Author Topic: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow  (Read 8282 times)

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Offline airkah

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59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« on: May 16, 2021, 10:59:19 pm »
Hey everyone,

I know its been awhile since I have posted a bow on here, but I wanted to share this one with you all. It's a 59in red elm Penobscot style bow with a 31in red elm mini bow attached that pulls around 40# at 26'' with the helper bow or around 25# without it. At its widest coming out of the fades the main bow is 1.5'' tapering down to 3/8'' at the tips. After shooting it in, the bow has taken roughly 3/4'' of set. Going into it I really didn't plan on doing this style but I didn't think the tiller was good enough around the 40# mark and knew I would never use it how it was. I was just as unlikely to use it if I dropped the weight way down to fix the tiller too. I decided instead to get the tiller as close to perfect as my skill allowed and then attach the mini bow to get the weight back up using hemp cord. All together there is about 175 feet of hemp cord wrapping on the bow. As far as the performance, I'm happy with the way that it shoots. I don't think that it is the fastest bow that I've ever made, but its a solid shooter. I had been meaning to make a new one of these because while I make no claims of superior performance, Penobscot bows are always the ones that friends who know nothing about archery want to shoot. The other Penobscot I have in my house is one of my early bows that I really can't stand, so at least now the bow they gravitate to will be one I am proud of.











I've made a couple of these in the past and always HATED how difficult they can be to setup consistently since the tiller changes so drastically based on the string tension between the two bows. I tried something different for this one and made Flemish twist strings and put purple heart overlays on the bow. So far I've been able to just keep the strings on the bow to keep the tiller from going to far out of whack and just make minor adjustments to keep the string tension even.







I know other people do them different, but I like to tiller out the main bow fully and just make sure that it is bending a little bit more than I would normally do it in the inner limbs because adding the 2nd bow will stiffen that area some. I took a picture of this one before I added the 2nd bow so I could show the difference with everyone.

Before:

After:


Fulldraw:



Thanks for taking a look at this one!

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2021, 11:05:59 pm »
Really nice. I have never shot one, much less try and build one. The tiller looks great!
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline RyanY

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2021, 11:26:36 pm »
Very cool. One of the best bends I’ve seen on a Penobscot.

bownarra

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2021, 02:32:13 am »
Aye but what does the chorno say???
These bows are plain funky!

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2021, 09:24:51 am »
Looks good.  I never found any performance advantages to the Penobscot bow
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline airkah

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2021, 12:09:57 pm »
Really nice. I have never shot one, much less try and build one. The tiller looks great!

Very cool. One of the best bends I’ve seen on a Penobscot.

Thanks so much! I think getting the tiller dialed in (and to stay that way) is the hardest part of these bows. I don't think its perfect, but I was worried posting it because I struggle with being objective on my own bows when I really like them. I'll look at a picture and think its amazing and then see it a few weeks later and see really obvious flaws that I totally missed at the time.

Looks good.  I never found any performance advantages to the Penobscot bow

Thanks, Marc. I'll agree, they seem to be no better or worse speed wise for me either.

Offline Pat B

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2021, 12:53:40 pm »
I never understood the Penobscot bows but your execution of it sure is spot on, Airkah. Well done. Nice to see you back on PA with your bow.  :OK
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline airkah

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2021, 01:07:36 pm »
I never understood the Penobscot bows but your execution of it sure is spot on, Airkah. Well done. Nice to see you back on PA with your bow.  :OK

Thanks Pat, I never really stop reading and seeing what others are up to. I know I should post more, but really there are so many people here with more experience with me. I enjoy just reading and learning from you all.

Offline PaSteve

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2021, 01:38:28 pm »
I think you did an excellent job. Tiller looks great. Well done on all aspects.
"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline Stixnstones

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2021, 02:15:06 pm »
I agree. Thats the best bend I've ever seen on a penobscot
DevilsBeachSelfbows

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2021, 02:30:49 pm »
Very nice job!  Good to see you back!
Hawkdancer
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2021, 03:32:52 pm »
looks good congrats,, :)

Offline willie

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2021, 05:25:24 pm »
the hemp cord in the mini bow gives a nice look. thanks for posting again :)

Offline Parnell

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2021, 07:41:46 pm »
Very good looking work.  Yes, that f/d looks spot on.
1’—>1’

Offline rps3

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Re: 59 inch Red Elm Penobscot Bow
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2021, 11:55:23 pm »
Don't see that every day. Very special...thanks for posting.