Author Topic: Stir Crazy Bow  (Read 7798 times)

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Offline gstoneberg

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Stir Crazy Bow
« on: February 05, 2011, 03:54:44 pm »
After being stuck inside by snow for a couple days, I couldn't stand it anymore yesterday.  Went out to the shop but didn't feel like working on one of the 2 bows in progress.  Laying on the floor was a split off a sister I took off so it wouldn't weigh as much when I sent it.  It was small at one end and teeny at the other with about 2" of deflex over its length.  I thought it'd be fun to try and make a bow out of it.  Looking at the teeny end it struck me that it looked like the lever of a molly, and so it became a short bend through the handle mollegabet.  I have it bending to 20" where it's about 50lbs now.  It has one knot that came loose and I drilled out and removed.  I was going to just see how far I could get it to draw before it broke, but now I'm liking it so much I thought I'd ask your opinion.  How far do think this one will draw?  Most of the bow is about an inch wide.  I can't decide whether to go ahead and sinew back it or continue thinning it and see if I can get enough draw length to hunt with unbacked, accepting the risk that it'll break around one of those knots...  Here are pictures.  George





« Last Edit: February 18, 2012, 07:09:15 am by gstoneberg »
St Paul, TX

Offline Pat B

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2011, 03:57:52 pm »
Cool George. I love these scrap pile bows. It don't take much osage to make a good bow!!!
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline 22arrows

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2011, 04:13:40 pm »
Nice ;D

Offline straightarrow

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2011, 04:19:43 pm »
George

How much working limb do you have there? I made a 51" Osage D bow that I could draw to 25"@55#. I had about 43" of working limbs... I didin't back the bow and I still shoot it today. I think the cross of the Molle and the D would make a pretty snappy bow.

Crazy weather your having down there.....Go Steelers!!!!

Jon
« Last Edit: February 05, 2011, 04:33:10 pm by straightarrow »

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2011, 05:40:29 pm »
Thanks guys.

Jon, there's just over 34" between the start of the 2 levers.  Each lever is about 9" long.  That was dictated by the narrow end of the split.  I have it drawing to 23" now right at 50#.

It has been crazy.  Last Saturday I was working in the shop and it was in the 70s.  Thursday when I started this bow it was 17 degrees in the shop, but right now it is 41.  Texas does have interesting weather.

I don't have a preferred team tomorrow.  I'm watching for the commercials. ;D

George
St Paul, TX

Offline aero86

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2011, 05:52:31 pm »
looks nice george!  shoot some of those cane arrows out of it!
profsaffel  "clogs like the devil" I always figured Lucifer to be more of a disco kind of guy.

Offline half eye

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2011, 06:18:31 pm »
George,
      Nice bend on that sir. Here's a couple of short "D" bows both of these went 26" of draw and both had the stiff tips as well. The stiff tips should give you a little more draw that you may believe.....anyway it looks like you have a good tillering technique going on so you should be able to get another couple inches anyway......JMO
rich

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2011, 06:20:18 pm »
looks nice george!  shoot some of those cane arrows out of it!

Hey, I haven't shot it yet...and that's a great idea.  Let me see if I can shoot it without breaking it, pictures to follow. ;)   And thanks for those arrows!

George
St Paul, TX

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2011, 07:14:59 pm »
Those are beauties Rich, mine is not in that league.  Seeing them again gives me hope, I confess I'm a little chicken to really pull on it, after blowing that last short one up.  I need to thin the limbs a little more.  It really stacks at the very end of the draw.

I did go shoot it aero.  At that short draw they're way too stiff but still fly pretty well.  The sun wasn't cooperative, but I did get a picture.  Thanks again for those arrows.  I see there's a traditional shoot in Denton in 2 weeks, want to run over there and shoot it together?

George

« Last Edit: February 18, 2012, 07:00:01 am by gstoneberg »
St Paul, TX

Offline aero86

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2011, 07:22:36 pm »
do you have any other pieces short like that george?  whats the dates of the shoot?
profsaffel  "clogs like the devil" I always figured Lucifer to be more of a disco kind of guy.

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2011, 07:34:22 pm »
I have one piece a little shorter than that in the shop.  But, I'm splitting wood now for a trade and that's normally when I end up with those belly splits.  I have lots of wood on the pile we can turn into a short one if that's what you'd like.  Come on over and pick something out.  The shoot dates are Feb 19-20.  I can only make the 19th.  Hey, there's one in Ft Worth on Feb 26-27 as well.

Well, I need to suck it up and go try and get a couple more inches of draw length out of that bow.

George
St Paul, TX

Offline aero86

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2011, 12:15:51 am »
i might take you up on the piece of wood.  ill be busy both of those weekends, dang it!  i wish i could go to one though, so i could help everyone out by being at the bottom! lol
profsaffel  "clogs like the devil" I always figured Lucifer to be more of a disco kind of guy.

Offline broketooth

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2011, 09:59:08 am »
cool lookin little bow. im still cuttin my teeth so tryin to make a short bow is tough. you have alot of talent george. im lookin foward to seein more of your work. ruddy

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2011, 11:14:44 pm »
The bow is not finished, but here it is at about 26" of draw where it is 55lbs .  I have a lot of finish work left to do, but I feel pretty good about it surviving to completion.  It was a good use of the super bowl halftime.  I'm embarrassed to say that I have the bow upside down in the picture (the bowyer's knot is a dead give-away)...duh.  I wanted to see how far I could get with it this weekend, but it needs heat bent to get the string in the handle.  Right now the string lies right down the edge of the bow.  I may shoot it some more and see if it does OK center shot like that.

George

« Last Edit: February 18, 2012, 07:01:18 am by gstoneberg »
St Paul, TX

Offline Pappy

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Re: Stir Crazy Bow
« Reply #14 on: February 07, 2011, 07:40:04 am »
Looking good,looks like a shooter to me. :) :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
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