Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => English Warbow => Topic started by: Del the cat on April 18, 2015, 06:05:25 am
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This meane wood bow is about 93# @ 32" (estimated) it's only been drawn to 29" so far but I'm hoping I can master it at 28" and then work up the draw length.
The wood was cut in November 2014, roughed out and rapid seasoned on a long radiator we have that doesn't get too hot.
78# @ 28"
82" ttt 80.75" ntn
The belly is heavilly toasted and the cross section is wider and flatter than a Yew warbow would be.
At the grip it's 29.7 deep 42.2mm wide which is within the 5/8 depth/width convention.
Mid limb 20.7 deep and 34.4 wide which is outside the 5/8 convention.
There is a lot of twist in the bow the worst on one limb being taken out with steaming and a bit of deflex eased out at the same time. After which it was tillered to a low brace and then toasted.
There is a dip at the grip and some more twist.
It's taken very little set so far, mind it's not been to 32" yet. The lack of set and wide flat section gives me reasonable confidence it will make the 32" draw, but of course we all know anything could happen!
My gut feel is it would chrysal before it exploded, but I'm still nervous about taking it to 32" on the tiller, better to give it (and me) some exercise shooting arrows first, then ease it back.
Pale Waterbuffalo horn nocks with stringer grooves. Pulling it and stringing it feels pretty smooth and punchy, I can feel it flexing in the grip despite it looking stiff there in the FD pic (that's an illusion caused by the dip there... see the unbraced pic)
I'll report further once I can shoot it! ::)
Sorry no FD pic, but it is shown at 29" and I bottled out of pulling it further :-[
It has been worked a little more, cleaned up and finished since that 29" draw pic.
Del
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That is a very nice looking bow Dell, although my heavy bow days are a very distant memory I'm pretty sure you will get the better of it. I like the looks of it and especially the drawn profile.
rich
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Yo, Just had a go with it. I think I got a decent 28" draw out of it, then moved up to my warbow arrows.
I don't think I got much more draw, I was having to cock my left wrist as the stave is twisted at the grip and the flattish belly digs into the base of my thumb. I was certainly getting my right hand down near my armpit, but what I gained on the right hand was being lost as the left wrist cocked back and the elbow complained.
It certainly made an impression on the boss, the arrows penetrated through and I had trouble pulling 'em out.
The left elbow was struggling a bit, but my shoulders held up and it's a stain on the neck oddly enough.
I had to tell myself to stop clenching the teeth... buttocks are fine to clench but teeth don't help >:D
I quit while I was ahead and still in one piece after loosing 6 arrows through it.
Del
BTW
I'd warmed up at 40# 60# and 70# first
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Looks good - I've been following this as my hazel stave is ready to go as soon as I've made a tillering string.
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Nice looking bow Del
Why not keep it that way by only tillering to a 30in draw!
A bow in the hand is worth ten in the bin.
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Nice looking bow Del
Why not keep it that way by only tillering to a 30in draw!
A bow in the hand is worth ten in the bin.
Cheers,
It will also get used by a mate of mine who has a huge draw, even at reasonable weight. he has arms like an Orang-outang!
Mind I'm thinking of reversing it and retillering slightly as the grip is V uncomfortable due to the twist. It dig's into the middle joint of the thumb. Reversing it should make it sit more in between the two pads at the base of the palm.
Alternatively I could build up the grip on the belly with leather and whip it with fine linen thread, not sure how "authentic" that would be... mind ... do I care?
Do we get too slavish about being authentic when we have little idea what people did with their bows to customise them?
Comments/thoughts about grip build up would be welcomed.
Del
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Hey Del
What about rounding that edge off a bit. it probably won't affect the tiller much and it looks like that center area could come around more!
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Hey Del
What about rounding that edge off a bit. it probably won't affect the tiller much and it looks like that center area could come around more!
It just looks stiff in the centre due to the shape of the stave, it definitely flexes in the grip.
I'll follow the old adage of "when in doubt, leave it alone!"
At least until I've shot it some more. I may reverse it on the tiller and have a look and maybe shoot it reversed, but I won't take a rasp to the bow or the nocks yet.
I've just posted a short video clip on my blog, where I'm flexing it to about 60#, you can (just about) see it working at the grip there.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/first-test-shots.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/first-test-shots.html)
I tend to tiller from the middle outwards.
Del
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Looks good Del. I would round out the center as well. It doesn't seem to be working that much in the center
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Yeah the jury is still out, on what to do.
The problem with doing anything at the centre is any extra movement gets magnified at the tips. A tiny bit at the grip can become quite significant at the tip and drop quite a lot of draw weight...
BUT...
I want to get it shootable so I can lob some flight arrows with it, so I may drop a pound or three...
I'll sit on it for a few days before deciding where I go, but I'll let you know how it turns out.
Del
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Looks good to me !
I think I would add to it for comfort
after the finish is done it wont be noticeable
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Going by the unbraced picture I would say you got the tiller right, especially for flight. Should be a good distance in it.
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I spent a lot of time trying the bow up the other way but decided it would need too much re-tillering so...
I took the advice :o..
I rounded off the edge that was digging into by hand just a whisker and also reduced the width/edge at the arrow pass (it's still no narrower than elsewhere in the grip). I also took a whisker off mid limb on the lower limb where it looked like it wasn't working as much.
It's easier to draw and more comfortable in the hand now.
I got Mrs Cat to video so I could see how far I was getting it back. It looks like I'm getting my full 31" (any more than that and I hit my left moob :laugh:)
I can scale the draw length off the pic and check the draw weight on the tiller, my guess is about 85-90#
Just measured it at 31"... about 83#, lower than I'd ideally have liked but it's a smooth manageable(ish) ;) bow.
That works out at about 3.46# per inch so should be a decent 85# at 32" which isn't too far off the 90# I was aiming for.
It feels very lively and smooth. My first shot hit the boss left of centre, knocked it round about 45 degrees and penetrated right through.
Second pic shows how I'm coming into the draw with the left elbow high. It illustrates how what we do and what we think we do are different... I thought I had my right hand up by my forehead!
The light background has bleached out the upper limb, but it shows what I wanted to see.
That tiller looks sweet :)
There's a video of me making the shot on my blog http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hazel-warbow-full-draw.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hazel-warbow-full-draw.html)
Del
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That's "pucker power". :o :o Great job Del! Love the wrinkled face :D :D
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Make's a nice tigh twang sound which is always a good sign! Nice bow Del.
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Hazel rules! 8)
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Very nice Del. I've made a few grimaces like that myself
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Cheers guys ;D
I make that face when I'm trying to get my socks on in the morning too :o.
Del
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Cheers guys ;D
I make that face when I'm trying to get my socks on in the morning too :o.
Del
Yup. He does.
Looks like it will deliver the mail with right certain authority! Hooray for Hazel!
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Totally brilliant work- that is an outlaws weapon right there! Does it rattle your bones when you loose? :o
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Totally brilliant work- that is an outlaws weapon right there! Does it rattle your bones when you loose? :o
It does need a heavy arrow to absorb the power, and you can see from the pic I've strapped up my left elbow as a precaution.
Del
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Hooray for Hazel!
You must be as old as me
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Hooray for Hazel!
You must be as old as me
Born old and getting younger by the day!
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You must be as old as me
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Born old and getting younger by the day!
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I'm gonna save that one for future use! Getting younger by the day!
Nice looking bow Del. I've got a feeling that sometimes hazel is utterly bombproof when you find the right stave and other staves well they make nice kindling. Have you ever cut any that look great but once free from the tree almost float away!? Having a density of maybe 0.20 s.g.? I've cut a couple like that, although the rest of the branches were normal density. Hazel can be funny stuff.
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Nope, I've not come across that phenomenon.
I have had some that, after a year seasoning, didn't look quite right and then went bang...
Del
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Soooooo, whaddaya reckon to the feasibility of a making me a 130# Hazel warbow for the Mary Rose competition in July then Del?
I only missed out by a few feet last year with a 116# yew......not wishing to sound xenophobic or anything, but I really would like to stick it to the Austrians if they come over again this year! >:D >:D >:D
Yours aye,
John T. 8)
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Have you tried the 130# Yew for distance???
Dunno if Hazel will meet Warbow spec'...
I'll see you at the bash on Sunday... I think maybe Elm is better than Hazel.... I do have the other half of the "Dennis Elmbow" log.
Del
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There's a couple of big hazel bows on the ewbs forum - Joe made a very twisty 140# hazel that outshot almost everything else, and one at 160#. The 160# was 47mm x 38mm.
I've just had one of my hazel bows blow up - looked at the splinters and there was blue/green rot running all the way through. Couldn't see any sign of it from the outside!
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Yeah, the one I did before this exploded, the wood just didn't look right, a sort of dull look and a greyish tinge.
I noticed it early on but ignored it ::) >:( ... stupid cat.
Del