Author Topic: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)  (Read 21967 times)

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Offline Knoll

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #90 on: October 24, 2014, 09:52:50 pm »
Looks good!  Hope ya build some more!!  Given the thought ya put into that bow, the arrows will likely be cool too.
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline bubbles

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #91 on: October 24, 2014, 10:07:32 pm »
Looks great man, good job.

Offline J05H

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #92 on: October 24, 2014, 11:15:29 pm »
Good job man, I like it. That there's excellent tillering period let alone for a first bow. Any chance we could see a pic of the back?
If you never have time to do it right, you'll always have time to do it over.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #93 on: October 24, 2014, 11:58:52 pm »
Yeah I just don't know what the best way to get a good angle on it.
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline IdahoMatt

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #94 on: October 25, 2014, 10:50:42 am »
Great job man!  How's the unbraced profile looking?   

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #95 on: October 25, 2014, 08:40:12 pm »
I'll upload some pics in a few. I have a few things to add.
Today I went and bought a few different spines of.carbon arrows so I could get a feel for some actual shooting. I also had to make a string to fit the nocks.
I found that the 340 spine arrows shot the straightest and that is with a 150 grain tip and 31" length. I'm hoping to use that to find an approximate spine for making my own.

Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #96 on: October 25, 2014, 09:11:25 pm »
Unbraced


My string I made. It's made of sisal and polyester kite string. I wanted a primitive look from the sisal yet I wanted something string and nice looking. I didn't research this at all...I just went with it. I bought dome heavy 76lb sisal and in ravaled it into 3 sections and then took the nicest of the 3 and split it. Then I took the 5 lb kite string and took 6 strands and counter twisted the sisal and 6 strands of kite string and then took the other half of sisal and did the same. Then took my two sisal/polyester rope and counter twisted them. So my theoretical strength should be 85lbs. That's the 76lb sisal ÷ 3 = 25. 5lb kite string × 12 =60lbs. 69+25=85
[/URL=http://s32.photobucket.com/user/PORTnPOLISH97/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141025_183539011.jpg.html][/URL]

So I read that playing with brace height can make a bow feel smoother. I used my tillering string to mess with this before I made my new string and I felt like 8" made the bow feel quick if that makes sense. At 7" it felt like it was too slow when it neared the brace height. So I made my string and braced it up but then thought that I didn't recall  seeing any bowsnwith a high brace and it may not be any good for the bow. Does this seem okay or could it damage the bow?
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #97 on: October 25, 2014, 09:12:30 pm »
Apparently my copy and pasting got.out of hand...sorry 😀
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline Scottski

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #98 on: October 25, 2014, 09:33:53 pm »
Good looking first bow congratulations.
Did the Native Americans think about all this that much or just do it?

Offline J05H

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #99 on: October 25, 2014, 10:54:53 pm »
Your sisal/polyester string looks good, but in my opinion it probably isn't strong enough. The rule of thumb I go by is draw weight times 4. So for a 44# bow I'd want a string with a break strength of at least 176#. The reasoning behind this is that when the string slams home after shooting an arrow, its under considerably more stress than when at brace or drawn. It will probably work for a while but if a string breaks during a shot, it's likely the bow could break too and I don't like to take that chance.

I have some linen string with a advertised break strength of 75#. If you'd like, I could send you enough to make a 4 ply bow string. That's what I use on most of my bows and I feel like its more than strong enough. It won't look as primitive as sisal but it's more primitive than dacron or polyester. I believe linen is what experts think the bow strings of old english warbows were made of but don't quote me on that. If you want some just pm me your address. Or you could get a roll of your own at pyrosupplies.com, although their site down right at this moment.

As far as the brace height issue, I generally brace a bow at the lowest brace height at which it shoots well and clears the fletching. The lower the brace height, the longer the powerstroke and the more energy applied to the arrow. At least theoretically. Also, a high brace height puts a bit more stress on the limbs at brace.
If you never have time to do it right, you'll always have time to do it over.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #100 on: October 25, 2014, 11:15:26 pm »
I see. I thought doubling it would work but I guess I was wrong. I might just take you uo on that offer.
 Maybe I just want used to the low brace height. I'll have to shoot it more and see.
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #101 on: October 25, 2014, 11:51:13 pm »
Okay so not that I did agreed with you but I did a little research and found that the working load is 1/5th of the breaking strength. So that would mean that my role has a breaking strength of 425 lbs? Hmm.
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline J05H

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #102 on: October 26, 2014, 12:10:39 am »
It's the breaking strength we're interested in. If its 5 times what you thought it was then you are probably okay, but I'd do a break test just to be certain. Another thing to consider is the diameter of the finished string. It needs to fit into your arrow knocks.
If you never have time to do it right, you'll always have time to do it over.

Offline lenador

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Re: My first bow build along. (red oak D bow)
« Reply #103 on: October 26, 2014, 01:27:36 am »
Yeah these nocks on the carbon arrows fit perfect. Slip on and don't fall off.  I based my measurement of the working load so my estimate is 425. I'll habe tobtestvthe strings for breaking and see what I get.
Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.