Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ty_in_ND on September 25, 2016, 02:11:35 pm
-
Hi all!
Instead of continuing on the 2016 Bow Swap thread, I thought it would be good to start a fresh new thread for this bow. Just as a brief intro, I've been intending on building a reflex-deflex trilam for my trade partner. The 1st attempt was going well until I uncovered a knot on the belly and it started to crack in the limb. The 2nd one ran into some issues because I made a mistake on where I set the reflex in the limbs. So, in addition to posting progress pictures of the glue-up and tillering, I'll be starting off at the very beginning. Also, I'll be more than happy to take suggestions and critiques as this goes along. I'm by no means and expert bowyer, but some of you guys are. And hopefully, for those of you interested in this style of bow, you can get something out of this thread.
With the brief intro done, let's get started!
(http://i.imgur.com/Ey39h8X.jpg)
This is what I'm making the trilam out of. It'll be an osage belly, walnut core, and bamboo backed. The walnut I ripped from a larger board that I purchased from a local hardwood shop a while back. The bamboo and osage were purchased online. While I have only one 36" osage board pictured, I do have another (more on why it's not pictured in a bit). So, I have a little bit of work to do to get these ready. For the dimensions of the different pieces (I'm shooting for a 55lb @ 29" bow), I will be going with 1/4" thickness for the osage, 3/16" thickness for the walnut, and 1/8" thickness for the bamboo. I'll be tapering the bamboo and walnut to 1/16" at the tip (with the taper starting at the end of the fades). I'll be making the bow 69" ttt, 1 1/4" wide limbs (parallel width for 6" out of the fade, then tapering to 1/2" at the tips), and a 13" handle section. This is the approximate dimension of the 1st trilam (it was 67" ttt) and I had to take of a bit of wood to get it to about 55lbs near the end of the tillering (that's where I stopped when the crack appeared), so I'm sure I'll get the weight I want from these dimensions.
I started of by getting the osage prepped. Here's a picture of a little problem that needed to be addressed:
(http://i.imgur.com/qPPNlUP.jpg)
While not twisting, it has a bit of a dog leg. In order to make sure I got a piece that was nice and parallel, I sent the board down the tablesaw along with a level. I moved the board and the level at the same time along the fence, cutting the convex side of the board. This left me with one side that was nice and straight. Then, I just used the fence to cut the board to 1 3/8" wide (to give myself some wiggle room).
(http://i.imgur.com/eYBGw7m.png)
I was hoping to get my belly lams from this one board, but when I went to get two 1/4" thick lams out of it, I discovered that with the kerf of the blade I was using, it would be not worth it to attempt. The board was 5/8" thick. If it would have been 3/4" or if I had access to a good bandsaw, I would have made it. Instead, I took the safe route and ended up with a piece that's a hair thicker than 1/4" and one that's about 3/16" thick. If anything, I can use the thinner lam as a core for a future bow!
And this is where the 2nd piece of osage comes into play. Since I was hoping one would do it, I left the other board at home. I'll be getting that one trimmed up shortly (and when I do, I'll take a few pics!). I also need to get back to finish prepping the walnut and bamboo for tapering. I unfortunately won't be able to get at it until tomorrow, but I have all day to work on this stuff, so there will be more posts tomorrow!!
-
Just do it......... >:D Experimenting is half the battle what others do is copy. >:D
-
I would taper the walnut from 1/8" in the center to 1/16" at the tips
-
I am looking forward to seeing this. When the trade deadline came and went, Ty contacted me to let me know he was still working on this and that I am the recipient. Since then I have watched him struggle to try to make a working trilam. I admire his persistence. It would have been easy to give up a long time ago. I have learned a lot in watching his efforts, and I will look forward to seeing this one being a success--and not just because it is supposed to come to me. Unfortunately, I know nothing about this building techniques. If any of you do, I hope you will pitch in and help out.
Good luck Ty.
-
Again, thanks for the kind words, Jeff. You'll get a bow out of this yet!
Before I post more, I have to ask: Bubby, why do you suggest 1/8" to 1/16" for the core? I'm definitely open to trimming it down to 1/8", but the guide I'm following runs 3/16" to 1/16".
Other than that, more updates this afternoon (just need to edit and upload pictures!).
-
You can leave it 3/16" in the center, i don't think you posted that you were tapering it
-
Oppsie!! I didn't say where the taper would start. Both the boo and the core will start tapering at the fades. I'd be open to either reducing the core to 1/8" at the fades or starting the taper at middle (I also forgot to mention the bottom limb will be 1" shorter than the top).
I didn't get the pictures straightened out, but here's where I'm at: the osage is planed to 1/4" thickness (I processed the other board I mentioned), the bamboo is planed to 1/8", and the walnut is planed to 3/16". I also made a z-splice in the osage boards.
So, before glue up, here's what needs to happen: taper the boo, taper the walnut, and add a little flip to the osage tips. I'll be getting to these tomorrow (as well as getting some pictures).
-
Sounds like you are well on your way to a nice trilam.
-
I think you will nail this one down, Ty. I have to believe you learned a few things on that last one that will make this one a real sweety.
-
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pearl! I think between the lessons I learned from the other attempts and the sound advice from you guys, it'll be a killer bow!
So here's the update for the day: I didn't get a chance to sneak out and taper the walnut or boo, but I do have the tips taken care of.
(http://i.imgur.com/rC09oN0.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/bSCPO9S.jpg)
An example of the form I used and how it turned out after I unclamped it. I used corn oil and a heat gun to get it bendy. Man, the smell of warm osage is great!
-
You have a little problem on your curve, the radius is too tight. You might have problems with your back and belly strips adhering tightly to the spot where it is curved.
-
I agree with badger, you might want to prebend the boo and belly. What adhesive are you using?
-
Hey Ty, good to see your still going. Much respect! :D
Andrew
-
Or, just slide it back on the form a few inches and re-warm it. Either fix would work fine.
-
Bubby, I'll be using smooth on.
Thanks for the input, Badger, Bubby, and Pearl. I had been planning on bending the walnut and boo after I tapered them to match the osage. However, I would be comfortable with making the angle more obtuse. I'll give it some thought while I get the other pieces tapered. I won't be able to glue up until Saturday night, so I have some time to consider my options.
-
Any reason to not just glue your bends in? Seems you are introducing variable and increased potential stiffness by heating things.
-
since the tips are supposed to be mostly stiff anyway, I don't think the extra heat is the biggest problem. If you rewarm it, get the very end firmly secured so that the curve is even through the whole arc--not all focused in one spot as it is now.
Good luck and heat slowly.
-
Smooth on is a good choice as it will give plenty of work time. Be sure to tape the back of the boo
-
Update!!
I have the bamboo ready to go. I taper the thickness by sanding the bamboo until it forms a nice edge. This is after I've gotten the width taken care of. I read on a few posts here that by doing it this way, you get a nice thickness taper and after doing it a few times and double checking with the calipers, I can say this method does work beautifully.
(http://i.imgur.com/fxRpAhw.jpg)
I've also roughed out the walnut. Since I haven't had any luck tapering the thickness using a jig, here's how I do it: I divide each working limb into 4 sections. At each section, I mark both sides of the lam how thick I want it. In this case, the 1st section is left at 3/16" (this is where the fade ends), then I mark 5/32", 1/8", 3/32", and finally the tip at 1/16".
(http://i.imgur.com/67S8Cbg.jpg)
I take it to my spindle sander and sand about 90% of the material off. I finish the rest of it with the hand plane (which is where I'm at now).
So, that leaves me with the osage tips to address. I am going to try to make them more rounded, but I forgot the heat gun at home! I'll head there during my lunch break, get the gun, and get the tips looking nicer.
-
PatM: If I can get the osage to bend more evenly, I'll forgo the heating of the other bits (most likely it would just be the walnut, the bamboo could probably be glued to a really radical bend right now without any pre-heating right now).
bubby: I've used painters tape to back the bamboo for the last 2 bows (I used smooth on for them, too). I was contemplating not using the tape this time around, but since you mentioned it, I will most definitely use it again!!
-
Here's a picture of the osage in the form. I tweeked it a bit by make the curve wider. I also used some better clamps to hold her down and an aluminum strip to help even the pressure on the lam.
(http://i.imgur.com/RcHNuJs.jpg)
-
That looks better than before. Getting the end clamped will help, as well as the support strap
-
Here's how the tip looks off the press:
(http://i.imgur.com/U6eY047.jpg?1)
I plan on getting everything set up to take pictures of the dry run this evening. I want to make sure I've got it on the form right before gluing it together. For an idea, here's how the 1st trilam I worked on was glued up:
(http://i.imgur.com/CzAjmkt.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/Ip9RUpf.jpg)
I'll start from this point (as that bow was going really well), but I would be game for moving those middle posts closer to the tips a bit.
-
I think we touched lightly on this before but could someone explain the pro's and con's of moving those red clamps in or out.
-
I put the middle posts mid limb. I tried closer to the handle and they look funky, do a member search for Roy and around pg 10 in his postshe has a tri lam build, that's all ol Roy builds and he builds nice ones so i took his advice
-
I like it Ty.
-
Bubby, that's who I've been looking at for these bows! Hopefully I'll be able to post the finished product on the TG website and get a "it's okay" from him. ;D
As far as the placement for the midposts, (I think...) Roy said closer to the handle is good for a target bow (faster arrow but more jumpy in the hand) and closer to the tips is good for a hunting bow (smoother, quieter shoot). I know he said specifically in one of his posts over the years, but I'm having troubles finding the specific post.
-
Not too bad where it is at but I would move mine closer to the tip. I feel whatever design you are after should be represented in the braced profile. If the bend is too close to the center you might end up tillering it out and have a D bow profile on the braced bow. You will loose the advantage of low string angles in the outer limbs which really boosts the power and tames down the bow. Tillering is also much easier with the clamp moved further out.
-
Am getting alot of helpful information from this thread. Thanks for taking time
Question . . . purpose of clamps at ends of handle area is to limit/prevent flexing in this area?
-
Maybe to anchor the rubber strap?
-
Maybe to anchor the rubber strap?
Bingo!
edit: Actually, I did have those clamps near the tips for another reason: I didn't heat bend the core or bamboo that time, so I added the clamp there in order to ensure an even glue line in the curve.
-
Not too bad where it is at but I would move mine closer to the tip. I feel whatever design you are after should be represented in the braced profile. If the bend is too close to the center you might end up tillering it out and have a D bow profile on the braced bow. You will loose the advantage of low string angles in the outer limbs which really boosts the power and tames down the bow. Tillering is also much easier with the clamp moved further out.
After looking at that picture when I posted, I was thinking maybe moving the mid posts 1-2 inches towards the tips. I'll get that dry run posted with that in mind.
-
I think Badger's point makes the most sense. It seems moving the reflex out toward the tips would leave a better looking, easier tillered set up. The first one you tried did sort of end up looking like a D-bow by the time you were reaching full draw.
Does anyone know what would happen if he raised the central brace a little--effectively increasing the induced deflex? I don't know if that would be helpful or hurtful to the process
-
I was thinking the same thing about that 1st bow, Jeff. I thought it was because I took too much off of the outer limbs and not enough off the inners after I started working on it when it was at full brace (the bow was a little stiff out of the fades). Before I started scraping on it when it was at full brace, it looked like a r/d bow.
But, before I post dry run picks, I did notice this:
(http://i.imgur.com/XISceTX.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/E5rcJCB.jpg)
It's not much, but the tips are not the same. The tip with more flip will be the bottom limb. Should I address this before proceeding or is the difference minor enough that it won't give me problems down the road? I'd rather take the extra time now to get this squared away.
-
I think if you are gluing it up in a form anyway, it likely won't make much difference. But if you are concerned about it, you can re-bend it of course. You are the one with the wood in your hand, so you will be able to see best.
-
Sorry for the delay in this build, as I've been working through car troubles (someday I'll have a workshop at home, but for now, my workplace will do), but here is where I'm at.
I did try reheating the tip I was concerned about. Maybe I didn't need to, but I learned something neat from it. Reheating the tip caused the curve to undo itself. By the time I got it back on the form it lost about half of its bend. Besides that, I left it on the form overnight and it did get closer to the other tip. It looks to be about 1/16" why of the other one. (no pic, sorry :( )
But, here's where I do have a picture! I was able to toss the lams on the bending form. Here's how it looks with the middle posts right in the middle of the working part of the limb:
(http://i.imgur.com/NRtkbf7.jpg)
If that looks good, I'll get her glued up. If not, I'll adjust, take another picture, and go from there.
-
I like how that looks personally
-
Yeah, that looks better. Appearance wise. Still unsure whether is really is better ;D
-
Yeah, that looks better. Appearance wise. Still unsure whether is really is better ;D
Well, we'll find out as I get to tillering this puppy!
-
That has an excellent profile now, you are well on your way
-
I think I would be inclined to bring up the middle brace (like maybe half an inch or so), to increase the deflex some--mostly because once you have it off the form it will relax about to where you have it now, which does look super sexy. You would have to feel how stressed the wood is when you do it though, which is impossible to tell with a picture. I like where you have the reflex braces set up with the majority of the curve toward the tips. If you decide to leave it where it is and glue it up, I am sure that will work too. You make the call.
In the end, I know you value my opinion because the bow will come to me, so I am sharing what I think. But don't take what I say as an imperative, because I can't feel the wood and I have never made a bow like this. Good luck.
Jeff
-
Well, here's a good reason to do these dry runs: I forgot the center post needs to be in the middle of the handle section, not the middle of the bow (my bottom limb is an inch shorter than the top). If I had glued it up that way, it would have made adding the handle interesting to say the least! Here's how the bow looks with the posts in the right spots:
(http://i.imgur.com/GYJrICS.jpg)
As per Jeff's request, here's how it looks with an additional piece of 5/8" thick wood on top of the center post:
(http://i.imgur.com/umT3Xxi.jpg)
It definitely adds more r/d to the bow.
-
I would to hear a more experienced opinion, but I think the top profile is what you want to end up with, and probably the bottom form is what is likely needed to achieve it.
-
Looks pretty good right there Ty.
-
I would to hear a more experienced opinion, but I think the top profile is what you want to end up with, and probably the bottom form is what is likely needed to achieve it.
Well, I am game for gluing it up with the shim on the center post. I'll give a little bit of time for others to weigh in, but I do want to get this puppy glued up this afternoon. If others give a compelling reason to go with the milder r/d, then l will defer to their advise. At the end of the day I want a bow out of this and not another "learning experience".
-
With the amount of reflex added and its position on the limb, the more deflex the better.
-
Well, no turning back now! Here it is glued up with the extra shim on the center post:
(http://i.imgur.com/gKzJOl5.jpg)
-
OH, wait, wait ,wait
Gotcha ;D
-
Nice
-
Been valuable read so far. Looking forward to next installment.
-
Oh yeah
-
Oh, and so it's stated here on this thread so people don't have to hunt for it later, the posts are the following heights: The center post is 3 3/4" tall (without the shim), the two mid-limb posts are 2 3/4", and the two outer posts are 6". I cut a stud that was dead straight down to 6' and screwed on those braces to prevent it from warping while under pressure from the clamps.
-
How are the posts attached? Maybe a close-up of the bottom on a post?
-
How are the posts attached? Maybe a close-up of the bottom on a post?
I'll take a picture of the posts when the bow is off of the form, but the posts are only held on by gravity! You can move them where ever you want to on the 2×4.
-
Ty....Your form is kinda like Dean Torges form with the deflex posts closer to the tips.With a 1" deflex.Should work pretty good for ya just looking at the end of he thread here.Maybe that was stated by you or someone else already.
-
Looking good
-
is it done yet??? hurryyyyyy
-
Ugh... I apologize for the delayed update to the bow, but I've been dealing with a vehicle problem that went from "it's a minor issue that's an easy fix" to "maybe we should get a new car"...
I do have a picture of the bow off of the form. It's not on it 100% compared to glue up as I took the inner tube off, but it's very close.
(http://i.imgur.com/BnLL342.jpg)
So here's the list of things that need to happen before tillering: get the rest of the plastic and tape off of the bow, put on horn tip overlays and rough out the tips, cut the side profile (I pre-cut the bamboo, but not the core or belly), glue on the handle. I'll also try to show some floor tillering pictures before I get the thing on the tillering tree.
-
I would glue on the handle before you cut your back profile or remove the tape, it makes for cleaner glue lines.
-
Good advice A-a-ron
-
I'll do that, Aaron! I removed some of the tape, but the stuff above the handle area is still mostly there.
-
We still building a tri-lam? Or has your job been hammering you like mine has?
-
Well, it's been a crazy couple of weeks for me. Between work and home, I haven't had a lot of time to crack at the bow (as I write this, I'm at a music convention in the middle of Montana). The good news is when I get back on Saturday, I will have time again to get this bow finished.
I have been able to find some time here and there to get some work some on the bow. Rather than post the small incremental changes, here are some after I made a decent amount of progress:
(http://i.imgur.com/bfBsaK8.jpg)
Here's the bow with the handle now glued on and roughed out. I still need to bring the curves of the fade out parts of the handle closer to the center of the handle (I want a 4.5inch grip area), but this is a start to it. I've also taken off most of the tape on the bamboo and trimmed the side profile.
(http://i.imgur.com/lhhiRWg.jpg)
A close up of the handle. It's maple with a stripe of purple heart.
(http://i.imgur.com/F84aPIk.jpg)
An example of the glue line in the limb. At least I know how to get these things glued together!
Stay tuned for more. The next update will come a bit quicker than this one! :)
-
We still building a tri-lam? Or has your job been hammering you like mine has?
I would have beat you to it If I weren't doing this from my phone ;D
-
So, I finally got things to a point where I can floor tiller this bow. Here's how it's looking now that I have it all sanded and cleaned up:
(http://i.imgur.com/oyxcZAe.jpg?1)
So, here's a picture of the tip:
(http://i.imgur.com/sdg2N9k.jpg)
It's horn with an overlay of maple. I just thought I'd run this by folks before filing in the nocks. I was thinking of filing the top groove (the groove on the back) down deep enough to get to the horn, but I wanted to see if this would end up being thick enough. I would be fine with building it up some more.
One more pic:
(http://i.imgur.com/EehMhbJ.jpg?1)
Tried as I may, I was unable to get the belly free of knots. It was looking good until I started sanding to get the extra epoxy off of the belly. I really don't want to end up with the belly cracking because of that knot, so if there's any advice on how to avoid it, I'd appreciate it (if it's anything I need to worry about at all, for that matter).
And as a way to help train my eyes a bit more, I uploaded a video of how the limbs are bending while floor tillering. It would be good to hear how things are shaping up at this point.
https://youtu.be/NAI191WWxuw
-
It is looking nice so far. I would be surprised if that knot causes problems on the belly. The string grove should come down into the horn, but far enough forward that there is plenty of osage meat below the cut. I like how that bend is starting to look. I am enjoying watching this one come together. Can't wait to see it in person.
-
Your R/D profile looks terrific. X 2 on what jeff said about the string groove and not worrying about the knot. I'm terrible at floor tillering, so I'm no help there. You'll get some good advice from the others on here. Lookin' good!
-
As far as the groove goes, if I remember right, if i place it at 1" away from the very tip, the groove will be in plenty of osage. I'll keep on keeping on with that limb with the knot with out trying to do anything out of the ordinary when it comes to scraping that spot. And as far as the floor tillering goes, I know the 2nd limb (which is the bottom limb) is a touch more stiff than the top limb, but I think everything looks decent at the moment (maybe, if anything, the outer 1/3 of the limbs are stiff... but I don't know if I should monkey with those until I get it bending on the tillering tree).
I should be able to get some work done tonight, which will mostly consist of scraping the bottom limb a touch and filing in the string grooves.
-
I just center my string groove on the overlay. Doesn't matter how much osage is behind it, your overlay is strong enough by itself. I've made a couple of backed bows that had pin knots almost to the edge of the osage belly and they didn't cause any problems.
-
I finally found time to upload more pictures and a short video. I've been working on tillering this bow this week and got to a point where I'd better get some input.
Here's how it looks pulling it down to 12" with a 1/2" brace height:
https://youtu.be/hzNa61dVZRU
And pictures of the bow at the 1/2" brace and unbraced after unstringing from tillering:
(http://i.imgur.com/E5b8Zli.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gDF7nY5.jpg)
The left limb is the bottom limb. I've been working mostly on that limb to try to get it more even with the top limb. I'll be scraping it some more tonight and hopefully I'll get it evened out.
-
It really looks like it's wanting to work right up into your built up handle.
-
You need to get those outers to open and stay away from the fades
-
Ol' Roy has some videos on youtube showing the bow working if that might help
-
I might try one of these one day.
-
I love to see updates. Not sure what to tell you about the tiller, but it looks okay so far. keep it up.
-
It has been a month. How's it coming?
-
Sorry for the long delay, part busy with life and part I'm still feeling a little gun shy on this, so I have been making progress on it, but it's been little by little.
Here's where she stands now. Here's the video of me exercising the bow to 17". I have the bow at a 3" brace now.
https://youtu.be/SOHlKUyxK8g
And pictures of the bow braced, at the 17" draw, and unbraced right after working on it.
(http://i.imgur.com/IIyU2Iq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/1RxEpou.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/cl6vhWc.jpg)
It's sitting right at 40# @ 17". That gives me a little bit of wiggle room to get the limbs right (the goal is 55# @ 29"). My impressions: The fades are not bending as much as the last time I posted (I've been primarily working on the outer 2/3rds of the bow while giving the limbs a general scraping so I don't make a hinge). It looks like the limbs are bending fairly evenly. I think if anything the outer 2/3rds are still a touch stiff, but I don't want to make the mistake I did on the 1st trilam where I ended at full draw with the fades being stiff, so after I see what is said here, then I'll proceed accordingly.
I don't have any big plans over Christmas (in fact, we'll most likely be getting a big snow storm on Christmas Day), so I will have time to get at it. I'm feeling a little more confident that this will end up as a bow vs a bow-shaped object, so I'll try to get this thing finished soon.
-
It's sure a pretty thing :) :) :)
-
Looking good, Ty. Very good. Take it easy and bring it around slowly. Leave the last 12" on both limbs alone and get the rest from the fades to mid limb.
-
that looks like it will be fast. can't wait to see it in person.
-
So Pearl, just to be clear, I should work on from the fade out to about 12" from the tip?
-
Yes sir. If you draw a straight line up from the thermometer, that's your stop point. Its about where your reflex starts. Its already working enough for now so get the area from fade to there moving. It will probably be close to your target length by then.
-
Take a look back at a few RD bows Marc has posted. He tillers them as good as you can. Pay close attention to his unbraced and drawn pics. Look at where the bending is happening. Its more even along the limb than it appears because the reflex is "uncurling" and that accounts for bending limb even though it looks almost flat drawn.
-
Today will be a really slow day at work. I'll take a few moments to look at Marc's r/d bows for sure. Thanks for the suggestion!
-
Take a look back at a few RD bows Marc has posted. He tillers them as good as you can. Pay close attention to his unbraced and drawn pics. Look at where the bending is happening. Its more even along the limb than it appears because the reflex is "uncurling" and that accounts for bending limb even though it looks almost flat drawn.
I see what you mean from looking at a few of his bows. I see why you suggest to work on the inner 2/3rds vs the outer 2/3rds. I will definitely stay away from the outer 1/3rd and try to shoot for making it bend like Marc's.
-
Working too far out is what bit you on your last attempt. This one looks very good and very close.
-
Yeah, I wonder if I would have left the outer limbs stiffer at the end of trilam #1 then maybe the knot that started to crack would have been fine. I just did a general scraping of the full limb to get the weight down once I got the bow to brace height. The knot was within the same 12" range you said to leave alone on this bow. Something to keep in mind for the future.
-
Well, here's where the bow is sitting now: I've scraped the bits of the bow where Pearl suggested. I've pulled the bow down to 20" and got it to full brace. Here are the pictures:
(http://i.imgur.com/YlU8mLe.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gIy5Tdr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8BPUgSc.jpg)
And the video of pulling on the bow:
https://youtu.be/mMh5dGXTD7M
At 20" it's pulling 36 lbs, so I don't have a whole lot left to remove if I'd like to get to 55 lbs @ 29". Again, if it ends up south of 55 lbs I won't cry over it, but I'm hopeful I can at least finish above 50.
-
Looks good to me. If I did anything for now I would get the mid limb on the right moving just a fuzz more. Maybe 6-8 scrapes. Then start pulling it 15 times per inch increasing to say 24", watching the tiller the whole way. That will get you near 48-50#. Unbrace it and see how well its holding a balanced shape. If it looks good, go or a few more inches and that will get you near your target weight.
-
That baby is really coming along...I'm glad there are guys like Pearly giving up advice on this one. I could expertly tell you how to turn that piece of wood into firewood but that's about it. You have demonstrated a great amount of patience and perseverance on this one. I can't wait to see it finished up!!
-
Sounds like a plan to me! I should have time this afternoon to do that (once I get the driveway shoveled). I was thinking to myself the midlimbs could be bending a hair more, so I'll do what you suggest, Pearl.
-
I think pearl nailed it 6-8 scrapes on the rt where he said, looking really good
-
Well, since I seem to be on a bit of a roll (and I got the driveway cleared out!), here's how it's looking after some gentle scraping mid limb and pulling her down to 24" (no video this time):
(http://i.imgur.com/2xl1Dnm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/NQw5KUC.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/uPv1irQ.jpg)
-
Now work the first 4-5" past the ends of the handle section. That will get you close to 26". It looks really good.
-
This is fun seeing this thing come around right before your eyes! How much draw weight at 24"?
-
Now work the first 4-5" past the ends of the handle section. That will get you close to 26". It looks really good.
About the same (8 or so scrapes) as the mid limbs?
This is fun seeing this thing come around right before your eyes! How much draw weight at 24"?
It was at 44 lbs.
-
Yup. Then get closer to 50# when you exercise it.
-
Well, I don't think I'll get any more done on it today, but I was able to get the first 4 or so inches past the handles scraped and exercised to 26".
(http://i.imgur.com/qs19u8l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/t9ArHm1.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/2z2Do3J.jpg)
It's at 47 lbs now.
-
Looking great.
-
I think it looks awesome man!!
-
That is looking way good. Nice job.
-
Ugh, now to try to find my D97 to make a string for this bow... Well, it never hurts to have more colors! So, I'll get this pulling to 29" soon.
-
Your sitting right around 55# @ 29" now. You will lose about 2-3# sanding, "shaping" the limbs and shooting it in. Your tiller looks good, time to pull it 15 times per inch back to 27-28".
-
That sounds good for the final weight. If it's north of 50# when I drop it off at the post office, I'll be a happy camper!
I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sneak away for lunch or maybe leave early to try to get the bow bending further. I'll try to take a video recording of this bit, as well.
-
Really nice build along Ty, I'm impressed how you stuck with it. I'm sure you'll be a happy camper to send it out but I bet your gonna miss that one.
Bjrogg
-
once i get the bend right and everything i smooth everything up some and start shooting it. About 20" for 15 arrows then i juat keep stretching it out as i shoot. I get to full draw and get shoot in almost the same time
-
once i get the bend right and everything i smooth everything up some and start shooting it. About 20" for 15 arrows then i juat keep stretching it out as i shoot. I get to full draw and get shoot in almost the same time
So you do that with all your bows? Your pyramid bow build along says the same thing, so it's nice to hear of a technique that not only works for you, but one you've been using for a while.
I'll have to do that with the next bow I make. The tillering string I'm using wouldn't be a good candidate for shooting arrows with and I've misplaced my string making material (which I did order more this morning!). If I could make a string for it today, I'd be more than willing to start sending arrows through it. For now, I'll finish exercising it to full draw on the tillering tree, then start with the final touches (shaping the tips and the handles, sanding the bow, etc.) while I await the delivery of the string material.
-
the tiller is starting to look really good. When you make one for yourself after this it will be even more amazing.
-
Well, here are the latest pics (no video... I'm gonna need the camera man to be home in order to record and draw on the bow at the same time!). These pics are from exercising the bow to 28":
(http://i.imgur.com/XddTlvS.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LxUH94q.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/bXvD6Oi.jpg)
It's sitting at a hair over 50 lbs now. I would have thought it would pull closer to 52 lbs since the last time I worked on it the bow was 47 lbs @ 26" (I haven't done any more scraping)... but I'd rather send out a great shooting well tillered bow that's underweight.
-
Wow...you've done it!! How many times did you exercise it on the tree?
-
Well, I'm not quite there yet :P I have one inch to go. I'll probably finish it tomorrow and then get to work on sanding/shaping.
As far as exercising, I would pull 30 times every inch. If the limbs needed adjusting, I would scrape, pull 30 more times at the point where I stopped, and then see how it's bending (ie, if the limbs looked wonky at 15 inches, I would scrape, then pull 30 times to 15 inches, then if it still looked wonky, scrape some more, pull 30 times to 15, until it looked good, then proceed to 16).
-
If you have another inch, then you may make 52 anyway. It doesnt look to me like it needs more scraping--just sanding at this point. Even 50# is a good draw weight. The persistence is paying off.
-
Looks great Ty. Seems like you have learned a lot along the way. Are there plans you do another yet?
-
Very nice bow and great build-a-long too.
-
Its time to shoot it, even if its at 10 feet. Shoot at least 100 shots through it before you touch it again with a tool or sandpaper. Another inch of draw wont change a thing, if you can draw 29". Do it when you shoot it.
-
I just had that thought this morning, Pearl!
From now until I get the string (unless I come across my current string by dumb luck... I can't wait until I can have a workshop where I can do it all in one place!), I'll work on sanding and shaping the tips and handle (the bits that won't affect the tiller). I'll be sure to post progress pics of this.
This is something I will do after shooting in and final tiller check, but I may as well ask now. I'll do my own looking on this forum and TG, but for those of you with bamboo backed bow experience, how do you go about finishing the boo? I remember off the top of my head that you don't want to do drastic work on the nodes (like sanding them down until they're flat), but if there's anything else to keep in mind, it would be great to know.
-
If you do a YouTube search for how to dye a bamboo backed bow, you will find a pretty good tutorial. For what it's worth, I like all of them but the green and black one. The nice thing about your previous attempts, is you can practice your technique on them until you are confident.
-
Good point! Although I do have plans on salvage attempts, it definitely wouldn't hurt to try a "dry run" on one of them.
-
The post office was kind enough to be a couple days ahead of schedule! Instead of getting the string on Tuesday (the estimated delivery day), I got it this afternoon.
One more thing on the docket, though. I forgot to put a serving jig in the order. This won't be a problem, as my last serving jig was one I made up myself. It worked fairly well, too, so I think I'll take pictures of that coming together... Not that a serving jig needs a build along, but since I still have scrap parts laying around to whip another one together, might as well show it!
I was also planning on doing a good chunk of work to the handle tomorrow, so the hope is to get the handle and string taken care of tomorrow, spend Monday getting the bow shot in (I have the day off, so that shouldn't be a problem), double check the tiller, then finish the bow.
-
Jeffp51 I'm sure your getting excited to see and hold this bow in person. Tye I've really enjoyed this build I'm sure Jeff must have too. Jeff good things come to those that wait seems very true in this case.
Bjrogg
-
Well, I didn't get a chance to make another serving jig, but I went ahead with making the string anyway and I served it slowly but surely without a jig (which doing one string in a great while isn't too bad... but I'm still going to get a jig!).
I managed to get 25 shots off today, and so far so good! No delaminations, bamboo fibers lifting, or belly chrysals (plus it didn't blow up in my face!). I'll continue shooting it in as the week goes on, then I'll get the Mrs. to take full draw pics and a video of me shooting the bow. For now, here are the pictures of the bow after shooting it:
(http://i.imgur.com/InlGziS.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/7S23NTQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/jXNj2ML.jpg)
-
You need to get some good photos of this bow before you send it off. Then you need to post this bow for BOM. With all certainty I will be voting for you.
It was a long road but man it really came together. Congratulations on hard fought win on this one!!
-
It's been fun reading of your progress. Congrats, Ty!
-
That's a fine looking bow. You done good, Ty.
-
Dude, so glad you stuck with it, that is one beautiful bow!
-
Just checking in with everyone real quick. I'm up to 150 shots now (trying not to shoot too much, as this bow is a bit heavier than I'm used to, but it's a good way to build up my shoulder!) and everything is still looking good (tiller and unstrung profile). I haven't been able to take longer shots yet, but she's slamming the arrows (around 500 grain arrows) pretty good into the block target.
Aaron, you asked if I have plans to build another one like this. I definitely do! While this one didn't quite end up like Roy's trilams, I'm digging it (and especially knowing they look similar to the r/d bows Marc does, I can at least use his pictures as a resource). However, I think I want to tackle some other projects 1st before coming back to the trilam (some more board bows to practice tillering, trying to splice some billets together of some ash I collected a while ago to make a selfbow, etc).
I'll try to get her shot in this week and get the bow all sanded down and ready to finish this weekend (I still plan on posting pics and vids of how the bow shoots before the final touches).
Finally, thanks again for all the kind words and the help! I feel ashamed that this has taken as long as it has, but I'm truly thankful that everyone (particularly Jeff) has been patient with me.
-
And now that I had a chance to crop the photos, here are the braced and just unbraced pictures of the bow tight after shot #150:
(http://i.imgur.com/lgBusuE.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ABarRgc.jpg)
-
I really like that braced and unbraced profile there. It looks to me like just a little work rounding off sharp edges on handle and you are ready to put the finish on. I have always heard that good things come to those who wait, and I think this bow proves it.
-
Yeah, the handle section can be smoothed out a bit more for sure. That'll be something I finish up before shooting it in (along with finishing up the tips).
-
250 shots later, here's how the full draw looks:
(http://i.imgur.com/dj567C5.jpg)
It's not the best... I'll have to get some better photos, but this is it for now. I'll try to get a few shots off yet today and take a picture of the unbraced shape.
-
Simply outstanding...you have shown some crazy patience and commitment to making this bow. Looks great!!
-
What a trip this has been! Congrats.
-
Looks pretty good to me. I see nothing there to criticize at all. How do you plan to finish it?
-
Looks pretty good to me. I see nothing there to criticize at all. How do you plan to finish it?
I meant to say "it's not the best pic" ;). I'm leaning towards dying the boo a dark color (probably brownish), then take steel wool to the bits between the nodes to lighten those areas. Then, if we ever get another sunny day again, I also want to get the handle area sanded down to a 400-600 grit, then let those good ol' UV rays hit the purpleheart so it gets a little more purple (right now it's a little on the brown side, but I know hitting it with a little sunlight will get the purple back). After that, I've got a bottle of tru-oil I need to use up, so I'm thinking of using that yo go over the bow. I'm still debating about that part of the "finishing" process, but I still have a little time to get it worked out. I'm not going to sit on it too much, though, since I want to get it into your hands.
-
Ty you have done a very good job on this tri-lam and Jeff you have had a lot of patience and you are receiving one nice bow. Congrats to both of you.
-
Upper limb needs a bit more bend. ;)
-
Pat's right of course.
Ty, you have done really great work all along, and this has been fun to watch, so I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier. First, here is a picture.
-
See this? Your upper limb is too strong.
-
Here is what happened and I MISSED IT. I was watching this thread, but you had plenty of help, so I wasn't thinking too hard as I read.
You were tillering with the bow held flat and level, fairly securely balanced on two points above and below the throat of the grip. That is the actual point of pressure from your hand, on the bow, when drawing. Look at the full draw pic and you'll see your hand is pushing into the bow right in the deepest part of the grip and for a couple inches below onto the palm swell. If you tiller using that point as a fulcrum, the hook on your tillering string should be opposite the upper end of that zone.
Every bow has a physical middle, as measured tip to tip with a ruler, divided by two, right? Every bow also has a DYNAMIC middle, where the forces pushing the bow forward and pulling the string back are balanced, nearly opposite each other. Then, there is a balance point regarding the amount of bend, or the strain on each limb, if the bow is asymmetrical. Tiller usually has small compromises we make inherently. You were GOING for DYNAMIC balance close to the PHYSICAL middle, I think, but tillered to have dynamic balance ABOVE the middle, up by the arrow. So, enough big words.......
In this case, you were pulling the string back at the arrow, but the way the bow balanced on the tillering tree was several inches below that (maybe only 2-1/2", but maybe as much as 4). So the pull force (string) is above the push force (grip), and the bow resting securely on two points on the tree couldn't tip to show you that. So, that gave the string more leverage to pull against the lower limb, making it bend as much as the upper limb, despite being stiffer. So, now you have a stiffer lower limb.
This is all fine if you plan for it, or know it's going to happen, but that is where I feel I/we failed to warn you, sorry. The fix is simple, though. You just gotta weaken the upper limb a bit, or stiffen the lower limb a bit. I suggest the former.
Since the curve looks good on the tree, crayon or pencil mark the whole upper limb and scrape it clean, then check the full draw again. This, unfortunately means your finished draw weigh will be a couple/few pounds lighter than intended. Happens to me all the time.
Good luck.
-
I think that's why the advice was shoot some arrows through it, get a full-draw-in-the-hand picture, and see how she's doing, so there's no harm at all in saying the upper limb is a bit stiff (which it is!) at this point in the game. ;D
I'm going to be waiting a week for the leather dye to get here, so I might as well get it tillered spot on before finishing the bow.
Mr. PatM, thanks for pointing it out! Here's what I'm thinking: I like the shape of the lower limb better than the upper... to my eye, it looks like the upper limb is bending a hair more out of the fade than the lower and it's lightly flatter at midlimb. So, take a few scrapes off of the middle 1/3 of the upper limb?
-
Well, I was able to work a little on that upper limb. I scraped a little (12 plus a touch of sanding)from about 6 inches from the fade to about 12 inches from the tip. I shot 20 arrows through her and took a full draw picture (with a slightly better background).
(http://i.imgur.com/EpDVo2v.jpg)
Still a little stiff compared to the bottom limb. I'll try to get another round of scraping in tonight.
-
A trick you can use to make the bend register after scraping is flipping the bow and drawing it several times. You will stress that limb preferentially.
-
A trick you can use to make the bend register after scraping is flipping the bow and drawing it several times. You will stress that limb preferentially.
I'll give that a shot when I get home (and before I scrape it more, just in case if the scraping hasn't registered from shooting it), thanks for the tip!
-
Well, after holding the bow upside down and drawing a bunch, I didn't notice a change in the tiller. I just got done scraping that upper limb again, exercised it holding it upside down, then shot a few arrows out of it. Here's where she stands:
(http://i.imgur.com/MdPFePC.jpg)
I think it Still looks a touch stiff, but I think it's getting closer. I thought I'd leave a picture of where it's at now (especially since I need to get to work!).
-
Looks to me like it's just a touch stiff directly out of the upper fade
-
Does it feel like its trying to tip towards you as you draw?
-
It looks to me like the nock point is high. In this case is that a cause or a symptom?
-
Does it feel like its trying to tip towards you as you draw?
Hmm... I don't think so. I'll try to get home for lunch and draw it back a few times to make sure, but the best way to describe it is it the bow sits pretty evenly in my hand when I draw it back.
-
It looks to me like the nock point is high. In this case is that a cause or a symptom?
Well, it's nocked a little high right now because the arrow is resting on a bare shelf. Once I finish the bow, I was going to put some material on the shelf and I had the nock point where it is with that in mind. I can adjust it, though, when I get home.
-
I was just wondering if the high nock point was making the lower limb bend more. But something in my brain says it's the other way. Help?
-
If I did anything, I would dust off that upper fade just a bit as A-a-ron suggested.
-
Yeah, I thought I posted that thought from my phone, but I didn't hit the "post" button! I'll gingerly scrape the fade (essentially the 6" I was ignoring when I hit the limb earlier) when I get home, put a bit on the shelf to simulate a rug (so make the arrow look "right"), and take a picture.
-
I would say if it shoots smooth with out hand shock, then I wouldn't fiddle with it too much beyond sanding it smooth. It is possible to fix something to oblivion. To me it looks pretty good.
-
Don't worry, Jeff! I had that same thought. I know from experience in my profession that there's a fine line between "almost perfect" and "... <insert favorite explicative here>" and while I would love to get it perfect, I think I'll call her good after I take a few scrapes from the top limb fade.
I didn't get a chance to leave work, so I'll get to it tonight when I get home from work.
-
I agree with both of you.
-
Well, I know it's risky business when working on the fades so late in the game (who doesn't want to deal with a hinge near the fade when the bow is close to being finished!), so I ever so slightly took a few scrapes off of that upper limb fade. Here's how it looks now:
(http://i.imgur.com/HYVlAbM.jpg)
I think I'm going to leave it as is. No sense in tempting fate (and the top limb is bending more, so I think mission accomplished). After the shooting in and the adjustments to the upper limb, the bow is sitting at 49 lbs. Not ideal, but not the end of the world. Since I haven't posted these in a while, here's the braced and the just unstrung profile pictures:
(http://i.imgur.com/uwQd5bW.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/QVbyH5v.jpg)
I'm still waiting to hear about the leather dye (in the hopes it could get here on the early side), but at the least, I can start getting her sanded down and get a preliminary coat of something on the belly so that I don't have to worry about dye getting on other parts of the bow (maybe not a huge concern since I'm using a dark colored core wood, but good practice in any case).
-
looking really good :)
-
Get her sanded and sealed, Ty. Its a wrap.
-
Yup, that's looking right nice now. Great job Ty.
-
I was just wondering if the high nock point was making the lower limb bend more. But something in my brain says it's the other way. Help?
DC, "read my wall of text" post above. It addresses that.
-
I can't find it, can you post a link?
-
Here is what happened and I MISSED IT. I was watching this thread, but you had plenty of help, so I wasn't thinking too hard as I read.
You were tillering with the bow held flat and level, fairly securely balanced on two points above and below the throat of the grip. That is the actual point of pressure from your hand, on the bow, when drawing. Look at the full draw pic and you'll see your hand is pushing into the bow right in the deepest part of the grip and for a couple inches below onto the palm swell. If you tiller using that point as a fulcrum, the hook on your tillering string should be opposite the upper end of that zone.
Every bow has a physical middle, as measured tip to tip with a ruler, divided by two, right? Every bow also has a DYNAMIC middle, where the forces pushing the bow forward and pulling the string back are balanced, nearly opposite each other. Then, there is a balance point regarding the amount of bend, or the strain on each limb, if the bow is asymmetrical. Tiller usually has small compromises we make inherently. You were GOING for DYNAMIC balance close to the PHYSICAL middle, I think, but tillered to have dynamic balance ABOVE the middle, up by the arrow. So, enough big words.......
In this case, you were pulling the string back at the arrow, but the way the bow balanced on the tillering tree was several inches below that (maybe only 2-1/2", but maybe as much as 4). So the pull force (string) is above the push force (grip), and the bow resting securely on two points on the tree couldn't tip to show you that. So, that gave the string more leverage to pull against the lower limb, making it bend as much as the upper limb, despite being stiffer. So, now you have a stiffer lower limb.
This is all fine if you plan for it, or know it's going to happen, but that is where I feel I/we failed to warn you, sorry. The fix is simple, though. You just gotta weaken the upper limb a bit, or stiffen the lower limb a bit. I suggest the former.
Since the curve looks good on the tree, crayon or pencil mark the whole upper limb and scrape it clean, then check the full draw again. This, unfortunately means your finished draw weigh will be a couple/few pounds lighter than intended. Happens to me all the time.
Good luck.
Here you go, DC :) And it'll be something I take into consideration in the future (the tiller tree bit).
Also, there will be some pictures coming in a bit, just a heads up ;)
-
Thanks
-
WHHHOOOOOOPS! I tried to edit that post days ago, and it LOOKS like it didn't take, I'll bold the corrections.
From my long post........ "In this case, you were pulling the string back at the arrow, but the way the bow balanced on the tillering tree was several inches below that (maybe only 2-1/2", but maybe as much as 4). So the pull force (string) is above the push force (grip), and the bow resting securely on two points on the tree couldn't tip to show you that. So, that gave the string more leverage to pull against the UPPER limb, making it bend as much as the LOWER limb, despite being stiffer. So, now you have a WEAKERlower limb.
This is all fine if you plan for it, or know it's going to happen, but that is where I feel I/we failed to warn you, sorry. The fix is simple, though. You just gotta weaken the upper limb a bit, or stiffen the lower limb a bit. I suggest the former."
Sorry. Anyone who read it, I was on the right track early and late, but got the concepts flipped in that one paragraph. This is what comes of writing a long post piecemeal over several hours, while on mobile so I can only see a little of what I wrote.
My apologies.
-
I noticed that, but I was sure you meant what you typed just now 😄
-
Well, after sanding to 600 grit, including the rind (I went easy on the nodes and super glued them as well), applying 2 coats of tung oil and 8 coats of clear shellac (decided not to dye the boo, I really like the contrasting colors), putting a Bear hair rest on the shelf, wrapping the handle in jute (it's not glued on, so if Jeff wants to remove it, he may), making a new string (the one I made to shoot it in was just a hair too short), and shooting the string in (50 shots, plus just to make sure everything is good to go), I'd say this bow is done! Here are some more stats for the bow (this was all covered near or at the beginning, but for the sake of the people who want to skip by the previous 11 pages, here's all that info in one place).
Bamboo - Walnut - Osage R/D Trilam:
69" ttt (67" ntn)
48 lbs @ 29" draw
13" handle/riser section
Bamboo back is 1/8" at the fades and tapered to 1/16" at the tips
Walnut core is 3/16" at the fades and tapered to 1/16" at the tips
Osage back was 1/4" thick before tillering. I also flipped the tips of the osage prior to glue-up as a way to help retain the curve at the tips. I also ended up rounding the belly a wee bit, so it ended up being a bit of a shallow D shape.
The fades are 1 1/4" wide, maintained for 6", then taper to 1/2" at the tip.
The tips are horn with a touch of maple on the top.
The handle is maple-purpleheart-firgured maple.
The handle has a bit of a groove shaped into it for the hand to rest in. Not a pistol grip, but I think it's nice for the hand to nestle into the handle.
The shelf is cut 1/4" from the center. The main point of the shelf was to be wide enough for the arrow to rest on comfortably.
The string is a 10 strand D79 Flemish twist with yarn silencers.
And for the pictures!
The obligatory "hanging on the cedar privacy fence strung profile" picture:
(http://i.imgur.com/WUF9xNg.jpg)
A closer look at the shelf (and a good look at the woods... I'm kinda diggin the tone the purpleheart took, but it might change after some more UV exposure):
(http://i.imgur.com/euYbTGk.jpg)
A closer look at the limbs (I forgot to take a front shot of the bamboo, but this is a pretty good shot of the contrasting colors):
(http://i.imgur.com/HzUAuBQ.jpg)
A closeup of one of the tips:
(http://i.imgur.com/9SWuhDQ.jpg)
Braced in the hand (6" brace):
(http://i.imgur.com/9glWFM6.jpg)
And the "money shot":
(http://i.imgur.com/9cjt5Mb.jpg)
And for those skipping to this point in the thread, here's the last picture of the unbraced bow I took (this was after shooing in 25 times to make sure the top limb was bending correctly), as I forgot to get that picture after the bow was finished:
(http://i.imgur.com/QVbyH5v.jpg)
Some final thoughts to come soon!
-
Oh, that looks great, Ty! Pretty tips, too.
-
Nailed it! Way to see it through, Ty.
-
man that profile is what I seek..just built a boo osage and lost my reflex tilling it out...tilled it like a self bow...ughh...Ive watched this thread but not close enough ...pearl seems to hit it on leaving the last 12 inches stiff to keep the profile I want... bout to build a black walnut boo bow...and Im going to till it stiff last 12 inches... nice job here...
-
Way to go Ty, it turned out great
-
Thanks all :) Hopefully Mr. Jeff will like it. We'll find out soon enough! I completely forgot to take pictures from the top of the nocks (I slimmed the bits past the string groove a bit) and the unstrung profile. But:
(http://i.imgur.com/kcGgsEc.jpg)
I know I said this yesterday, but I think I'll post the final specs plus a wrap-up on this bow soon!
-
That came out very nice, great job
-
UPS guy says Friday. I am looking forward to it. It looks really good--especially those curves.
-
Absolutely beautiful. ;)
-
Very nice!
-
the wife just called and said there is a package on the door. Darn work. . .
-
Well, I'm going to edit my previous post with all the pictures of the finished bow with other stats and update the title with a "finished pics on page 12" so that if people want to cut to the chase, all the info is right there. Then, maybe tomorrow, I'll edit this post to delete this update notice and proceed with the wrap-up of this project.
-
Looks good. I've done two similar ones. The first didn't go so well but the second is pretty good.
So well done. I know hard hard it can be.
Cheers
Looks a bit too cold their for me :o
-
the wife just called and said there is a package on the door. Darn work. . .
At least you'll (hopefully) have the weekend to play with it!
Looks good. I've done two similar ones. The first didn't go so well but the second is pretty good.
So well done. I know hard hard it can be.
Cheers
Looks a bit too cold their for me :o
It was actually a warmer day that day. It was near 30F/-1C that afternoon!
-
Well, the bad news is the bottom tip broke off during shipping. It looks like the overlay delaminated (the wood from both sides of the horn came off somehow) and took a bit of the underlying osage with it. The good news is the break is mostly behind the knock groove, and after sanding off the old glue, I think I have it glued back together. I am going to let it cure really good before I test it at all.
-
Nice choice of finish :P
Well, the bad news is the bottom tip broke off during shipping. It looks like the overlay delaminated (the wood from both sides of the horn came off somehow) and took a bit of the underlying osage with it. The good news is the break is mostly behind the knock groove, and after sanding off the old glue, I think I have it glued back together. I am going to let it cure really good before I test it at all.
Hope it works out..
-
More anticipation, man I really feel for you Jeff.
Bjrogg
-
Ugh!!!! Well, just let us know if the fix works out. From what it sounds like, it should be fine...
But still... :'( I used super glue to laminate the nock overlays together. I'm not sure what I did wrong on that part...
-
Was it rattling around in the shipping tube?
-
PVC shipping tube?
-
If you used super glue, then the problem was that the surfaces weren't mated good enough. At least on the bottom. You left a bunch of ripples on the horn that seriously reduced the surface area.
I suspect the real culprit, though, was UPS and the packaging. Those foam tips you used were good for side-to-side protection, but the slit you cut for the bow only left about 1/4 inch of padding on the end. One good toss by someone in the shipping chain allowing the tube to land on its end was probably enough to slam the tip against the top of the tube.
That is my guess anyway.
-
With the glue, if there was oil or dust on the surfaces or if the glue is old, that can also affect it. The surfaces on the little piece of maple looked fine, so I don't know why it also popped off.
-
Super glue seems like it would get rather brittle if the temp is below freezing and the bow is dropped on end.
-
Well, the days that it would have been on the truck in my neck of the woods, the temps were between -5 and 10F (or -20 to -12C)... Lesson learned (for both using SA glue around my home and the packing part... I thought it would have been well protected how it was). Hopefully it'll be okay, but I'm still a bit embarrassed that you're having to deal with this at this stage in the game.
-
No worries. Stuff happens. Especially with UPS. I think I can save it.
-
Well, if it is toast... I totally know how to build the next one to make it better! ;D
-
Well I am happy to say the trilam lives! I had to do some work on it. First I reattached the broken osage with superglue. Then I sanded off all the old glue from the osage and the horn, and I flattened the surface of the horn, removing the waves. then I glued the maple onto the top of the horn with superglue. The tip I glued with a good quality epoxy and wrapped it and let it dry for three days. A little sanding and shaping eliminated the slight slip (1/64" or so) in the tip on glue up.
I had also planned to put a leather handle on it because I like they way it feels when I shoot. But when I got the yarn off and had re-worked the grip a little to fit my hand, I could see the figuring starting to appear in the maple, and I couldn't bring myself to cover it back up. So I left the handle naked.
reworking the tip and the grip left gaps in the finish, so I stripped the rest of it off and refinished with 8 coats of tung oil. Here are the results
-
Here are the reworked brace and full draw pics. I am happy to say the bow shoots smooth as silk. You will notice also Osage Outlaw's arrow trade arrow at the center of the bull's eye in the target (normally the safest place to hide if I am shooting). I shot several different-spined arrows from the bow, and the centered shelf handles them all as well as I am able to shoot. There is absolutely no shock in it at all.
This is an absolutely beautiful bow and kudos to Ty for all his hard work on the project. I couldn't be happier with it. The few little things I did were purely cosmetic, but the heart of the bow is excellent work with really nice curves and a great tiller. I am sure I will enjoy it for years to come. I can't wait to see the one he makes for himself.
With this post we can officially call the 2016 bow trade completed. Time to start 2017?
-
That is a beautiful bow, sure glad to see you with that full draw picture. Must feel really good
Bjrogg
-
That is actually my son posing in the full draw. He wanted to try it out too.
-
I was thinking you looked younger than I imagined 😊
Bjrogg
-
This ending fills me with joy, I'm so glad to see this come together after all the hard work and dedication by Ty, lesser men would have given up long ago!
-
Well, I'm very happy Jeff successfully reattached the tip! I hope you'll get some good use out of the bow.
Again, thank you for everyone who chimed in on this post, whether it was a post with advice or with encouragement. I still have a ways to go with my bowmaking skills, but I will be trying my best to refine those skills. I already know what I would do differently for the next trilam to improve how things went.