Author Topic: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas  (Read 84833 times)

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Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #120 on: May 02, 2019, 08:34:32 pm »
I also cut grooves in the nocks which really gave me confidence that the string would remain where it belongs.

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #121 on: May 06, 2019, 09:15:53 am »
Latest numbers. Drawing around 49# at 18.5” shoots 525gr at 143fps. 455gr goes 153fps. A couple days I’ve tested these numbers for consistency’s sake. Each time I braced the bow I had to make slight corrections to get positive tiller from the upper limb. I did this with either a bit of heat on the upper limb, or by simply pushing and holding the string up to the belly of the lower limb a few times at brace (to flex the upper limb more). It seems to be holding the shape better each day, requiring less correction upon stringing it. I’ll continue to keep shooting and monitoring it.

Offline JNystrom

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #122 on: May 07, 2019, 02:00:57 pm »
Good job! Actually you got pretty decent fps out of it, cause as i've understood these tiny bows lack a bit of that long power stroke. :D
"It seems to be holding the shape better each day" - exactly! I've noticed the same thing, when you keep a longer brake from bracing a hornbow, it might take a lot of time to correct it, sometimes with heat.

For the next one i would try to make it bend more from close the handle up to the tips.
By the way, did you sinew bind the bow fully, or just in the nocks and handle?

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #123 on: May 12, 2019, 07:39:54 pm »
JNY-i fully bound the bow, in order to hold the sinew backing down.  I believe i did a few too many heat corrections or simply got it too hot and it started to separate in some area along the limbs-i didn't trust it.  Now i do :OK

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #124 on: June 17, 2019, 09:22:39 pm »
I did some work on the large horn bow over the past few weeks. Currently 72# at 19.5”. 😲 Quite a different bow than the smaller one. More to come...
« Last Edit: June 17, 2019, 09:30:09 pm by NorthHeart »

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #125 on: June 17, 2019, 09:27:57 pm »
Just received some water buffalo horn and sinew for my attempt at a composite.  But ill hold off on that for now, as there is still work to be done on these sheephorn bows  :BB
« Last Edit: June 17, 2019, 09:33:29 pm by NorthHeart »

Offline bassman

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #126 on: July 18, 2019, 03:52:53 am »
Excellent bow build along. Nice bow.

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #127 on: August 11, 2019, 02:15:58 am »
Only after I’ve shot a bow hundreds of times, and added the art, will I consider it “finished”. Tiller adjustments on this one, which is my first sheephorn bow were required now and again, via pressure by hand on one limb, or with gentle heat. I decided to keep the art simple for incase alterations are necessary down the road. Oal braced 33.5” ntn. 51#@18.5”, 520gr arrow at 145-150fps. Done.

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #128 on: August 11, 2019, 02:17:01 am »
more pics...

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #129 on: August 11, 2019, 02:18:05 am »
last pic...

Offline gorazd

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #130 on: August 11, 2019, 09:34:28 am »

Very nice bow !  )P( Congratulations !
What is the the finish on the sinew (red and black) ? 
Is it just paint ?





last pic...

Offline Pat B

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #131 on: August 11, 2019, 09:42:33 am »
That is an extremely nice sheep horn bow. You did an excellent job on it.   :OK   8)
 I've never made a composite bow or a horn bow but I was wondering if it is necessary to wrap the entire bow in sinew. Seems to my uneducated eye that that extra weight would restrict the cast of the bow. Maybe that's just the way they have always been made.  ???
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #132 on: August 11, 2019, 12:56:28 pm »
Thanks gentlemen!

Gorazd- first i coated the bow with TB3, then i used artist grade acrylic for the paint.  I finished it off with spar urethane.

Pat B- it is not usually necessary.  However, i added heat after the sinew was already on, and i got away with it a few times but the sinew started to separate from the horn in some areas.  I bound the entire bow so i would never have to worry about that again. (SH)

Offline gifford

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #133 on: August 11, 2019, 04:44:39 pm »
That 'build along" was quite a journey in bow making. I knew the horn bows were complex to build. Kudos to you on your efforts and the photo documentation was outstanding. Thank you for taking the time to do it for all of us here on Primitive Archer.

Offline loefflerchuck

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Re: 240's sheep horn bow build with Tom Lucas
« Reply #134 on: August 12, 2019, 12:50:24 am »
Nailed it!