Rune bow---full draw

[radius]

ok thanks marc i'll try it...btw just splitting out the billets now...

[radius]

here it is, a little further along...i hung this weight off the end and used a heat gun to scorch the belly.



Thing came out straight.  I did this right before bed, so then i just left it overnight...see how much springback i get tomorrow...

[radius]

100% springback, looks like...

the limb kinks out from a big knot...i heated the section below the knot until the wood bend straight...but this morning as soon as i lifted the weight off, it just resumed its normal shape...

[GregB]

Radius,
Something I've done before with osage that works when you don't have a form or heat gun and the such...

Suspend your bow above a stove burner on high about 12" or so and supported with books or whatever. Have the belly facing down toward the burner and I'd probably coat the belly surface and maybe some on the sides with cooking oil. Have the section of the bow where you want the bending to take place above the burner and heat until it's good and hot (judgement call...little trail and error). Have a leather pad on your knee and wear a pair of leather gloves. You might want a crescent wrench with leather in the claws to place to one side biting against the limb thickness to use to rotate the limb and remove propellor. Rotate the limb past where you want the final limb to be. You'll have to rotate and hold this position until the wood has cooled enough to retain the change. I have done this with osage in the past and added reflex by bending the bow across my knee and removed propellor at the same time by rotating the wood at the same time. Usually did this only by hand without the use of a wrench...only mentioned the wrench in case you needed more leverage. I'd have the wood thinned down to a floor tiller stage when doing this.

We now do this process with a heatgun and form...clamping where needed for reflex, or toward one edge or the other to rotate the limb and remove propellor.

[radius]

thanks greg...

the twist actually must have been relieved somewhat...i flattened the belly and torqued the sucker the other day...once i'm done my holmegaard i'll put the run on this one!  I mean, the rune...

[radius]

well either through tillering or treating, somehow this bow doesn't torque like it did before...got it pulling 40# (target weight) at 16" now, from a 4" brace height.  It wants to be a bendy handle bow, which is new to me, so here we go!

Yeah, it still has a wicked dogleg, but i just put it on the arrow side and this should have minimal archer's paradox...i hope...

[radius]

Put in some more work since finishing up the new holmegaard. 

Turned this one into a flat-bellied bow.  At the upper limb tip (6" from the end or so) a knot came out.  I think it's cool.



Here's first brace, after pulling the bow to 16" @40# with the long string (defined like adb defines it:  a long string reaches nock to nock without bracing or drooping).  Tiller's not too bad.



Here's something i tried to compare the string angle.  I thought if the handle were parallel to the string, and the butt held up to the belly side of the tip, you could accurately compare the angle on both limbs.



the upper limb



the lower limb



40# @ 16"



This bow wants to bend through the handle...that's new to me...we'll see how that goes!  All the tillering for a while here is gonna take place at the handle.

[radius]

looks like it has a slight positive tiller through the upper limb...which you can make out by the grain snarl about 6" from the tip...where the hole is.

[radius]

this bow turned out really good...i couldn't break it in to pull 40# at 27" like i planned...so the archer will just have to build his strength up by using it!

[OldBow]

Nicely done and bookmarked under August Self Bows for BOM fun

[radius]

thanks...see ya at the polls!

[Josh]

Another nice one Scott!! But where is the full draw picture      I wish I had enough time to turn out 4 bows a month!!!!!        Or is it skill?

[radius]

Josh,

thanks for your kind words.  As for time...i have just been devoting my evenings and weekends to bowyering, since my social schedule was freed up drastically...

and i just love making bows...

[radius]

here's the full draw...got some stiff spots, but it's lined with knots all down the center...

[orcbow]

Very nice curve on that! That rune is a very apt choice, I believe one of its meanings is "Yew bow"