Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Halfbow on November 13, 2018, 04:06:30 am
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This bow was a bit of an adventure to make. Originally it was just going to be a maple backed padauk, but the padauk developed a big crack during tillering. So I thinned it down and added a belly lam of jatoba. The grain on the maple is pretty bad, so I was also going to play around with a silk cable backing and see if that would help it survive. But it ended up not needing the cable after all.
It has about .5" of string follow, down from 1" of reflex after gluing the jatoba.
Most of the limb is pyramid style, with narrower tips for the last 6".
66" ntn. 58lbs@28"
(https://i.imgur.com/x8h3IbE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wvQPK28.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YLf9Qgc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ih2ZXTK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/H7BVrVb.jpg)
The handle looks harsh, but it's actually one of the most comfortable handles I've used.
(https://i.imgur.com/fyLF8Ly.jpg)
You can see the bad grain.
(https://i.imgur.com/hMngYyY.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ZToI6iU.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9cWXe7l.jpg)
Katalox tip overlays.
(https://i.imgur.com/TfK2XOk.jpg)
The jatoba belly doesn't go all the way to the ends.
(https://i.imgur.com/KBytXl1.jpg)
The belly lams faded in to the handle, but after awhile I noticed the glue lines were starting to fail there, and the belly lams were trying to ride up the fades. I cut the ends off of them and inserted a block of katalox to give them something to run in to. That seems to have worked like a charm.
(https://i.imgur.com/0Z2k0DH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DzWfqmR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/haqZOzo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xlQqJOM.jpg)
Thanks for taking a look!
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your craftsmanship makes me turn pale and humble :OK :OK :OK
great bow
is the.maple bscking just sawn from a board?
cheers
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Very nice bend. Nice bow good work
Bjrogg
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Nice bend and looks pretty with all the contrasting colours! I would advise you to round the edges of the maple back a little more, especially because of the grain runoff. That reduces the chance of lifting a splinter there
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Nice! that sure is a pretty bow. Your fit an finish skills are top notch.
I've tried maple like that on a couple bows and they both ended up failing, but hopefully you have better luck.
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Nice bend and very clean finish work. Congrats!
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Very well made clean lines to your glue up with the contrasting colors also on a laminated bow.Nice tiller on the bend too.Hope the backing holds up for ya.You got enough length.Sharp edges for me just get dinged up though.
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Nice glue lines on that,like the colors.
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Beautiful job, you do awesome work. And aside from all the prettiness it has a very nice bend. Well done.
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Thank you for the kind words everyone!
is the.maple bscking just sawn from a board?
Yep, it's a board bow. Flatsawn maple.
Nice bend and looks pretty with all the contrasting colours! I would advise you to round the edges of the maple back a little more, especially because of the grain runoff. That reduces the chance of lifting a splinter there
Yeah that padauk is a beautiful wood. Especially in person, it has a beautiful holographic luster. But it's not a color combo I'm keen to recreate. The oily bright red sawdust from the padauk would get everywhere and quickly dye the maple pink. During finishing it was a real struggle to keep the maple clean and white. And as soon as I'd get one part white, everywhere else my hands had touched would be pink. Had to just wash my hands a lot and try to sand the maple separately without touching the padauk. During the process I kept telling myself, never again. XD
Thanks, I will certainly take your advice and round the corners more next time.
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Interesting bow and a fine tiller. I like the contrast of all the woods. Sweet!
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I really like the Pyramidish / Holmie hybrid. Hopefully it shoots as good as it looks. If so you got a hit on that one.
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Lotsa well executed craftsmanship in that one. Congrats!
I just completed maple self bow with that front profile and agree with your positive comment. Definitely gonna do more with that profile.
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You did a really nice job on that bow. I have found jatoba to be one of the fastest woods ( low hysteresis) that I have ever worked with but I have had so many problems with it developing chrysals that I quite working with it. Hard to beat when everything works out.
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Congrats to that great looking bow. The handle looks really great, if it's fine some sharp edges really show the design. But at the back, I'm with leonwood, they are to sharp for my taste. Have you ever tried one without arrow shelf? Lately I make them all without, it's no need for me at all!
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I really like the Pyramidish / Holmie hybrid. Hopefully it shoots as good as it looks. If so you got a hit on that one.
It's not the fastest bow I've ever made, but it's nice. Minimal handshock, consistent, and a competent speed.
I have found jatoba to be one of the fastest woods ( low hysteresis) that I have ever worked with but I have had so many problems with it developing chrysals that I quite working with it. Hard to beat when everything works out.
Yeah I also think jatoba is an unusually fast wood. If you can get it to cooperate with you, it seems to have a very good stiffness to weight ratio. Of course the design of this one isn't ideal to show that. This bow started as a bit of an experiment in a super thick backing strip, and perhaps all that maple is part of the reason I had no problems with crysals. Maybe having the weaker wood take all the tension let the back stretch out more, rather than the back compressing the belly?
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Beautiful work! The colors are very striking. I have a padauk board that I wanna take a shot at someday (got it after Bubby posted a bamboo backed padauk longbow a few years ago). Good save with using the jatoba belly.
As to jatoba having a tendency to chrysal, would it be worth it to try a sinew backing?
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Thanks everyone. :)
Have you ever tried one without arrow shelf? Lately I make them all without, it's no need for me at all!
I have and I actually really like it. Makes me feel more connected to the shot when the arrow is on my hand. When it came to shelf decision time on this bow, I decided to go with a shelf because it was the less permanent decision. I could always grind it off later if I decided I didn't want it. Maybe next time I should just realize I will never actually get around to grinding it off later. :p
Beautiful work! The colors are very striking. I have a padauk board that I wanna take a shot at someday (got it after Bubby posted a bamboo backed padauk longbow a few years ago). Good save with using the jatoba belly.
As to jatoba having a tendency to chrysal, would it be worth it to try a sinew backing?
I haven't had good luck with padauk at all. It did worse than crysal, it cracked all the way through on the belly for no reason that I could see. But it is a really beautiful wood. I wish you better luck than me! I have no idea if jatoba would do well on a sinewed bow. My worry is... if the bow was short enough to make the sinew worth it, then the jatoba wouldn't be happy about bending that far. But if you got it to work, I bet it would be fast!