Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: NicAzana on May 28, 2020, 09:41:11 am
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Hello everybody
Six years ago I made an ELB, a childhood dream of mine, that I was really proud off, but which came in way underweight and twisted in the hand when drawn. Then I put bowbuilding aside, mainly because it was not practical in my small city apartment.
When I saw that they had cut some yew trees in the local cemetary though, I could't resist asking whether I could take a couple of logs home, and made a shady deal with a gardner involving the exchange of a large quantity of Danish pastry for his lunch.
When we moved out into the country last year, the "bug" returned more strongly than ever, and I took out those yew logs that I had almost forgot about, and now after a year, my latest bow (definately not the last) is finally done.
I couldn't have done this without the generous help of various members here (none mentioned, none forgotton, as we say in Denmark), which lead me to name this bow 'Assistens', meaning 'assistance' in latin (even though I can't help but feel that naming your bow is slightly pompous)
Incidentally, that is also the name of the famous graveyard in denmark where the yew wood came from (some famous Danish people are buried there, like writer Hans Christian Andersen, and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard).
I'm really proud of this one, even though it has its fair share of mistakes, scratches and flaws. More importantly, I really learned a lot from this one. I'm definitely doing a simpler design the next few times.
(https://i.imgur.com/aUENX1t.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SAdVnYy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7in6jSO.jpg)
Here are the stats:
The bow is 64" NTN, and is 53lbs at 28"
It is around 1 3/4" wide at the handle fades, tapering to 1 1/4" at the lever fades.
Brace height is 5 1/4" from the grip belly
The levers are reduced as much as i dared on the first go, being 3/4 wide at the fade, tapering to 3/8" at the tip. They taper from 3/4 to 1/3 " thickness.
I wanted too see what a complex handle was like to make and shoot. it ended up being a little small, but still quite comfortable. Next time I'm definitely going with a simpler handle style, with no cut-in shelf, and a simpler shape.
Nocks are ebony wood:
(https://i.imgur.com/FHtooN1.jpg) Top
(https://i.imgur.com/pUPbwpU.jpg) Bottom
Finished with 9 coats of true oil.
(https://i.imgur.com/wRfUHD8.jpg)
Handle wrap is leather from an old leather jacket and a handbag, which I harvested from deep within their natural thrift shop habitat.
(https://i.imgur.com/OHNclX2.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VWzC8nr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7ifGhJC.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FZ4UHOc.jpg)
The bowstave had some natural deflex in the middle third and in the levers, and some prob twist. I removed the deflex with dry heat when the stave was still around 1" thick, But it came back in the middle section (at least, that is what I think happened) just after it started bending, and I decided to just go with it.
Right now it has around 1" of string follow on the top limb, and around 2" on the bottom. I can't remember how much deflex it had originally, but I estimate that it took 1-1.5" set on the bottom limb, and maybe 0.5" on the top. It has maybe 0.5" more set on both limb just after unbracing. The limbs are equal length.
(https://i.imgur.com/GWYYLOO.jpg) Unbraced
(https://i.imgur.com/n4XzgP2.jpg) Braced
Right, sorry for the novel, here's the one everyone want's to see:
Full Draw:
(https://i.imgur.com/FZgbkAW.jpg) Left
(https://i.imgur.com/zejikqJ.jpg) Right
Feels great to shoot again!
It's my first time shooting this heavy a bow, but it feels pretty fast. Arrows make noise against the bow, but I have to get some better groupings before I can really narrow down the correct spine, I think.
Anyway, thanks for looking!
Nicolas
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Very nice work :D
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Can't believe it is your second...
Very nice work!
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Very nice! Appropriate name as well, imho! I also see the arrow rest on the right side -LEFT ON! Sort of a left handed joke >:D (lol)!
Hawkdancer
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Thank you guys!
Simson: I believe that beginners can do most stuff, it just takes way, WAY more time and patience when you are new. That is actually what I’m most proud of here - I usually bull ahead and make stupid mistakes because I don’t think things through. This one taught me that I CAN be thorough, if I force myself. btw, your website is a huge inspiration for me!
Hawkdancer: Haha, yeah, we lefties are often ‘left’ out, gotta make more lefty bows! Jokes aside, i think my next one will be more symmetrical..
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Well, great work, not only for a second bow! Appropriate design for a Danish guy, too.
On your next you may wanne try to save some weight on those levers.
...and maybe no shelf on such a primitive design (but maybe that's just me...)
Again: fantastic work!
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Great looking bow! Well done
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medicinewheel: That was in the thought process!
How would you have gone about reducing the levers? thickness or or width? both? how much? I stopped, when I thought one lever was maybe starting to bend very slightly, but maybe I was just paranoid ;) All that time and effort, and if they get too thin.. (--)
I'm definitely not putting a shelf on the next one. Maybe a glued on rest. Thanks for praise, means a lot!
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Great job. Let me rephrase that, Excellent job especially for your second bow. Really like your tip overlays. Sounds like you've been bitten by the bow building bug. Keep the fire burning. Looking forward to seeing more of your bows in the future.
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Nice work on this style of bow.You did good.As long as there is 0 hand shock with this style your good to go.I've made quite a few of this style and they all shoot sweet.
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Excellent work, and that looks like a premium piece of Yew.
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Beautiful work. I was looking at an old molly of mine and the outer limb taper was similar. You can get them bending just barely at full draw if wanted. Looks like you did a great job with it.
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Looks very nice,good job!
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...
How would you have gone about reducing the levers? thickness or or width? both? how much? I stopped, when I thought one lever was maybe starting to bend very slightly, but maybe I was just paranoid ;)...
If they already to bend it was correct to not reduce anymore. Sometimes these things are hard to tell from a picture.
Again: great work!
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you can be very proud of your unbelievable 2nd bow.
wow!
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Gottta love that!
Very nice finish on that bow.
HH~
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medicinewheel: That was in the thought process!
How would you have gone about reducing the levers? thickness or or width? both? how much? I stopped, when I thought one lever was maybe starting to bend very slightly, but maybe I was just paranoid ;) All that time and effort, and if they get too thin.. (--)
I'm definitely not putting a shelf on the next one. Maybe a glued on rest. Thanks for praise, means a lot!
If you tape bamboo skewer to the back of the bow right at the base of the lever so that the outer end is free you can see how much the levers bend.
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You can sorta see it in the pics, the top fade is very slightly recurved unbraced, but it is straight in the FD pic. At least, that’s what I’m seing. From reading you guys’ comments here, and seing Del’s resurfaced molly thread, I could maybe have made it narrower out of the lever fade, but it has some slight limb twist, and I was nervous that it might bend sideways. There’s no hand shock, and it feels very comfortable to shoot.
Maybe I’ll get around to measuring a force/draw curve.
My next one will probably be a AFB/pyramid hybrid elm, if it doesn’t break on me...