Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => English Warbow => Topic started by: Del the cat on February 08, 2017, 11:52:11 am

Title: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 08, 2017, 11:52:11 am
I cut some Yew way back in 2013. Some of it was billets and pretty waggly. Last year I was sorting out out the timber and geting rid of the no hopers but I found two billets that were vaguely matched with a big deflex dip and some sideways waggle too. I was cutting splices and glueing up any decent billets, so I did these two.
I came across 'em last week and started roughing 'em out at warbow dimensions with an aim of 100# at 32". Wasnt really sure if the splice would take it, but it made a good demo of the strength of a splice to reassure a customer who was having a 45# at 32" off me from the same batch of spliced staves.
Anyhow, I got it back to 100# at 28" and then reflexed the tips a little (hot air gun and sunflower oil).
I'm not sure how it will shoot, to some extent it's a novelty bow or a character bow... or maybe it's an R/D flight Warbow... who knows!
My mate JT will be taking it to a roving marks shoot at the weekend to give it a good work out. 100# is easy for him so maybe he'll get some crisp flight shots away too.
It started off as an ugly duckling... not sure it's quite turned into a swan, but it should raise a few eyebrows >:D
Enough blethering on here are some pics.
btw it's 83" ttt
Youtube video here:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwbVP0upLLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwbVP0upLLU)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: osage outlaw on February 08, 2017, 12:50:13 pm
That's an interesting bow Del.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on February 08, 2017, 02:08:12 pm
Way to go Del,  that looks a fun bow and will be interesting to know how it gets on,  8).
Is heat and oil better than steam for recurving on a form? 
(I got a Deflex yew stave I'm going to do similar with, I was planning on using steam.)
 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: willie on February 08, 2017, 02:18:05 pm
R/D flight warbow .... I like that.

 BTW, Del, is there any sort of distance competition shot with warbows with warbow weight arrows? or is that what a roving marks shoot is?

Nice experiment,  will look for the range report.

Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 08, 2017, 02:45:42 pm
@ Ruddy Darter.
I've written up the reflexing of the tips on my blog with an explanation of why I went for hot air gun option.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/reflexed-tips-and-magic-brick.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/reflexed-tips-and-magic-brick.html)

@ Willie
It's an ILAA roving marks and they always finish with a flight shoot of 4 arrows (I think it's 4, I've not been to one for a while).
Roving marks is wandering about the fields shooting at "marks" (shields or flags) set up at varying longish distances, often set up to decieve the eye by having the mark just over the brow of rise, in a dip or over a few trees.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on February 08, 2017, 02:58:56 pm
Thanks Del for another informative read (I think I'll give the steam a go, the sapwood is pretty thin on the stave I have,  I'm going for a set up similar to another blog of yours on steaming. 8))
 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: willie on February 08, 2017, 03:11:09 pm
sounds like fun, Del. almost as much fun as we had when we were kids, and lost most of our arrows by shooting them out of sight.

read your heat bending post on your blog, and must ask.....

are you concerned with the heat bends pulling out, if you wait until the bow is so close to being finished, before reflexing the tips?

you report that you did the bending at  100#@ 28",    and I assume the bow came in as intended, 100#@32"?
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: DC on February 08, 2017, 03:32:08 pm
Is it bending much in the handle? I watched the vid but I couldn't make up my mind if or how much it was bending. Did you just do a "z" splice or did you scoop out the back and put a splint in too? This will do a lot to reduce the "pucker factor" of spliced bows.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 08, 2017, 03:59:02 pm
It's a simple Z splice. I don't think it's bending too much in the handle I think the deflex just makes it look like that, also it rocks on the tiller as it is drawn, that movement may look like flexing... There is probably some movement as even with a thickened grip there is always a little flex. I can't make my mind up either! ::)
I've put a link to the vid in the original post for anyone else who wants it....
may as well add it hre too :laugh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwbVP0upLLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwbVP0upLLU)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: mikekeswick on February 08, 2017, 05:06:42 pm
Interesting bow Del :)
I don't think it is bending too much in the handle. It doesn't look 'strained' even at 32" to these eyes.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Strichev on February 08, 2017, 05:36:48 pm
Pfft, I can easily make a bow that looks just like that at full draw, even when I start from a perfectly dead straight knotless stave!


Jokes aside, it is something special indeed. I wonder how it would look like on a high speed camera. Keep us posted on how it shoots.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 08, 2017, 05:41:17 pm
Interesting bow Del :)
I don't think it is bending too much in the handle. It doesn't look 'strained' even at 32" to these eyes.
Cheers Mike  :)
I've since taken it to just over 33" to be on the safe side, I didn't want it exploding in my mate's hand!
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: penderbender on February 08, 2017, 06:07:38 pm
Very cool Del! I was watching his none on your blog. That's such a crazy profile. I love it! Interesting to hear how it shoots. Cheers- Brendan
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: wizardgoat on February 09, 2017, 09:04:55 pm
That's a very cool and unique bow Del! Can't say I've ever seen a RD warbow
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: selfbow joe on February 09, 2017, 10:49:18 pm
Very nice work
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: loon on February 10, 2017, 02:20:17 am
Nice. Wicked! I wanna see it shooting.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 18, 2017, 08:51:27 am
My mate JT came round and gave it a try, we'll be off to a roving marks shoot next weekend, fo now he just slammed a few into my new target boss in the garage a t 10 yards, It's light enough compared to the 120-130s he normally shoots that he could get decent accuracy.
If felt fresh and fast, I tried some fiming, but with the light behid it was bleaching out the upper limb (I really need to make a way of hanging up a tarp'). From the viewers perspective, the arrow seemed to be thudding into the target before I heard the loose! :o
Should get some definitive idea of performance next week.
It looks good when being shot.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Badger on February 18, 2017, 09:36:54 am
  Can't wait to hear how it shoots, very cool bow!
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: FilipT on February 18, 2017, 10:51:40 am
Does that wonkyness make upper limb into practically a lever?
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 18, 2017, 10:58:02 am
Does that wonkyness make upper limb into practically a lever?
Dunno, makes it tricky to see where it's bending tho' !
We'll see how far it lobs an arrow next week, I'll report back.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: FilipT on February 18, 2017, 12:50:06 pm
At first glance picture suggest it bends most at two fists length above the place this guy is holding it.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 18, 2017, 02:24:42 pm
At first glance picture suggest it bends most at two fists length above the place this guy is holding it.
Yeah, but you have to see the unbaced and braced... even then it's hard to be sure what the heck is going on! ::)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 19, 2017, 06:16:06 pm
Very well done Del.  That is one interesting warbow
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: cadet on February 19, 2017, 11:08:03 pm
Wow, what a ripper of a bow!
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on February 20, 2017, 06:14:43 am
Cheers guys.
I should see it in serious action at the weekend  :)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on March 25, 2017, 02:59:37 pm
Out of curiosity Del, any news on how the bow performed?

 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on March 25, 2017, 04:20:10 pm
Here it is shooting:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTAwu8e-vf4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTAwu8e-vf4)
It is smooth but has prob' lost a bit of weight, nearer 95# now I'd guess. It wasn't used during the flight shoot, but it wins hands down on sheer funkiness :)
Having seen it, one of the other guys on the shoot asked me to make him a rustic ELB of 60# which i'm currently finishing up.
Del
(sorry I didn't post sooner...  :-[ baaaad kitty)
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on March 25, 2017, 04:27:27 pm
Haha, it's loosing pretty nicely 8)...and definitely gets the funky gold medal, but I do reckon it should be drawn while wearing a tall wizard's hat...and a very long goat T beard,  maybe John can grow one for the next vid? 😀,
Ace stuff Del, look forward to seeing the 60#funkybow 2.

 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on March 25, 2017, 04:37:19 pm
Your wish is my command!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnxvcK6mcpM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnxvcK6mcpM)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on March 25, 2017, 04:43:55 pm
That looks a nice bow Del, and loosed those arrows with a nice bit of oomph..sweet action.
 Haha.. Love the Frankenstein bow too, I'll follow that with interest, it has given me ideas for my bow mishaps, match up the best limbs and maybe put in bolt style arrow pass and ink stitches in places ;D

(I'm glad Emily is better 8))

 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on March 25, 2017, 05:02:39 pm
That looks a nice bow Del, and loosed those arrows with a nice bit of oomph..sweet action.
 Haha.. Love the Frankenstein bow too, I'll follow that with interest, it has given me ideas for my bow mishaps, match up the best limbs and maybe put in bolt style arrow pass and ink stitches in places ;D
(I'm glad Emily is better 8))

 R.D.
I haven't actually got round to making a string for the Frankenbow yet. I will do and take it to the Popinjay shoot next weekend. It's run by the sam people as did the shoot where it broke, so I can show them the fix :)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Ruddy Darter on March 25, 2017, 05:05:09 pm
Oh yes...back from the dead, very Frankenstein. It may possess freakish strength and win the shoot 8) ;D

 R.D.
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: leehongyi on May 02, 2017, 02:42:51 pm
it's a RD bow isn't it?
Title: Re: Del's Wonky Warbow
Post by: Del the cat on May 02, 2017, 03:43:17 pm
it's a RD bow isn't it?
Well sort of... it's a warbow that happens to be that shape...
Del