Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on November 24, 2017, 02:11:19 pm
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I've been working on this bow for a few months, there was awhile there when I didn't think I could finish it. I got new wind and kept on going. The bow is Maple backed HHB in a deflex reflex configuration that's 68" long with 1 7/8" wide limbs. It has a fairly high draw-weight, the reason why I didn't think I could finish it.
The guy who wants this bow asked me a couple years ago if I could make it, I initially said I could but that I didn't want to. Then a few months ago he contacted me again and said he was ready for it now, I guess he forgot that I had lightly declined to make it. I felt energetic so decided to tackle it, never again. It's still not quite finished, I still have to put the shelf and handle wrap on.
Here's a few pics
(https://i.imgur.com/xmuzU7J.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zh1upmr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Z3EG8Xr.jpg)
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That's a sweetheart Marc. I've always liked your handles. What is the DW?
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Those limbs look thick. I bet it's a heavy draw.
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Beautiful in every way!
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Yes the limbs are thick and wide. The draw weight is such that even though I can get it to full draw I can't keep it there long enough for the camera to capture the image. Draw weight is 135# @ 30". It has a 14 strand FF string and it sings at brace. This is what I got for a full draw image
(https://i.imgur.com/T71kBcy.jpg)
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Holy crap!! How long is it?
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Beautiful work.
DC, 68"
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Beautiful job on that one Mark, I started on one a few years back when we talked about I and I still haven't finished it. My back has just not been good enough. I am impressed that you can still draw that kind of weight. Any chance the buyer will bring it to the flight shoots. It might get some impressive results.
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Beautiful work.
DC, 68"
Stupid me, now i see it :-[ :-[ :-[
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Beautiful bend as always Marc. whats your combination of woods on your handle?
Bjrogg
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I heat-treated and glued in about 4" of reflex but it lost all of it.
The guy said he and his son wanted it for target shooting, maybe that includes flight. He initially asked for 150# but scaled it down to 135#. It would be interesting to see him draw it, I can't pull it back more than 14".
The handle is made up of HHB, Maple and Osage.
That is the last heavy bow I make.
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I think I know who he is. He and his son are flight shooters. They showed up last year at the flats. The both draw heavy bows. They are going to be a force to reckon with in the heavy weight bows.
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Wow Marc, just wow. I'll bet that bow would throw an arrow right through a moose or bear )P(
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Do you make your own maple backing strips Marc?
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Thanks all. This bow has been the most challenging build I have ever done. Trying to get the bow braced for the first time was a nightmare. Even with my old jig for bracing heavy bows I just couldn't get the limbs bent enough to get the string on. I had to slowly work them down till I could bend them enough.
I do cut my own strips Eric from trees I cut on my property
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For stringing heavy recurves I like to place the tips between two solid platforms of wood spaced adequately and press down on the handle. Then I can slip the loop in place or get a little help doing so if I need to keep all my weight centered.
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What a bow to make for someone Marc!!Nice work.A milestone for you.Reason for the backing to help with reflex and avoid failure???
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Trying to make this as a selfbow would have much harder.
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Well I've never stated this before or maybe not enough but I have great respect for these fellas making and shooting of course these bows of high draw weight.Amazing!Personally I'm stuck too much in being a practical type guy of these bows and just plain not strong enough to shoot such a bow either.I do realize the tremendous type strain and power in a bow such as this and war bows in general.Good to see the capabilities of it.Same rules apply though.Good tiller is the life of a bow and this one looks that way for sure.Congrats.
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Mark beautifull bow.what will this bow be used for ?hunting or flight? ive been in archery for 50 years now and ive only seen 2 men that could acurately handle a bow of those dementions
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If they are the two guys I am thinking of the father is about 65 years old and he can still handle the weight.
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I couldnt figure out what was so hard about making such a bow till I read the draw weight and length. Holy crap, that is one greatly made monster!
Respect!
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Wow that is an impressive looking bow Marc! Congrats! I find that HHB lends itself to heavy draw weight bows...most of mine end up around ~ 70 # draw weight but that is where I max out, so I would not even try to make one at over 100 #.
How did you inch your way up to the heavy draw weight at full draw when tillering the bow? Where you nervous drawing it back to full draw length?
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Philip, not sure how Mark does it but a lot of us start pulling it to full draw weight from the very beginning, so once you get to the full draw length it is not as scary.
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Amazing in every way Marc !
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Wow! Just wow! Amazing with that shape at that length. I can image the struggle it took to finish that one!
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Thanks guys
Guys name is Luciano and if he is 65 years old then he is in much better shape than I am.
I was nervous pulling it back to full draw, mostly because I was using my weight to pull it back and if it let go I would have gone for a tumble. I used a thick shooting glove to protect my fingers and used 2 hands on the string. When I braced the bow for the first time the string tension was so high it sounded like high C on a piano. I tried several times to capture a picture at full draw but my timing was always off with the camera and I just couldn't hold it for any length of time.
I don't tiller that way Steve.
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I don't think it is the same guy I was thinking of. We had 2 guys show up at the flats this year, father and son who were both pulling and shooting bows over 125#. The father was about 65. I hope your bow does show up out there. 500 yards wouldn't surprise me and even 400 yards in the broadhead wouldn't be out of the question.
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Steve, aren't you thinking of Monus?
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Steve, aren't you thinking of Monus?
No Monuz is much younger. I will find his name. I think he is from Texas. He and his son have a flight field right out their backdoor.
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His name is James E Martin, I bet he would love to shoot that bow.
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Luciano is in your neck of the woods Steve
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Luciano is in your neck of the woods Steve
I may have met him, maybe I can talk him into bringing the bow to the flight shoots, is he on any of the forums?
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Luciano is in your neck of the woods Steve
I may have met him, maybe I can talk him into bringing the bow to the flight shoots, is he on any of the forums?
Not that I know
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I don't tiller that way Steve.
Marc, is this the right thread for asking how you proceed when tillering?
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I don't check draw weight much till I reach around 20" of draw length, I focus more on getting the tiller shape about as good as I can get it. After 20" I have very little wood to remove, more like just sanding the limbs to make any adjustments to the tiller. Once I am past 20" I start to check more frequently and adjust the draw weight.
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Very well done Marc.
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I got around to wrapping this bow up. Leather wrap on the handle plus 6 arrows and a spare string. The arrows are 33" long and made of White Ash 7/16" in diameter, a 200 grain point and a total weight of around 1300 grains
(https://i.imgur.com/17IRnNW.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/p98zkRB.jpg)
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Nice follow up on your consignment project.Those gotta be some nasty hard hitting shafts there.
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Marc however you tiller a bow it sure works out good for you. You've always got the nicest bends around. Even when you have to draw them with two hands.
Bjrogg
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I bet that bow could set a broadhead record in flight that would hold for years to come.
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Wow! What a beast! Very nice, Marc, hurts my shoulders just looking at it.
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Dang! Just found this thread. What an elephant killer.
I admire your skills - it's pain to work on bows like this one. Do we have a chance to hear about the speed the new owner gets with this bow/arrow combo?
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Marc, It is great to see that you were able to make it happen with the heavy recurve build. It is quite the beauty and a impressive bow in all regards! Excellent work as usual! SS
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wow ,, very well done,, back in the day I might have tried one that heavy, ,but taking your word it was not fun,, (SH)
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Thanks guys
Well it looks like I'm not quite done with heavy bows yet, a friend here wants one just not quite as heavy.
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"I heat-treated and glued in about 4" of reflex but it lost all of it. "
The bow is not even 2" wide, for 135# draw weight. The least we can say is that it is an impressive feat, requiring utter craftmanship and perseverance.
Nevertheless, it also reminds me of what Badger wrote recently, about very heavy bows typically being underbuilt, and therefore not shooting as far as we'd expect from their draw weight in flight shooting.
Strain on the belly of such a bow is much more fierce than on a regular bow. Say that we'd make a 50# bow 3.5 cm wide (1 3/8"). Then for the belly to be strained no more than such a bow, it would need to be 2.7 times as wide to reach 135#, or 9.5 cm wide (3 3/4"), which is quite a ridiculous width.
So I'm very curious what the gentleman for whom this bow is intended will get out of it.
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An excellent bow and a beautiful set of arrows. Well done, Marc. Jawge
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Darn Marc, those arrows match that bow perfectly. You're my hero man. :)
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Nice bow! I'd blow a butt gasket trying to get that thing drawn!
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That is another beauty Marc, very nice job. Love to see him shooting it. He must be a beast. ;)
Pappy
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That bow is a marvel. you are a master.
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Thanks guys. Not something I will ever build again
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Well done Marc. I like it a lot. Arvin
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Great looking bow Marc, I bet it's crazy fast
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Thanks guys.
I got an e-mail from Luciano today. The bow got there in good shape. He says it took 3 people to brace it, I'm not surprised. This style bow is not like a English warbow, I can brace one of those without too much trouble with a simple jig but this thing is something else. The early draw-weight is crazy