaM on March 24, 2008, 09:46:53 pm

Welcome to PA Kenro glad to have ya. For a simple board bow yer getting pretty fancy there. Looks to be a laminate to me.
What woods are ya using?

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Kenro on March 24, 2008, 10:05:24 pm

Oh yeah, almost forgot all that. Its just a simple mild R/D that is made from two peices of hickory.  what kind of tools do you all use for rounding the belly and shaping?

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Hillbilly on March 24, 2008, 11:25:04 pm

Welcome aboard, Kenro-looks like you're off to a great start. A rasp and scraper is the best combo for tillering-cross hatch the belly with pencil marks so you take wood off evenly, go over it lightly with the rasp, then scrape the rasp marks out with the scraper. Once you get it to bending good, drop the rasp and just use the scraper. Be sure to exercise it really well between wood removals-sometimes it takes some exercise for the effects of wood removal to show up. Above all go slowly-you can't put wood back on!

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 25, 2008, 12:31:56 am

Here's some stuff.
Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Badger on March 25, 2008, 12:46:46 am

Hey Ken, good to see you made it over here. For those of you who don't know Ken he is quite an accomplished modern longbow builder and I am pleased to say has taken an interest in primitive bows now. Ken is also hosting the second annual walk the talk bow shooting event that will be testing out bows from anyone that sends them in, as far as I know I am the only primitive bowyer sending in a bow but anyone is welcome to participate. In the last event our wood bows made a respectable showing against the fastest modern bows in the world. So any of you guys who want to try out a bow send Ken an instant message. Steve

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Bishop on March 25, 2008, 01:07:52 am

Welcome Kenro, this is a good place to be.
Bishop

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Badger on March 25, 2008, 01:13:02 am

Ken, I glued one up this morning, just about like yours so will be tillering it out togteher. Before I glued mine up I reduced the belly stave and the backing to a total of 24 oz and the bow should finish around 21 oz. I took it out of the clamps a few minutes ago and it has a nice flex to it. Going to start tillering it out in the morning. I will just be using a scraper on this one. Steve

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: NOMADIC PIRATE on March 25, 2008, 01:22:26 am

Hoo,...  the beauty of bending wood ;D

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Kenro on March 25, 2008, 01:53:11 am

Hillbilly,
 Good advice, I totally get what you mean by using the rasp, penciling in and then the scraper. I do something simmilar when I do gel work on boats.
 To all here, Steve was the one who inspired my whole lam bow design from all his wood bow building theorys. I lurked and listened in on all his posts for a long time before ever chatting with him and then when I finally did I was pretty excited to tell him what I did and how well it worked! He always tells me he knows nothing about lam bows but I tell him he has already built dozens of them, just with me going through the motions. But this is really going to be fun, I can tell. I cant wait for next hunting season already when I get to take an all wood primitive bow into the woods.
 I did make a little progress tonight. I rounded off the back real nice and then started on the belly. Still a long way to go as I tried to flex it but it still takes quite a bit, but it is starting. I just thru in a few pics of the progress. Will probably file some grooves and start with long stringing it tomorrow or next day.(BTW, I have no clue about what I just said) ??? I can tell this is a good group of people here. Thanks all for the help I really appriciate any helpfull hints and advice

(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1805.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1807.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1801.jpg)
 still quite stiff and takes a bit of leaning on it to get it to bend.

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Keenan on March 25, 2008, 01:59:20 am

Welcome Kenro, That is looking sweet and I'm sure that with Badger's guidence it will be a great shooter. He's a great bowyer and there are many more on here that will be more then happy to help with your journeys of many more bows.  Keenan

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Justin Snyder on March 25, 2008, 02:33:48 am

I am assuming you sanded the back really good.  I could see saw marks in the backing and that is the first thing I would address before I tried to bend it.  Sand it as smooth as a babies butt and you wont have any issues. Welcome to PA.  Justin

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Pappy on March 25, 2008, 07:49:50 am

Welcome to PA Kenro,can't help you much is composite bow ,but maybe you can teach me something.Glad to have you here.With Badger on you side you shouldn't need much help.  ;) :)
    Pappy

Title: Re: Brand new member building first board bow. Hello all.
Post by: Kenro on March 25, 2008, 08:22:56 pm

Ok, Im kind of wondering what happened to my reflex? and I think I created a slight hint of a hinge.  I am still quite heavy in that it takes all I can muster to get it to about 24" (I guess it to be about 75# right now).Im hopeing that I can work down the mid limb to give the tips back some stiffness and some reflex. Or is it to late? I really dont care if I undershoot my 50# goal if I have to work the limbs down. If I can stay above 40# and it dont break,I'm happy.  I also built up an overlay to the back of the bow handle section to add some strength and give it a little more comfort.
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1810.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1811.jpg)
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii213/kenrohloff/100_1814.jpg)
This is the reflex that is left right now after unstringing.
Thanks to every one for the help,
Kenro