Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: osage outlaw on August 11, 2017, 06:19:00 pm
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PA has been a little slow lately. I thought I would do my part by posting some pictures of a bow I am building for the trade blanket at a traditional shoot in Scottsburg, IN next month. Doing a follow-a-long post will help keep me motivated to finish it up. This bow blank has been in my house since I roughed it out last fall. It's a clean, dense piece of osage with some red streaks in it. As always, any suggestions or ideas are appreciated.
I didn't get any pictures before I started working on it today. I started off by using a farriers rasp to thin the limbs and take them down to a slight taper.
(http://i.imgur.com/ULHhkLK.jpg)
Once the limbs started flexing I switched to a shinto rasp and then cleaned them up with a scraper. It has a little bit of natural reflex. I'll need to do some alignment work.
(http://i.imgur.com/pi1JXsr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WM2SDOO.jpg)
The stave has medium rings and is really clean except for one pin knot. If I do my part it should make a nice bow.
(http://i.imgur.com/biIInn8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Up5uIOm.jpg)
I cut out a new caul a while back. It has a little more reflex over a shorter form than my old one. I smoothed it out on the belt sander and then started clamping the bow down.
(http://i.imgur.com/gWAgUk4.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/K31xct5.jpg)
I would clamp it down, temper a section, and then swap the clamps around.
(http://i.imgur.com/NBoahQw.jpg)
Both tips had slight bends. This one was the worst.
(http://i.imgur.com/z9Ecz1w.jpg)
I got most of it out. I'm thinking of steaming the tips into some tight recurves. If I do I'll have to watch the alignment. My heat corrections will relax in the steam.
(http://i.imgur.com/BObxXHG.jpg)
I won't be able to work on it until Tuesday. I'll leave it clamped down until then.
(http://i.imgur.com/74fDLLR.jpg)
I got a few small heat cracks in the belly. I'll fill them with super glue and forget about them. They will probably be removed as I tiller it.
(http://i.imgur.com/0agtWUU.jpg)
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I'm watching this one Clint I like your caul that looks like a sweet peace of hedge !
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This is going to be a big help for a few of our members to just be able to see what has been expressed and is now in pic form in a proper order.
Good deal, Clint. Thanks for posting this. :OK :BB
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Nice pics and work step by step Clint on a very nice natural piece of osage.Sweet ratio on the rings too.Good idea too preparing those pieces before hand so they are ready anytime you want to work on them.Like the form your using too getting it all done in one session.Pics will be good for the lucky person who gets it to refer back to later.
Those kind of limbs I have a similar form with a 90 degree side plate on it to straighten them dead nuts as I go along heating.Most times with recurves some tiny corrections are done anyway though.
Working on a dense 20 year old piece right now myself I should of took pics of along the way.
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I'm interested to see how much the straightening is effected when you steam in the curves. Once I get a piece of osage aligned and balanced I'm always afraid to steam in curves.
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Looking nice Clint. Can't wait to see it next month
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Thanks for the comments guys!
Ed, a while back I noticed that when I finished a bow up that I had stored in the house it seemed to hold its reflex better and shoot a little faster. Keeping the bow blanks at a constant 50% humidity made more sense than keeping them in my garage that fluctuates with the weather. Last fall I roughed out 20 bows and stashed them in the house. It's nice to be able to grab a bow blank and start working.
I had a side board on my old form but I took it off to allow for holey or snakey bows to fit. When I need to do a hard side correction I clamp a scrap of 2x4 on the side so I can clamp it the direction that it needs to go.
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Makes sense about the form adaptation when needed.It does make it easier.
I've found that out too about bow blanks inside the house a while before tillering.Been pleased with the results.
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Looking good Clint! I like to see how others do things. I really like the shape of the form. I need to get a copy of your old one some day. Next bow I work on I will try to leave my tips wide till I get them bent. They seam to stay in line better from what I can tell.
Patrick
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Coming along nicely Clint. Is that the caul you had st Marshall? I was noticing the one you where using there.
Bjrogg
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Thanks for posting the pictures as you go.
You have a clean workshop.
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Nice buildalong Clint, the bow is coming along good. If I were you I wouldn't steam after the work with the caul and heat treatment. In My eyes steaming is a good idea before, and the reflex you heated in is a good amount. I would leave it.
I'm watching what you do brother!
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lookin good OO... the build along is a great idea, i for one need some extra coachin
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That’s a nice piece of osage! Looking great already! Will be watching this threat with great interest! I am a great fan of recurves so I would love to see you do that ;D
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Looking good Clint! I like to see how others do things. I really like the shape of the form. I need to get a copy of your old one some day. Next bow I work on I will try to leave my tips wide till I get them bent. They seam to stay in line better from what I can tell.
Patrick
Remind me and I'll bring you a copy of my old caul. I got the dimensions from one at Pappy's.
Coming along nicely Clint. Is that the caul you had st Marshall? I was noticing the one you where using there.
Bjrogg
It's not the same one BJ. This one has a little more reflex over a shorter distance. I'm curios to see how it performs.
Thanks for posting the pictures as you go.
You have a clean workshop.
In warm weather I work in my garage. It's not that clean. I just have a thing about messy floors. I stop and sweep up every few minutes.
Nice buildalong Clint, the bow is coming along good. If I were you I wouldn't steam after the work with the caul and heat treatment. In My eyes steaming is a good idea before, and the reflex you heated in is a good amount. I would leave it.
I'm watching what you do brother!
Thanks for the suggestion Simon. I will look it over and put some thought into steaming the tips. I recently got a new steam set up and I am excited to give it a second test run.
Thanks for the comments guys. I'm getting off work a little early tonight. I might take the clamps off and see what it looks like. I need to fill the cracks with super glue anyway.
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Looking good Clint.....I've dry heat corrected, then steamed recurves in and did a final dry heat correction with good results before.
And yes sometimes steaming can relax your first dry heat session, its happened to me before. I just use my recurve caul and dry heat correct it.
Looking forward to seeing more.
DBar
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Looks great Clint. It's fun watching the pros at work. :OK
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After seeing the profile off the form I think I might just leave the tips alone. I can try to get another bow ready for steaming while I'm working on this one.
Fresh off the form it has exactly 4" of reflex. When I took all the clamps off it relaxed about an inch on each tip. The heat cracks have been hit with superglue.
(http://i.imgur.com/fXACcFN.jpg)
The alignment is pretty close. I'll wait until I get it braced to fine tune it if necessary.
(http://i.imgur.com/Emfdjhv.jpg)
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Looks great Clint. It's fun watching the pros at work. :OK
Thanks Aaaron, but I'm far from a pro.
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That's a good progression of photos, Clint. I've got a hollow limb design going...my first. You done one yet?
I'll be watching.
Hope you are well. We've had a great summer. School begins this week so back to the routine!
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Thanks Steve. I haven't done a hollow limb bow yet.
Summer has been good but busy here. Have fun at School. Ours started this past week.
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Looks great Clint. It's fun watching the pros at work. :OK
Thanks Aaaron, but I'm far from a pro.
Ya, sure ............Looking real good buddy....
DBar
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Looking good clint, this will help a lot of guys with questions
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I beveled the tips and cut some overlays out of sheep horn that I got from Chuck Loeffler. In my opinion this is the best overlay material.
(http://i.imgur.com/p7pgRps.jpg)
I make sure both surfaces are completely flat. I use a belt sander. I clean both surfaces with acetone before gluing. I use Loctite professional liquid superglue. I press the overlay on and then wrap it with rubber bands. I figure that puts a good even pressure on it.
(http://i.imgur.com/qvRIWL7.jpg)
I roughed the tips out and put some string grooves in them.
(http://i.imgur.com/awYRTKD.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/V1ZBdIC.jpg)
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Looks good, Mr Clint.
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Those tips are looking very nice. I like the smooth rounded look of them.
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Thanks. I usually wait until after I'm done tillering a bow to reduce the tips down to size.
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Looking good Clint! Whts the deal with all the holes drilled in your sheep horn?
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Very nice Clint
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Looking good clint
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Thanks guys.
Gutshot, I got the horn from Chuck Loeffler. He drills holes and then saws off the outside curl for his horn bows.
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Thanks for taking the time to document these procedures. I never thought of using rubber bands on tip overlays. This is really helpful for novice builders like myself. Great job!
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I've gotta agree that sheep horn seems a little harder then other horn.Transluscent too if you use a red dot laser pointer at it,it seems to shine into it illuminating it.Nice work.
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Looking good Clint! Keep up the good work buddy!
Patrick
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Yeah, good stuff. I will be keeping an eye on this build. Thanks!
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Looking good Clint. I love the nearly transparent overlays and the unbraced profile is special!
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I used to try to clamp the overlays on but I had problems with them slipping out of place when I applied pressure. I take a sharp knife and slice all the rubber bands off when its cured.
I like the toughness and the colors of the sheep horn. It can be anywhere from white to black and swirls of both. Sometimes I leave the rough outer layer on the overlay. That looks pretty cool.
I'm working on the tiller now. I'm still on the long string. Everything is looking good so far.
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I'm looking forward to seeing this one in person! I know it will be amazing.
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Are you going to be at the September shoot Paoliguy?
Still taking it slow on the long string. The right limb is a tad stiffer than the left.
(http://i.imgur.com/WcRNAok.jpg)
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Looks like you're already at your full draw length ;D ;)
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fantastic build, classy pics, thanks for that Clint
Hans
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Great work, Clint. Hope none of those drawknives fall on your bow.
Kyle
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Looking good Clint. I like seeing the progress.
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I did a lot of rasping and scraping today. When I first grabbed this bow blank I assumed it was 66" long. I didn't even bother to measure it. Turns out its a little shorter. It's only 63" ntn. I decided to stop at a 27" draw length. I lost half of my 4" of reflex. The right limb has some slight twists and turns which make it look a little funny.
(http://i.imgur.com/muiQQnN.jpg)
This was at 26". I took some scrapes off the fades and some other spots then eased it on back to 50 lbs at 27". I'll start shaping the handle and finish the tips this weekend.
(http://i.imgur.com/prNB3bT.jpg)
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Pretty sweet Clint & fast work to finish it too.Eliptcal baby!!!That's a normal loss of reflex.
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Looking good Clint, that should make someone happy. Look forward to seeing it all prettied up. ;)
Pappy
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Well done Clint. You guys make some really goodies for that trade!
I'll keep watching the process.
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Thanks guys. I had some time in the shop today so I started on the handle. I designed it off of my old Bear Grizzly bow but made a couple changes. I roughed it out on the band saw. The rest was done with rasps and files.
(http://i.imgur.com/ImXJEN7.jpg)
The shelf and arrow pass have a slight radius.
(http://i.imgur.com/MPtNrcP.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Bkdhic8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/5uRFW5o.jpg)
I removed some excess material from the back side where your hand doesn't contact.
(http://i.imgur.com/DZizcjt.jpg)
I thinned the tips and finished shaping them. I measured the reflex today and it was back to 2.5". I started out with 4". I shot a few arrows out of it. It shoots nice and smooth. I can't get it back to 27" though. I'll shoot it some more tomorrow and if everything goes well I'll put some skins on it.
(http://i.imgur.com/gjKdiy4.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/329GG7u.jpg)
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Looking real good Clint! that handle design will work real good with the trad guys that are use to shooting a high wrist grip.... Well done my friend..........
DBar
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Looks really good
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That was the reasoning behind that shape Bill. Thanks.
Thanks Marc.
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Nice clint
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Very nice. I love the shape of the handle. :OK
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That will do great on the trade blanket
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Looks comfortable Clint.Only one place to put pressure there.Nice work.Handles are important and more of a project for me lately.
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I've been making my handles shaped similar to this for a while. I like the way they feel in my hand and how they feel shooting. I take it out of the vise every few minutes and check the fit. I keep removing wood in areas that don't feel right. This one came out like it was molded to my hand.
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Great work Clint. Nice collection of rasps too
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Thanks. They all have a different shape and sharpness. I used them all shaping this grip.
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Looks great Osage, should be a interesting trade blanket.
Bjrogg
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Looks great bud, didnt take long to tiller it. love that handle
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Thanks guys. I'm prepping for the skins. I did some smoothing and sanding on the bow. I like to tape the bow off to keep excess glue from getting on it. I hate sanding.
(http://i.imgur.com/1UHFW3O.jpg)
I put the tape just about 1/16" down from the back.
(http://i.imgur.com/kuHdJgV.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gfh9BLt.jpg)
I put a thin sizing coat of TB2 down to help seal the bow so the moisture from the skin doesn't soak in very much. I'll put the skins on after lunch.
(http://i.imgur.com/9t8kPmM.jpg)
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I'm using a nice set of WDB skins from Cipriano.
(http://i.imgur.com/VQsuG4m.jpg)
I soaked them in water for about 5 minutes to soften up. Then I hung them up to let the water drip off. I mix a few drops of water in with the TB glue and spread it all over the back of one limb. I lay the skin down, center the pattern, and then work all of the air bubbles out from under neath it. The sides started to wrinkle up so I wrapped it loosely with some string. Every 5 minutes or so I roll the string just a little so it doesn't leave impressions in the skin. I put it in front of a fan to help dry it.
(http://i.imgur.com/DfhSq5f.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/927iRAw.jpg)
After about 20 minutes its dry enough to take the string off.
(http://i.imgur.com/FyzQEhq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/2uX1D85.jpg)
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Those skins looks good. The handle looks awesome.
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Very cool to see how you do the skins. 8)
(-P
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Good looking bow Clint.
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Gotta love those coon tails!!!
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Thanks guys. You have to be careful wrapping the string around it like that. If it's to tight it will leave indentions on the back. I wanted to clean up the edges this evening but decided it needed more time to dry. I'll get back on it Thursday.
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Looking good
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Sweet !
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Thanks.
I cleaned up the skins today. I use a very fine file to cut through the skin.
(http://i.imgur.com/pKRIf0N.jpg)
Here is where the tape pays off. When I remove it there is just a thin strip of glue to clean up.
(http://i.imgur.com/p9qhwbU.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/NgpDTLp.jpg)
I use a razor blade as a tiny scraper to clean it up. It took just a few minutes to get it all cleaned up. The bow is ready for sanding now.
(http://i.imgur.com/79n7Oi8.jpg)
The skins aren't an exact color match but they look good enough for me.
(http://i.imgur.com/cLiXB6z.jpg)
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Great looking bow. This build-along is helping me with some inspiration. Thanks for sharing!
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Nice job!!!
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Useful follow along, Mr Clint. Thanks for taking the time!
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Very good build along Clint! The mods should make this a sticky. It would be great refrence for all of the new people wanting to build a bow.
Are you going to show the finishing and scale removal as well?
Patrick
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Thanks guys.
Patrick, I already removed the scales. I just use my fingers to push the scales off. They came off very easily on this skin.
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Ok cool, just wondering. I talked to a kid at OJAM a couple of years ago that hadn't taken the scales off before he tried to put the finish on. It was a little challenging to help him get them off.
Patrick
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Patrick, you can use duct tape like a lint remover to eliminate lots of the scales then, like Clint, use fingers or finger nails to scrape the rest off.
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Your trade blanket bow is gonna be a nice one!
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I got to use some tape next time I put skins on
Thanks Clint.
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Patrick, you can use duct tape like a lint remover to eliminate lots of the scales then, like Clint, use fingers or finger nails to scrape the rest off.
Yeah Pat, Ive done that several times. JohnW showed me a trick at mojam a couple of years ago, he uses steel wool. It act works pretty slick.
I was just wondering if Clint was going to show the process.
Patrick
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I've used tape before. I've also used an air compressor to blow them off. Now I just use a slightly sweaty thumb. Simple but effective.
While I'm waiting on the bow to lose the moisture from the skins I started on another bow blank I had in the corner. This one is shorter with recurved tips. I've got a new bow in mind for myself.
(http://i.imgur.com/ulTy075.jpg)
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You're on a roll man! Keep it going :OK
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Sweet profile Clintster
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Gotta agree with Aaron, that profile looks pretty wicked.
Bjrogg
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The bow has been sanded to 600 grit. That's probably a little overkill but I had the sandpaper and the time. I make sure the fade transitions are smooth. It bugs me when they have the chatter marks on the rings from a scraper. I'll give it a few more days to dry before I seal it.
(http://i.imgur.com/mSxcmeY.jpg)
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Looking good Clint. Can't wait to see it in person and see it shoot.
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Looks good Clint, sometimes it's kinda nice to feel a new bow between your fingers while your doing that finishing sanding and admire its unbraced curves.
Bjrogg
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You are spending too much time on the tractor BJ ;D
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You are spending too much time on the tractor BJ ;D
You could have a point there Clint, but I just love the feel of a bow I just finished sanding.
Bjrogg
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You are spending too much time on the tractor BJ ;D
You could have a point there Clint, but I just love the feel of a bow I just finished sanding.
Bjrogg
Nothing should come between a man and his bow. ...unless it's his arm guard! - OneBow
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You are spending too much time on the tractor BJ ;D
You could have a point there Clint, but I just love the feel of a bow I just finished sanding.
Bjrogg
Nothing should come between a man and his bow. ...unless it's his arm guard! - OneBow
I know Onebow, I can't fit em in the tractor cab. I tried, might have to make a little 48" bendy, sinew backed.
Bjrogg
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I put the finish on the bow today. This is my new favorite sealer. I was putting a coat on the bow every 5 minutes.
(http://i.imgur.com/k7Yyy3o.jpg)
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Clint, I haven't checked this thread since before the sanding to 600 grit. I don't think it's overkill, that is the smoothest and sweetest looking fade transition area I've ever seen. I think that particular area of the bow has so much aesthetic potential and you filled it bud. Awesome.
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That fade transition looks sweet Clint! Clean as a whistle.
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looking good Clint
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How does that finish compare to truOil or a poly finish? Do you still put in 10 +/- coatings then run out? I like the idea of a spray in finish since my finishing and rubbing out abilities with non spray on is a bit crude and I spend a lot of time re-coating.
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How does that finish compare to truOil or a poly finish? Do you still put in 10 +/- coatings then run out? I like the idea of a spray in finish since my finishing and rubbing out abilities with non spray on is a bit crude and I spend a lot of time re-coating.
It comes in satin and gloss. I like the looks of the satin better. I put 2 thin coats down first and then 3 thicker coats. This stuff dries to the touch in about 2 minutes. It's $7 for a can and that will do 2-3 bows. I like the idea of getting a bow completely sealed and dry in 30 minutes. Here is the fade with 5 coats of sealer.
(http://i.imgur.com/i83k457.jpg)
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Are you going to be at the September shoot Paoliguy?
Still taking it slow on the long string. The right limb is a tad stiffer than the left.
(http://i.imgur.com/WcRNAok.jpg)
I'm going to be there. If nothing else just to see this bow!
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Beautiful finish work
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Thanks OO, I'm going to give that a shot. Putting coatings on any project is the slowest most tedious process to me.
I'm really enjoying your follow/build along. Thanks for posting
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Thanks OO, I'm going to give that a shot. Putting coatings on any project is the slowest most tedious process to me.
I'm really enjoying your follow/build along. Thanks for posting
It was for me also. I'd put one coat of tru oil or tung oil on a bow a day and then try to find a good spot to put it where the wife, pets, or kids wouldn't knock it down.
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I'd like to try that stuff as well. You can't beat 30 minutes. I heard this saying about tung oil...
Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year for life.
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I gotta say good pics OO seeing why that hedge nice even ring fade out is so appealing to me.Nice find of that finish too.I use a lacquer finish myself that dries very quickly.Shootable within an hour for sure.
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I can't take the credit for finding that finish. The FG bow guys on trad gang have been using it for a while.
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I can't take the credit for finding that finish. The FG bow guys on trad gang have been using it for a while.
Same here.My FG bow making friends here turned me onto lacquer.Does it say what the ingredients in it are in the can?
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I don't think so. It has some powerful fumes but they go away after it dries.
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Are the fumes kinda sweet smelling?I know lacquer to me does.I do my spraying in a large shed well ventilated.
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Nope. They have a chemical smell. I spray it outside with the wind blowing the fumes away.
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Well regardless of the smell the bottom line is how it wears over time.How easy it is to fix a scratch or two.Whether it yellows over time too.That's a poly then for sure though.I'm sure it seals things up good.
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VHT wheel finish at autozone is good too.
I have tried alot of spraying and got orange peel, over and over .
VHT went on and I could not believe how it looks, you can't tell anything is on the bow.
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Max, I think the VHT and the dupli-color are the same thing just with a different label. They are both made in the same city and have pretty much identical labels besides the logo. I've mixed the two on one bow and couldn't tell a difference.
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good to know