Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Horn Bows => Topic started by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 10:57:36 am

Title: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 10:57:36 am
well, it's nearly morning here in China and I have to go sleeping or I cannot prepare breakfast for my son before school.
This assyrian bow initially was made as an American flat bow for my boy but during steaming I found this mulberry stick absorbed too much water and bent. I didn't want to waste such beautiful yellow wood so I cut it into two parts as limb, and used Russian ash as grip and Chinese osage as siyahs.
Total length is grip10cm+limbs46cm*2+siyahs15cm*2=132cm. Not finished yet and the siyahs are going to be shortened after tiller.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 11:01:10 am
After gluing up, the shaping of siyahs and preparing back sinew
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 11:04:52 am
Then I flattened the elk horn piece of grip and added more sinew to make it more reflex.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 11:21:17 am
After 4th layer it looks pretty transparent. I use a musical instrument silk string for tiller. After all it doesn't appear as a triangle maybe because of the slight deflection of grip.
It's about 35lbs or so and decoration is to be draw later.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on November 28, 2018, 01:41:47 pm
Interesting bow leehomgyi.Very nice work.I like it.You did good in your spare time from your family.Mulberry is beautiful wood.How thick was your core intially before sinewing?These middle eastern style of bows are unique as an egyption angular type bow.A triangle is usually expected as you said at brace.Could be the handle is longer or longer fade stiffness overall?From the belly side of your bow though there is not much deflex overall in the handle.I'm not a follower of the step through method to be bracing bows.Would a peg board work well to brace?I imagine no grooving of horn & core was done.They look very pleasant to shoot.Show more pics too when she's all finished up.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: Stick Bender on November 28, 2018, 03:43:43 pm
Your bow looks very nice and thanks for all the detailed pics ,  I'm sure your son will love it when it's done, I'm glad you posted we don't get many posts from your side of the world ! I'm curious how long you let you sinew cure ?
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 07:34:55 pm
Interesting bow leehomgyi.Very nice work.I like it.You did good in your spare time from your family.Mulberry is beautiful wood.How thick was your core intially before sinewing?These middle eastern style of bows are unique as an egyption angular type bow.A triangle is usually expected as you said at brace.Could be the handle is longer or longer fade stiffness overall?From the belly side of your bow though there is not much deflex overall in the handle.I'm not a follower of the step through method to be bracing bows.Would a peg board work well to brace?I imagine no grooving of horn & core was done.They look very pleasant to shoot.Show more pics too when she's all finished up.
thank you for your advice.
Before sinewing the thickness of core+horn was from 9mm to 7mm of the bending area and gained 2mm of sinew. There is no groove of the bow because the rope walker gave huge pressure to the horn than the clamps. I don't have experience about peg board as Turkish bow but used bent wood sticks as forms to tiller the limbs. We call this sticks Nuozi in Chinese but they also have the Turkish name. I will post more pics after decoration.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on November 28, 2018, 07:37:19 pm
Your bow looks very nice and thanks for all the detailed pics ,  I'm sure your son will love it when it's done, I'm glad you posted we don't get many posts from your side of the world ! I'm curious how long you let you sinew cure ?
Not too long just 2 weeks after last layer. The next stringing will be done after 3months of cure. Thanks.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on November 28, 2018, 09:37:31 pm
Great looking bow, thanks for sharing the process!
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: ohma2 on December 01, 2018, 11:49:20 am
Yes thanks and please do post more pics,if you have friends who also build please tell them they are welcome here.
we all really apreciate bows from all over the world.lots to be learned from each other.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: NorthHeart on December 01, 2018, 06:04:23 pm
Thanks for sharing your work Lee. Lovely bow!

On that last pic, did you draw the bow that far back after only 2 weeks of the last layer of sinew being put on?  Then you plan to wait another 3 months before stringing it up and drawing it back again?  Id like to understand your method better. ;)
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on December 01, 2018, 10:55:15 pm
Thanks for sharing your work Lee. Lovely bow!

On that last pic, did you draw the bow that far back after only 2 weeks of the last layer of sinew being put on?  Then you plan to wait another 3 months before stringing it up and drawing it back again?  Id like to understand your method better. ;)

Actually it was me eager to success. I could still feel the bow was not dry enough. Thus a 3 months seasoning is essential for drying and stability.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on December 01, 2018, 10:56:26 pm
Yes thanks and please do post more pics,if you have friends who also build please tell them they are welcome here.
we all really apreciate bows from all over the world.lots to be learned from each other.

Thanks.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on December 08, 2018, 07:13:15 am
With a 2mm thickness of sinew curing time is reduced considerably compared to 5 to 6 mm thickness.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 07, 2019, 08:36:15 pm
more pics added. Now I applied some birch barks on it. The background is my gourds and banjo.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on January 07, 2019, 10:30:34 pm
Nice background accoutraments of the banjo and gourds there Lee.Did you make the banjo too and do you make bird houses out of those gourds?
Some close up pics of your bow would be nice.Looks good though.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 13, 2019, 04:55:52 am
Nice background accoutraments of the banjo and gourds there Lee.Did you make the banjo too and do you make bird houses out of those gourds?
Some close up pics of your bow would be nice.Looks good though.
Yes I make banjo or guitar banjo for friends but only a few people in China play it.
More pics of this bow.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 13, 2019, 07:05:56 am
My friend tested it with a traditional style release. The difference between upper and lower brace heights is only 5mm and the bending curve is perfect.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: Hawkdancer on January 13, 2019, 11:01:35 am
Very nice bow!  Your banjo is also a very nice job!  Welcome to PA.  We call those gourds "bird house gourds" drill a hole for whatever size bird you wish to attract, seal them, and put them in a tree!  I have to rebuild my trellis before I can plant more, though.  What string material are you using?  Thanks,
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 14, 2019, 08:56:49 am
Very nice bow!  Your banjo is also a very nice job!  Welcome to PA.  We call those gourds "bird house gourds" drill a hole for whatever size bird you wish to attract, seal them, and put them in a tree!  I have to rebuild my trellis before I can plant more, though.  What string material are you using?  Thanks,
Hawkdancer
It’s a cool use of gourds. For my bow I use FF string and for my banjo I use nylon string.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on January 14, 2019, 06:42:48 pm
Nice pictures of your bow being shot.I believe.I can see the positive tiller being shown at full draw as your top limb is bending more.I've read in Adam Karpowizs' book shooting with FF string can be hazordous to the tips on horn bows with siyahs.
Like the decoratve dragon fly shown on the banjo.Is that on some sort of rawhide?
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: Hawkdancer on January 14, 2019, 11:54:52 pm
Very nice dragonfly!  Very nice banjo, as I said!  I am a somewhat harp player, my wife, Jacie, is an excellent fiddler and tenor guitar player! 
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 15, 2019, 12:49:33 am
Very nice dragonfly!  Very nice banjo, as I said!  I am a somewhat harp player, my wife, Jacie, is an excellent fiddler and tenor guitar player! 
Hawkdancer
wow,a sparkle family!
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 15, 2019, 12:55:58 am
Nice pictures of your bow being shot.I believe.I can see the positive tiller being shown at full draw as your top limb is bending more.I've read in Adam Karpowizs' book shooting with FF string can be hazordous to the tips on horn bows with siyahs.
Like the decoratve dragon fly shown on the banjo.Is that on some sort of rawhide?

The FF string is stabler than nylon or dyneema. Yes it’s sheep hide.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on January 15, 2019, 06:03:19 am
I use FF all the time too on my self bows & sinewed bows too.Even on higher reflexed horn bows too but horn bows are 58 to 60 inches long though.The theory is that FF is a stiffer material[less stretch] to cause more trauma to the tips slamming home on shorter limbed bows with higher dry fire speed.
It does'nt happen right away on the bow I've heard but does after enough shots are taken.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: leehongyi on January 15, 2019, 07:00:20 am
I use FF all the time too on my self bows & sinewed bows too.Even on higher reflexed horn bows too but horn bows are 58 to 60 inches long though.The theory is that FF is a stiffer material[less stretch] to cause more trauma to the tips slamming home on shorter limbed bows with higher dry fire speed.
It does'nt happen right away on the bow I've heard but does after enough shots are taken.

maybe adding some leather in the nock socket will help.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: BowEd on January 15, 2019, 07:04:29 am
Yes.I've never had it happen myself here.I use overlay horn on tips.I'm quoting what Adam Karpowiz stated and I'm pretty sure he puts leather inserts in tip nocks.
I think it's more concerning on higher poundage bows over 90 pounds.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: bassman on July 18, 2019, 04:05:01 am
You guys are real bow builders.
Title: Re: working on Assyrian bow
Post by: StickMark on August 27, 2019, 10:45:09 pm
great bow.  I am impressed.