Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Glerian on April 25, 2015, 08:46:36 pm
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So I have been studying the art of making a board bow for a while and finally came up with the nerve to give it a try. I am not much into dimensions as I prefer to get a good feel for the wood, watch it work, and go from there. Any way I bought a decent piece of red oak from Lowe's and went to a little hardwood shop here in town and got a 1/8th piece of hickory for a backing. After I got it home it occurred to me that the hickory was probably not the best for a bow, but I figured since I have all the wood I might as well make the bow and see if I could get the design aspect down, even if it fails.
I bought a piece of black walnut for the riser and cut the corners off and glued that on. Then I backed it and roughed it out with my jigsaw. I am going to be honest that was probably my biggest mistake, I tried to cut down the lines and ended up with off angles from the jig saw bending. Live and learn though. It's been about three weeks and I am currently working on getting the tiller right, which is proving harder that I thought. I have a belt sander but trying to shape all this red oak is wearing out my belts like crazy.
This has all been an experiment for me so I have been taking pictures all along the way and I will post them tonight. Any suggestions would be great. I made a tillering machine? on my back porch using a piece of plywood, a wooden 1x1, pulley and luggage scale. It seems to do ok, but I can notice some definite hinges that I can't seem to get out, maybe I am doing it wrong?
I am shooting for a 50# bow at 28 inches here, which may not be feasible but hey, it's my goal! In any case I appreciate your time if you bothered to read this, I'll post some pictures tonight and hopefully get a few pointers.
Have a great day!
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Welcome!!! Can't wait to see the pics ;)
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Welcome to PA! Looking forward to seeing this bow. Some pics would be good, then everybody might be able to help you out more. Good luck.
Tattoo Dave
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I know the riser is a bit thick, I planned on working it down when I shaped the handle.
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First off, hello and welcome to PA. I figure since nobody else as chimed in yet, i'll do my best to address some of your concerns.
Hickory can take a fair bit more grain violation than most woods, so you may be ok there, but I can't say for certain without having seen the backing. It all depends on how bad the backing really is.
I don't recommend using a belt sander or jigsaw or any power tool for that matter until you have a bit more experience. Hand tools are a much better option for a beginner, because they are more easily controllable, and force you to take your time. A good draw knife, farrier's rasp, and scraper are pretty much all you need.
Your tillering rig looks just fine to me. It's a lot like mine actually. Your bow isn't drawn quite far enough in those pics to tell much, but I don't really see a hinge yet. If its pulling 50# in the pic, then you have a long way to go. You probably should still be floor tillering at this point.
One thing that bothers me, is that the bow looks quite narrow for red oak. It may just be a trick of perspective, but it seems as though its only about an inch wide. To speculate on whether 50# @ 28" is feasible or not, I'd have to know what the back profile looks like, how wide it is at the fades, and how long it is from nock to nock. It would also help to see what the grain is like on the hickory backing.
Good luck. If need help, you'll get it. The guys here at PA are great. All you have to do is ask. One last piece of advice though; you'll get more answers more quickly if you ask specific questions.
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Your thickness taper vary no more than an 1/8", odds are. I can see you have at least a 1/4" to take off from fade to mid limb as is. Leave your tree alone for a while and get the board floor tillered. If you need to know what that is, Youtube it. A video is worth more than I can type in two paragraphs.
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@JO5H Ok then I'll look into the hand tools. I have some files and rasps but not a draw knife or scraper. I didn't pull it to 50# that pic is actually at 10 lbs, I had a better pic of it pulled at 30 but had trouble posting it. I see the hinge on the left arm but maybe I'm crazy. I'll take some more pics. It is fairly narrow at the ends but at center it's 1.5 inches wide and 68 inches nock to nock. I'll put the power tools down and get a scraper then, thanks for the advice.
@PEARL DRUMS ah ok, thanks.
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You are well past the draw knife stage on this one, brother. As for a scraper, you already got one. it's called a knife blade.
Rasp away at those limbs about 1/3 of the way from the fadeouts out towards the tips. Keep changing the grip on the rasp and changing the angle of attack. You will learn that there are ways to really dig in and rip material off and other ways that the rasp will smooth out the gouges and tears.
And keep posting lots of pictures. Most folks here will chime in and help you out with tillering and the rest of us that can't read like to look at the pretty pictures.
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You are starting to get too much bending the last 12 inches towards the tips leave that area alone. Scrape from the fades to that area.
I know it is too late now. You have a piece of quartersawn hickory. Quarter sawn needs to have no run outs as seen from the edge grain.
One other thing. Start with a bend in the handle bow, of this does not work. Don't complicate your first try.
Board bow info on my site.
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html
Jawge
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First off let me say thanks for all the support and advice, it has helped a ton!
@Halverson, thank you for the tips on the rasp, using it different ways has really helped me get a sense of how each angle effects the wood and I was able to be more precise (after a little practice) than I was before!
@George, I took your advice and stayed away from the tips, focusing the wood removal near the fades and up, the bow is bending a lot more and I am very excited, thank you! I thought that a handle bow would be easier than a bend in the handle, I guess I was mistaken. I was following a build along I found and maybe that was not the best idea.
Here she is again drawing at 30#, did not have enough time this morning to put as much effort into that left limb, so I will work on that tonight after work and see if I can even them up. I want my bottom limb a LITTLE stiffer, right? For a positive tiller?
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I think I see the start of a hinge just off the fades on the right limb. Leave that area alone and scrape above and beyond it out to mid limb.
The left limb needs more work as discussed.
Take a few scrapes...say 15 -20...exercise with short pulls 10 times...check tiller. Take your time.
Jawge
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Do you have a tillering gizmo?
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No I am just using a 6 inch straight piece of board at the moment.
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Great build along. Thanks for the pics and updates Glerian.
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Some more pics of the bow pulled to 40#.
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I'd keep bending the outers, keep set out of the fade area ;)
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Hard to tell but it looks like a weak spot about 6" in from the left tip, I would get just out from the left faded bending little more as well. The right limb looks really good to me.
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Ok, I finished it a while ago but have been reluctant to post it here since it did not come out as well as it could have. I have no one else to blame but me, unfortunately. On the plus side I did get another piece of red oak with the straightest grain I have ever seen so I will be working on that now. Thanks for all your help guys!
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Oops I messed up when I was resizing, here it is unstrung.
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Having stepped onto the road less travelled, you have already gone far and away from the flocks of fools that fail to even try. In that, you have already exceeded all but the fewest of expectations.
As for your bow, not bad. I'd shoot it and strut like a peacock, saying it was mine all mine neener neener, so there!
Spend some time shooting it and getting to know how the instinctive shooter operates as you search out the NEXT piece of wood to abuse, misuse, and beat into submission. You are now, officially, a bowyer. Welcome to the club.
Oh, and a bow is not a club. Do not use it as such.
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Right limb mid is flat.See that bulge at your right inner limb out of the fade.it's better to follow Tim bakers mantra.goggle it,good luck
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Sorry didn't notice the second page. I'm guessing the right limb has taken some set in the inner limb?
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@JW_Halverson Thank you!
@Bushboy Yeah, a considerable amount.