Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Santanasaur on February 27, 2020, 10:52:55 pm

Title: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 27, 2020, 10:52:55 pm: This is one of my favorite shooters. It’s very forgiving of arrow spine because of the natural wiggle in the handle. I exaggerated the shape slightly for extra arrow clearance, but not enough that the handle flexes or torques noticeably. The fades bend just a little at full draw.

Asymmetric design and positive tiller. Tiller looks very positive at brace but the bow balances in the hand at full draw. Earlier in tillering the braced profile looked ‘right’ but the bow just felt off. Despite fairly heavy heat treating and straightening, a portion of concentrated reflex in the lower limb kept creeping back. I would have put the reflex on the longer top limb but then the handle wiggle would be left handed. The top limb holds 1/2” reflex and the bottom 1 1/2 both taking about 1/2” set.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 27, 2020, 10:56:28 pm: more
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 27, 2020, 11:05:42 pm: full album in better resolution
https://imgur.com/gallery/6eyvMq4
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Hawkdancer on February 28, 2020, 12:26:36 am: Definitely some character in that center shot! Nice!
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: aznboi3644 on February 28, 2020, 12:30:22 am: Looks amazing. I like that asymmetric look.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 28, 2020, 12:31:05 am: That's a very nice bow, the handle section is really cool.
To me the lower looks a tad too stiff, but maybe I'm totally wrong.
Nevertheless a really cool bow, congrats
B2W

Im gonna read the long story of the other bow tonight...
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 28, 2020, 01:17:38 am: The lower is several inches shorter and also holds more reflex that makes it look stiff at the tip. I agree that it looks very stiff but based on tip movement, vibration, and balance in the draw I like this tiller more than when it looked ‘correct’ but all those things were out of whack
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: burchett.donald on February 28, 2020, 01:44:48 am: Santanasaur,
I leveled the picture giving you a slightly high nock @ full draw and I must say you look very balanced...Excellent job on that asymmetric design!

Don
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Del the cat on February 28, 2020, 04:50:49 am: Cool bow.. love the Z grip.
Del
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: bjrogg on February 28, 2020, 06:04:16 am: Nicely done. I like HHB as a bow wood, but find the same difficulty getting it to hold heat corrections. I’ve got one I’m working on now that has some deflex I was hoping to remove but it’s not cooperating.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: leonwood on February 28, 2020, 06:34:25 am: I like it! Feels good to use a natural wiggle to your advantage.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Parnell on February 28, 2020, 07:09:00 am: Very cool! Interesting stave and great work!
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: BowEd on February 28, 2020, 07:22:38 am: Good work on that hornbeam.Full draw looks good to me.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 28, 2020, 10:14:32 am: Thanks for tilting the picture Don, that does look better. I think my camera software leveled the arrow to be flat thinking it was the landscape.. I do like to nock high, but I think the low camera angle is making it seem very slightly extra.

HHB is really growing on me. It’s hard to find a good piece and it usually has some propellor twist, but with heat treating it’s tip top bow wood. Seems to take much less set than similar hickory designs and I have the impression that it can take a heavier heat treating than hickory before it becomes brittle.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: George Tsoukalas on February 28, 2020, 10:23:40 am: Tiller looks great. Love the character. Jawge
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Will B on February 28, 2020, 11:30:02 am: Great looking bow! I love the centershot character of that bow. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on February 28, 2020, 03:01:06 pm: Quote from: George Tsoukalas on February 28, 2020, 10:23:40 am
Tiller looks great. Love the character. Jawge

Thanks Jawge. I think I first read about tillering asymmetrical bows from your site, so you can take credit for this one. I used a lot of your advice early on, and still do
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Yellowstave on February 29, 2020, 07:35:57 am: Great looking bow!
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 29, 2020, 03:13:41 pm: Nice looking bow. Well done
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: zoomer on February 29, 2020, 11:17:34 pm: That's a beautiful bow. I wonder if the same kind of wiggle could be induced with steam.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: simk on March 01, 2020, 08:56:48 am: great job on all your freshly presented bows. hypnotic tillering! hats off!
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Santanasaur on March 01, 2020, 07:32:21 pm: Thanks everyone.
I’m sure steaming would work but I don’t think it’s usually necessary.
So far I’ve put Z handles on 6 bows, half with natural grain and half with straight grain. I haven’t really noticed a difference to be honest, but the natural wiggles are probably sturdier in a torture test. As long as tip alignment and tillering are ok and there is a good strip of unviolated back through the handle, things have worked out for me—same as a normal bow.

Here’s the sister stave to this bow, showing the rough out shape- two check marks
and a few other z handles— a maple board bow, a shagbark hickory, and witch hazel with birch bark.
I like witch hazel with heat treating. Makes nice sapling bows.
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: Pappy on March 02, 2020, 06:59:54 am: Very nice work, beautiful bow. :)
Pappy
Title: Re: Centershot Hophornbeam Self Bow 45#@28” 66”ntn
Post by: CallanJ on March 03, 2020, 02:18:24 pm: I love the looks of that bow. Great job sticking with it until you were satisfied with the way it performed. Thanks.