Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on July 29, 2015, 12:38:01 pm
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This is my first ever Molle' I've always been a bit suspicious of the design but i thought it was time to man up and make one.
The Yew back was an off cut from a Yew stave that had very thick sapwood, it still had the bark on, so it made a lovely backing strip. The belly was some Cherry cut from a near dead tree, it had some bug damage in the outer rings so I used it the "wrong way round" with the central pith lying under the Yew backing.
Stats,
45# @ 24"
55 3/4 " ntn
Working limbs about 1 5/8" wide 15" long. Thickness tapering from just over 1/2" to about 3/8"
Top lever about 10", bottom about 9"... dunno how that happened? ::)
BH 4 5/8"
I made a couple of flight arrows and tried it out 226 yards with a 276gn arrow and 261 yards with a 201gn arrow.
S'pose you want pics?
Del
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more pics Igor ;D
Del
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Beautiful. I love the ancient designs.
Dog
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The closer you get the better it looks. I really like the cherry.
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Very cool Del.
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Gorgeous!
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Very nice indeed
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Dunno how far I dare slim the levers in search of some extra distance.
The lightest flight arrow waggled a bit as she left the bow, I could cut away the arrow pass a whisker for a cleaner flight.
I'm V pleased as it was really just an experimental wood from stuff I had lying around... mind I find sometimes they are the best bows. Maybe the materials call out an choose themselves...hmmm, that sounds like I'm going a bit Harry Potter ::)
Anyone got any thoughts on minimum lever size and how to get a low weight blend between lever and limb?
Del
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yes, very nice!!
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Cherry Molle...sounds like something you'd get in a Mexican restaurant. ;D
Cool bow Del. I especially like the "keel" looking tips.
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That is one pretty bow. Nice!
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Gorgeous!
I make my levers about 5/8" at the base and slowly to 3/8"" until about three inches from the nock, then I try to make a smooth taper to under a quarter of an inch at the nock. This gives me plenty of stability while making a featherweight lever.
For thickness I just take a few scrapes at a time, check the draw to see of they bend, and I stop when there's just the slightest bit of movement. The tips themselves can be pretty small:
(http://i.imgur.com/7GzBv6U.jpg)
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Appears you did a FINE job on your first Molle. The two tone is a great look especially with the black tip overlays.....sweet!
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AWESOME! Well done.
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Gorgeous!
I make my levers about 5/8" at the base and slowly to 3/8"" until about three inches from the nock, then I try to make a smooth taper to under a quarter of an inch at the nock. This gives me plenty of stability while making a featherweight lever.
For thickness I just take a few scrapes at a time, check the draw to see of they bend, and I stop when there's just the slightest bit of movement. The tips themselves can be pretty small:
Cheers. I'm assuming you mean 5/8" deep... how wide or do you just go by feel?
They are still pretty stiff on this bow and I think the blend may be a bit bulky.
The scape and try sounds good but time consuming... but if that's what it takes, then that's what it takes :laugh:
Del
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Hey Dell,
First off compliments on a very well made Mollegabet, I see nothing wrong or "heavy" with the levers. But if you insist that they are I took the liberty of marking one of your pics to where you could loose some mass and still keep the levers rigid.
That is just gorgeous sir !!!! (the way it is 8))
rich
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helps to post the pic, I guess
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Cheers Rich, I was hoping you'd drop in :laugh:
Gotta admit I'm impressed with the design it's shot further than any other 45# bow I've made and from a shorter draw length.
It would be interesting to use a sipur and shoot maybe a 20" arrow...
I'll be over the flight field at the weekend so I may do a few tweaks and give it another try.
No sign of chrysals yet and I'm resisting the temptation to over draw it and ruin it.
Del
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Del the levers ar the transition only need to be 1/8" thicker than the working limb so you could lose some mass right there
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Dell,
If I'm seeing correctly, you have her back to 25" on the tiller. If that is so then that little (55") bugger is shooting damned fine. Also from what I can see in the pics (no set, and nice even circular tiller) it would probably go back another inch....but why? You made a very fine example of the type so why not live with it's limits on this guy? I believe that the original was estimated to be about 66 to 68 inches long.....you already know that at that size you could get your usual 30-32 inch draw length.
I'm sorry...I'm just trying to preserve a very fine bow....it's yours so carry on sir....and yes they are fine shooting weapons.
rich
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Lever thickness took me a while the first few times, it's something you learn to just do :)
I just took some pics of my current lever width which I mostly do by feel, it's less than I was guessing.
(http://i.imgur.com/mWxikfy.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/tLGbTEH.jpg)
These levers are 5/8" thick/deep at the base but aren't completely refined. Really narrow levers like mine stay pretty deep and still flex a touch. I get away with rounding off the thickness quite a bit at the base from the fade and every bit of mass reduction helps ;)
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Thanks for that :)
I've been going for a slightly T shaped cross section with mine.
Del
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I've thought about that, making a sort of I beam from the levers with my chisels, but I haven't had the guts to try yet.
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Very nice! 8)certainly one of my favorite designs,ssmooth drawing and fast shooters!looks like you nailed it first go around,i suspect this won't be your last.lol!now I got to build a true longbow haha.
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Thats a loverly looking combo!!!! 8)
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She's certainly pretty to behold! Sounds like she is a go for shooting, too!
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Very cool stick Del!
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Del that is a beautiful bow. The cherry almost looks like yew heart wood.
It's time I make a Molly and see what all the fuss is about!
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Good advice already given Del. !/8 thick at the base than the end of the working limb and width from 1/2 to a 1/4 at the very tip is how I make mine. You can also lose a bit of weight off the end of the working limb - make it less angular. One final thing is that it is no problem at all to trap the levers - this is where your main weight saving can come. I think you should be able to get another 30 - 50 yds out of it.
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Cheers Mike.
It amuses me that it shot 1 yard further than a 130# warbow with a 32" draw... mind that didn't use a decently matched flight arrow.
I'll tune it up a bit.
Del
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They do make wonderful flight bows. You can snap a lever easier than you can snap a regular limb but assuming I don't sit on it or smack brush a lot I'd take a molle over pretty much anything.
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Man that is a fantastic looking bow! :D
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I've just tried it with the reworked levers and arrow pass cut away a bit more.
First shot was a soft loose and went exactly the same distance as before....so...
I had another go, great loose...so good I never saw the arrow!
283 yards :laugh:
Mike said I'd get another 30 yards... but I only got an extra 22 .. shows how much he knows ::) ;)
Here's a FD pic, lower limb looks twisted but I think that's camera angle and a bit of cant on the bow.
My mate JT who took the pic was shooting his 130# warbow hence the big boy arrows stuck in the ground at my feet.
Del
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Sweet! I have to try my hand at one of those, now. Beautiful bow and it smokes an arrow, too.
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Very nice bow Del.Very good work. God Bless
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Lovely Bow. Makes me want to try the design too.
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Del, that's a great bow. I would have cut the levers a bit too.
Molly rules.
Try the same design with recurved levers and you'll be done.
Michael
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Del, that's a great bow. I would have cut the levers a bit too.
Molly rules.
Try the same design with recurved levers and you'll be done.
Michael
Yeah... it's on the must do list :laugh:
Del
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Cool I need to try one of them some day.
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Nice bow Del, really like the combo. Great tiller too.
the reduced levers and fades is allready done, it would have been my suggestion too. Additinal I would use a thinner string, dunno know what you use - but I think 2x3 strands of a ff is more than enough.
What I'm always thing on:
reduce the mass at levers by cutting out the neutral inner third and replace it by using distance blocks ...
what do ya think?
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Nice bow Del, really like the combo. Great tiller too.
the reduced levers and fades is allready done, it would have been my suggestion too. Additinal I would use a thinner string, dunno know what you use - but I think 2x3 strands of a ff is more than enough.
What I'm always thing on:
reduce the mass at levers by cutting out the neutral inner third and replace it by using distance blocks ...
what do ya think?
Yeah... exactly what I've been thinking... and the string is 6 strand already ;D
I'll do a bit more tweaking on it.
I think my loose needs some work and I'm wondering about making a special flight shooting tab... dunno quite how two' ::)
Maybe Drop Bear skin faced with horse feathers made for a two finger release would be slick? ::)
Del
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Yeah... it's on the must do list :laugh:
Del
Hi Del, How did this bow hold up? Was the yew sapwood back something you could comment on again?
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Nice.
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Lovely profile.
Drewster good to see ya !!
HH~