My first modified Holmegaard

[wannabe]

After reading TBB 4 and taking notes on Gardner's article on "The Mass Principle" combined with Baker's article "Design and Performance Revisited" I thought I'd put my inexpert hand at an attempt to making a modified Holmegaard design out of an ash stave I received as a gift.

I haven't made very many bows. So I began prepared for disappointment.


But, even though it looks a bit clunky and needs some adjustments and finishing touches, it ended up being a pretty good shooter.


I've got more photos and descriptions on my blog.

http://theabrahamsons.blogspot.com/2009/09/holmegaard-replica-working.html

Comments, encouragement, suggestions, and criticism welcome.

Thanks for all your advice through the past couple years.

[radius]

i like the shape of the lever on the lower limb alot.  The tiller is uneven, but if you say it shoots good, then that's the main thing, right!

Holmegaards rock.

[wannabe]

Yes, right on all three counts. The upper limb has a knot right before I tapered it for the outer limbs. I don't have enough experience to know how much I could remove safely. So I just played it safe and left it a bit stiff. The whole thing is 67" and pulls 50# at 25", 60#+ at 28".

The small snake in the grain on the bottom limb had me a bit worried that it would be too weak. But it seems to work fine.

It isn't the prettiest bow I've made. But it's the fastest so far.

[TBod]

 Temper the week area in the lower limb and flip the bow. Thats what I would do.

I´m reading that chapter in TBB4 now. Very good stuff!

[Little John]

I hope you are having fun, and nice job on your bow. Holmies are the only design I like to make, none of the othere make sense. Make the outer limbs thick enough not to bend but as thin as you can get them and not bend to save on the outer limb mass. I have made a couple of good ones but have a special piece of osage to try for the ultimate holmie.   Kenneth

[radius]

LJ, you ONLY make holmegaards?  wow, can i see some?

[George Tsoukalas]

Very ice work! jawge

[zeNBowyer]

I  would  be  interested in seeing fps with  your  arrow setup  on  this design  of  bow

[wannabe]

Thanks gang, you are great and encouraging.

ZeNBowyer, I would like to see the fps too, but nobody in my area has a chrono. A couple of my congregation members is are police officers who have radar in their cars, but I don't think checking an arrow speed would qualify under "official use" policy. 

So how about a way to get fps with a stopwatch and distance. Does anyone have a formula that would include a drag estimate on the arrow? Or is this just too complex? Could raw distance be a measure with a shot parallel to the ground?

Little John, I believe that the outer limbs of my bow are much more massive than they need to be, especially the upper limb with the knot. After deer season I'll try trimming it down. I've got buck fever and would like to put some food on the table with a bow made by my own hands before I start experimenting. I know it works now. It might not work after playing with the design.

TBod, Tempering is tempting, but only after I have done my best this deer season. Good idea.

George, thanks for the "ice" words,    and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your website. Thanks for your work on the website.

[Canoe]

Howdy Joe A.,

I recently posted this info on Radius' 'Holmeegaard Challenge' thread.  It should work, but if you have any questions on how to use it PM me.


Arrow Speed Without a Chronograph;

http://www.texasoutdoorsman.com/Staff-Articles/VaughnRader/arrow_speed.htm

Nice job on that Holmy, I have a stave ready and waiting for me to work up the nerve to give a Holmy a try.  Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for sharing.

All the Best,
Canoe

[OldBow]

What wood did you use?

[OldBow]

Bow of the Month voting starts tomorrow.

[wannabe]

OldBow,
The stave was from a couple of Ash logs some friends dropped off for me as a gift. I got 6 workable staves out of one log. And because of the twisted and knotty nature of the other, I got about a dozen barbecues out of the other log.

Canoe,
Thank you for the link. I think I understand how to use it. I don't have a sight on the bow, so using my 20yd pin is out. But I'll do both sets sighting as I would at 20yds. and report back.

[medicinewheel]

I checked out your blog; really like the front profile of the lower limb!
I think I would flip it, too, but hard to tell from a picture.

[Dano]

That knot on the upper limb doesn't look big enough to worry about or leave that limb that stiff there. You have plenty of wood around it to carry the stress. JMO