Let the games begin. Bow Trade!

[JW_Halverson]

Sounds like Grunt used the free shipping tubes courtesy of his local carpet store.  Marines know how to scrounge, but he'd probably refer to it as "adaptive field tactics".

[Grunt]

Yeh, I went to Lowe's and scrounged a carpet tube, borrowed a handsaw from a salesperson and cut the tube in two. I had two mailing tubes.
Sadie, I took four 3 1/2 dia saplings down last fall and split them within hours. Drawknifed the bark off and coated all with shellac. After two weeks outside under cover and then inside for a couple of weeks I laid out a bow and band sawed the shape. Got them floor tillered and set them by for a couple of more weeks. I steamed the staves and clamped them up Perry style. After drying a while I got them on the tree and got a short string on them. I then decided to flip the tips with dry heat. Got the heat gun out and clamped the tips in a form and slowly recurved the tips. Black locust saplings reacted real nice to dry heat so I decided to strengthen the compression factor by toasting the bow's belly. It worked!!  Then it was just a matter to tiller the bows out toast the belly's a bit more and wrap a handle.

[Elktracker]

Grunt the sap wood was left on im guessing? I have some saplings and bigger logs and was not looking forward to chaseing a ring on any of it as the rings are fairly tight and I was under the assumption you had to take the sap wood off?.

Josh

[wildman]

Sailordad, I am going to send a check to cover shipping the bow back, I will fix it and keep it , if it cost more let me know and I will send the rest along with a new bow.

[Dvshunter]

Hit a snag with my trade bow! Saw some cracks and don't know what to do. I started a thread looking for help or some other ideas.

[osage outlaw]

I've got my bow to tiller stage.  I am hoping to get it braced by this evening.

[Grunt]

Grunt the sap wood was left on im guessing? I have some saplings and bigger logs and was not looking forward to chaseing a ring on any of it as the rings are fairly tight and I was under the assumption you had to take the sap wood off?.

Josh

Yep, did it the easy way. The diameter size [3 1/2"] and the damp soil where the sapling was grown yielded 5 nice fat rings. I just removed the bark and went to work. Mind you the four saplings I cut were second growth from one stump of a eight inch diameter tree I cut five years ago. A whole bunch easier than chasing a ring. One other thing, I kept the bottom limb towards the earth from which it grew and the top limb towards the sky that the sapling was reaching for.
Grunt

[Elktracker]

K thanks Grunt


Josh

[osage outlaw]

I got my trade bow to a 4" brace height today.  The left side is the lower limb.  I am trying to leave it a little stiffer than the top.  How does the tiller look?

[Almostpighunter]

That whole thing with the broken bow is one of my biggest fears about making bows for people who live outside my area. I guess its a control thing, but I need to launch about 100 arrows on my own, then put the bow in their hands and watch them shoot the thing a few rounds to make sure that we both know the bow is where it needs to be. This way we both also know that any issue that arises is more likely to be a maintenance issue versus a "manufacturing" issue. This bow trade is definitely taking me out of my comfort zone, which I think is a GOOD thing. Anyhow, my trade bow is going to be a design that I have been wanting to try for the longest time. Basically, if my mad scientist idea works, the end result will be a cool bow that also relieves my personal insecurity. And to my intended victim...er...recipient, you'll be glad to know I'm about halfway there.

[wildkatt]

  lol

[gstoneberg]

I got my trade bow to a 4" brace height today.  The left side is the lower limb.  I am trying to leave it a little stiffer than the top.  How does the tiller look?

Osage, that looks real good.  Is the bow sitting perfectly horizontal on the tillering stick?  If I rotate it a little counter clockwise to line the bow back up with the grid it makes the lower limb look a little weaker but not a big deal.  I think it's going to be a good bow.

George

[osage outlaw]

First of all, my picture is crooked.  Didn't notice it until I posted it last night.  The lower limb has just a bit of a natural hump or deflex right below the handle.  It is straight on the tillering board, but just looks crooked due to the shape of the stave.  You have a sharp eye. 

[gstoneberg]

Ah, sorry.  I should've known better than to assume the osage was straight.   Good work.

George

[osage outlaw]

I got it to 5 1/2" brace height.  I might just leave it at that.  I think the tiller looks good.  Now I just need to do shape the handle and sand it.