Author Topic: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)  (Read 9369 times)

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Offline adb

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #30 on: June 07, 2011, 02:40:43 am »
Nice job, amigo!

Offline Almostpighunter

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #31 on: June 07, 2011, 03:17:34 am »
Really nice job on that bow. I'm gonna have to borrow that stingray design idea. Both the leather itself and the arrow rest construction is just plain awesome!!

Offline Pappy

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #32 on: June 07, 2011, 12:21:58 pm »
Very nice job on that one,looks great in all aspects. :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
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Offline bigcountry

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #33 on: June 07, 2011, 06:20:46 pm »
Is that stringray tanned or raw?  I catch em on occassion and never thought to make handles.

It really makes the bow.
Westminster, MD

Offline dbb

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #34 on: June 07, 2011, 07:10:33 pm »
Beautiful workmanship,clean crisp and stylish!

/Mikael
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline Cameroo

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #35 on: June 07, 2011, 09:36:01 pm »
Thanks guys :) I appreciate it. 

Bigcountry - I bought it tanned, with that diamond pattern already on it.  I bought this one from Tandy - they go on sale for about $15, 3 or 4 times a year.  I've also seen them on ebay with all kinds of patterns printed on them from tiger stripes to zebra.

Offline John K

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #36 on: June 07, 2011, 09:51:07 pm »
Turned out great man, good job !
The only way to fail is to never start !

Offline Cameroo

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Now Finished... I think)
« Reply #37 on: June 07, 2011, 10:24:23 pm »
Well, it looks like I had everyone (including myself) tricked into thinking this was a good bow ;)  After I did the finish sanding, I noticed that it was bending more right at the handle than it was before.  I then realized it was likely from sanding too much where the built up rawhide grip met the back of the bow.  It really is amazing how little wood it takes to totally change the tiller of a bow.

Anyway, I was out shooting in the back yard a bit and heard that sound that no bowyer wants to hear.  Upon closer investigation, I noticed it cracked right at that spot by the handle.  This is my first "failure" out of 5 bows, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later :) Lesson learned though.

I'm so glad though that it happened now, and not after I shipped it.  Back to the drawing board...

« Last Edit: June 07, 2011, 11:09:45 pm by Cameroo »

Offline Young Bowyer

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #38 on: June 07, 2011, 10:40:03 pm »
I guess your SOL...  ::) Anyways I just broke one of my bows last week, it sucks
"A man can be destroyed, but not defeated."
The old man from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

Offline Josh B

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #39 on: June 07, 2011, 11:10:11 pm »
That's not firewood!!!  That's a prime candidate for a takedown sleeve.  The true measure of a craftsman is not how many mistakes are made, but how he covers them up!
Gun Doc

Offline Young Bowyer

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #40 on: June 07, 2011, 11:45:12 pm »
Yeah make a TD! Ive never made one itll be a learning process
"A man can be destroyed, but not defeated."
The old man from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

Offline Cameroo

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #41 on: June 07, 2011, 11:51:45 pm »
That's a good suggestion - or even a 3 piece takedown.  But I've never made one before either, and with the deadline fast approaching, I'm going to just start over and deal with this one later.  I guess there is hope for it though...

Offline adb

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #42 on: June 08, 2011, 01:48:47 am »
Bummer man! I guess that answers that question about bendy handle maple bows. Funny, I've never actually made one. All the maple bows I've made have been stiff handled, with elliptical tiller. But you're right... better now, than after it shipped. It's always a good idea to shoot in a bow, before you can truly call it done! But, like I always say... if you ain't breakin' nuthin', you ain't makin' nuthin'! Get back on that horse buddy...
I was just actually thinking the other day, that you're about due to break one. Don't want you gettin' all puffy-headed!! Don't be too bummed, it'll make you a better bowyer.  ;)

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #43 on: June 08, 2011, 01:54:10 am »
Cam, I think I'd pull the handle wrap, grind/cut off that leather, and glue on thin belly and thicker backing laminations extending over the handle and tapering to nothing a couple inches outside the break.   You could shape the backing lamination to get that handle shape back you had.  Then I'd wrap it with silk or linen thread for both decoration and strength.  You might have to retiller since it'll be stiff handled, but I'll bet you can save the bow if you move the handle stress out onto a power lam.  Just a thought.

I think the break is too far from the center to make a sleeve bow unless you're willing to shorten that limb a couple inches.  Sleeve takedowns aren't hard at all, but normally when a bow breaks you only get one limb of the two that you can save.  I don't throw any good limbs from bow failures away anymore, that's for sure.  You probably could do a 3 piece takedown with it, but if you go that way I agree that you'd be wiser to start a new bow and then take your time doing the takedown.

George
St Paul, TX

Offline Cameroo

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Re: Maple Board Trade Bow (Was Finished... Now it's pretty firewood!)
« Reply #44 on: June 08, 2011, 02:28:52 am »
Bummer man! I guess that answers that question about bendy handle maple bows. Funny, I've never actually made one. All the maple bows I've made have been stiff handled, with elliptical tiller. But you're right... better now, than after it shipped. It's always a good idea to shoot in a bow, before you can truly call it done! But, like I always say... if you ain't breakin' nuthin', you ain't makin' nuthin'! Get back on that horse buddy...
I was just actually thinking the other day, that you're about due to break one. Don't want you gettin' all puffy-headed!! Don't be too bummed, it'll make you a better bowyer.  ;)

Adam - I have no doubt that it CAN be done, I just went about it the wrong way, and then made a critical mistake with the sander. That 3rd bow I made for dad was kinda bendy a bit.  This breakage deflated my head a little, but I realize it's part of the game and I had it coming :)  I already floor tillered another one tonight, gonna try the same style again :)

George - those are good ideas as well.  But I think I'll just set it aside for now and ponder for a bit.