Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Hilongbow on February 08, 2019, 01:36:12 am
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Aloha all,
Been reading these forums since I attempted my first bamboo backed ipe in 2014, and I really appreciate all the knowledge that has been shared over the years. Unfortunately, that bow ended up failing, as did several others since then. Even more so lately, so I decided to make the simplest bow I possibly could with the materials that I have easy and affordable access to. Less things to go wrong, and let's you get back to basics a little. No riser, fades, power lams, tip overlays, tapered cores, etc. Just a belly, a back, and a bend.
Anyways, I couldn't find a lot of information on how to build the specific design I had in mind: Bamboo backed ipe, straight limbs, bendy handy, and as short as possible. I don't normally like to share things publicly, but this bow came out so awesome that I decided to share in case someone else would like to try a similar design and just needs some data. I hope someone can find this as useful as I have found the information all of you have shared.
Bamboo backing is slightly less the 1/8" near the middle, tapering (probably unevenly) to about 1/16" at the tips. Ipe belly started at about 1/2". Glued in about 3/8" of perry reflex, ended up with about 1/2" of deflex from set. Belly is pretty well rounded, particularly the outer thirds of the bow.
This thing is SILENT. I think I might actually take the string silencers off, as the rush of air through the puffs makes more noise than the rest of the bow. I shot it a few times without the silencers when I first made the string and was really impressed with the lack of vibration. I guess I added them out of habit.
Mahalo for reading and for all of the shared knowledge. Can't wait to get a few more arrows built and take this bad boy out for some wild pig or goat. Should be a heck of a lot easier to handle in the thick vegetation than my 64" longbow that I normally hunt with. Feel free to comment on design, tiller, etc. I think I have a new addiction... Can't wait to make a better one.
Synopsis:
Bamboo backed ipe
52" ntn
~50#@26"
1 1/8" wide to 3" from center, then straight taper to 1/2" tips.
Just shy of 5/8" thick at the center, 3/8" thick at the tips
Braced:
(https://i.imgur.com/fWESz4q.jpg)
Unbraced:
(https://i.imgur.com/bcvHvr4.jpg)
Full draw:
(https://i.imgur.com/kAueEfZ.jpg)
Tips:
(https://i.imgur.com/IjyR6Wq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hmnsnPq.jpg)
Belly view of profile:
(https://i.imgur.com/onsd73D.jpg)
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Good work, congratulations.
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Welcome to PA Hilongbow. Very nice bow. The tiller looks great. I hope you feel compelled to share more of your work in the future. Nice sticking with it though the hard times. The sign of a true addict. Good Luck and Happy Hunting for those hog and goats.
Bjrogg
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Cool bow and nice tiller. Well done.
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Very nice. I like it. Should make a great bow for chasing hogs.
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That is a fine looking bow. I like it a lot, pretty sure simple “D” bows have become my favorite type to make and shoot, and that is a fine example in my book. Well done.
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Congrats,,.very nice bow
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Great bow.i agree if you want to go hunting what more do you need.
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Great bend!
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Nice, Bamboo backed Ipe makes a nice bow. They end up with a sleek look, and shoot nice.
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That's a sweet bow! "Just a belly, a back, and a bend" is a pretty good philosophy.
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Simple elegance at it's finest. Very well done! SS
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hi hilongbow
sweeet bow, simple and clean
cheers, B2W
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Very nice hilongbow. That's an excellent combo. Tiller looks good. Great job :OK
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Very cool short bow. You did a real good job.
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wicked bow, I love the ipe bow combo in terms of it's looks! I will have to source some ipe soon, man i love that bow!
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Mahalo everyone for the compliments. Such a fun bow to shoot. I forgot to add the brace height is around 5 1/8", B50 string.
Interesting side note: I took some slow mo video of a few shots, and in one of the videos I have a pretty good view of the limbs across several frames as they return to brace. The tips seem to return faster than mid limb, which returns faster than the area just outside the handle. It creates this sort of wave or like a reverse whip motion in the limbs that travels from tip to center. The waves from each tip collide right where my hand is and then the whole bow goes still. I wonder if that explains the quiet shots and the minor jolt I feel upon release.
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I'm not an expert by any means but apparently digital cameras scan from one pixel to the next, from one end of the frame to the other. This can cause some weird pictures. Someone posted one here a while back that showed the string during release. The string was a huge "S" wave and when you thought about the camera scanning it as the string was moving you could see that the one frame was actually a short time bite with the top of the picture happening a little earlier than the bottom. Depending on how you are holding the camera the scan can move in different directions. This may or may not be what's happening in your case but it's worth keeping in mind. And I may have it totally wrong ;D ;D