Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: (bow)Hunter on August 13, 2014, 02:07:09 pm
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So despite the small tear-outs which aren't very noticeable now, the bow is coming along pretty well! The only issue I'm facing is that it's pulling almost #42 at 10 inches... Which I'm not worried about me being able to ultimately pull back but I don't believe the wood can handle that much stress haha. It's straight Hickory 66" ntn and it's kind of a slightly off pyramid style because the handle fades in really gradually (Which I'm thinking might be my problem, should I take some off and do a more bendy handle?) Any tillering suggestions would be appreciated!
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hickory can handle it. general rule you might want to keep in mind is that you never want to pull the bow past its intending weight. your mid limbs need to bend more. dont touch the handle area
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You have a very large handle area that is not bending. Now is the time to fix it. Typically the bending starts at the end of the fade where the fade is widest. I usually have a 4 inch handle and 1-5 to 2 " fades. The wide part is evident at the top of the picture not so on the bottom. Anyway, I mark a nice dark pencil line there and want the bending to start at that spot.
Now with pyramid limbs you want the tiller to be circular. Most of the bending should happen where the limb is the widest.
Jawge
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Done a little more work on her, took advice from both suggestions and took some off the handle and thinned her out a bit... Putting in #41 at 10 inches... and after weighing at different intervals it's a little less than #3 per inch drawback. Let's say I'm shooting for 29 inches, that puts her at around #90 :o
What's the most I could put into this little hickory? I wouldn't mind a really high draw weight but #90 seems like it would break her...
Thoughts on the highest weight I should put on her?
And tillering suggestions are appreciated :)
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Well, you have to make it at least 41 lb now :D
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^ hahaha yes but I don't believe that will be an issue
- Hunter
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That's looking better already.
Where does the figure "#41 at 10 inches" come from? You're pulling it further than 10" in that picture with the string on it. I presume that is a long string, right? If so, I think it's time to brace her to a low braceheight of 2" or so. This bow is probably not as heavy as you think, and you may have very little room to correct the tiller without coming in below 40# at 29". What is the draw weight in that last picture on the tiller tree, drawn to that point? You are pulling it to 21" (although with a long string).
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Oh yes sorry about that! it's suuuuper long string, the string is just barely taunt at 11 inches on the tree. That last picture is at #41! You're probably right, I'm using caveman weight method of finding the total weight of bow/tree, then putting it on a bathroom scale and watching the reading as I pull down the string then subtracting how much the bow/tree weigh
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Then you should have said "41# at 21" with a long string."
That translates to approximately 43# at 21" with a regular short string. Or roughly 65# at 29". NOT NEARLY 90#!
Don't rush it now. Remove wood slowly with a fine file, sand paper and a scraper. Check weight and tiller often. You are in the phase where most beginner screw-ups happen...
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I would get it to about a 3' brace height, get the tiller even and get back to us
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ohhhhh wow okay I had no idea that was the case! I'm a very straight-path math-oriented person so that's why I thought it would be following a pattern like that! Thank you for the information, I will absolutely get down to it right now!
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By the way, how do you get that figure #43 at 21"?? I would just like to know for future reference!
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And one more quick question - when bracing it should I go ahead and use the shooting string? or just a shorter length of the paracord I've been using to tiller? I finally figured out how to braid a flemish string and I've been itching to throw it on the bow!
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Much better. Is the bending starting where you want it to? Be careful on that right limb just off the fade looks like the makings of a hinge. I can't really tell for sure. Jawge
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That figure probably came from me. I long string tiller out to 10" of string travel and look to get 5# over target weight with good tiller. Then I string it. But I have a 26" draw.
You can go to 11" with a 28" draw. The stave is too short for much else.
look closely at that place on the right limb. Don't string it if it is a hinge.
This is your first don't get too tied to hitting weight.
Jawge
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Almost done with her! Just got some rattlesnake skins from the local taxidermy (would've killed the snake myself but I live in an unfortunately urban area) and they are gonna be glued up on her later today! would've posted full draw pics but I'm home by myself for a bit - will do that later.
Any advice on how to apply the snake skins on the back?
the back is stained but not finished (the belly is stained and finished with tru oil)
She pulls about #60 at 29 in
Advice on what kind of arrows I should use? I'm totally lost in that category. Would love to make my own arrows though.
Comments, critique are appreciated, she's my first bow (that works!)
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What is the brace height on it? It looks very low (like 4 inches maybe). Before you get too crazy with skins I would shoot it a bit and make sure that it doesn't break on you. A waste of time and money to put skins on if it going to break. Just my rookie 2 cents.
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Good call JoJo, I will definitely do that before I put the skins on. And yeah you are spot on, the brace height is 4 inches! Should it be more than that?? I've made a couple more strings that were too long or too short and I thought that one was the best fit. But then again I have no real super in depth knowledge of what I'm doing so any help is appreciated haha
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If you try shooting the bow with that low a brace height chances are it will be at least a little painful as there is no real room for your wrist to get to the handle without making contact with the string also. A common brace height is close to 6". If you make a fist with the thumb extended-colloquially regarded as a "thumbs-up" sign-that is about 6". If you put the bottom of your fist on the handle of the bow and the top of your thumb is near the string that is usually pretty comfortable and that measurement is called a fistmele. These are approximate measures as individuals may like a slightly higher or lower brace than this, and arrow flight/comfortable shooting are usually the things that determine where exactly your brace will fall.
If a string is a bit to long twisting it may shorten it just the right amount. If you are using a Flemish string that is a touch too short slightly untwisting it can give you a little more length. These twisting corrections are fine tuning, if there are major length issues a different string is a better bet.
SOM