Author Topic: Increasing draw weight.  (Read 3405 times)

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Offline Bignasty

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Increasing draw weight.
« on: August 22, 2013, 03:41:54 pm »
Ok so I posted a pic of my first bow awhile back and got good feed back on the tiller. Sadly though I didnt have a scale when I was tillering and since I haven't touched a bow befor now I just guessed at the weight when the tiller was good enough. Well I made it to the local bow shop yesterday to get the dissappointing news that I'm at 26#'s at 28"s and I'v been cussing ever since. Though I met my goal of building a bow that would shoot and not blow up in my face I was really hopeing to hunt with it in october. So my options are fix the hickory bow I have which I really want to do seeing as it was my first, or buy a samick from 3rivers and hunt with it and build another bow next year. I have already heated it once and shot it about 500x's

I'v looked into piking and from what I'v gathered about 3 inchs off each end would get me in the 55# range Its a 64" ntn bow so that didnt seem like itd be to short. Am I to ambitious to think I could pull nearly 30#'s out it?

I could back it with bamboo something else but that kind of takes away from the simple stick and sting I was hopeing for. But if thats my only option thats just what I'll have to go with.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2013, 03:59:45 pm »
Make another. Youll never get a hunting bow from what you have now.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline simson

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2013, 04:08:02 pm »
+1, what Pearlie said.
Experience comes with each bow you make!
Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline Roy

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2013, 04:24:06 pm »
+2

Offline Bignasty

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2013, 04:48:00 pm »
Can one of you give me alittle more explanation than that? I see that comment alot to just make another bow and that may be the case but I'd like to be sure that thats the only option befor I give up on it.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2013, 04:53:18 pm »
26 @ 28 can never be a healthy 45 plus @ 28" without cutting the bow way too short. Not to mention you've shot 500 or so arrows from it and have already compressed the wood. What I did when I first started was take those bows and set them aside. After I had a few I could shoot and trust I slowly went back through them and did whatever I felt like doing to them without caring about their life span. I learned a lot about how much weight snipping length off REALLY adds and I learned a lot about what tempering shot in bows REALLY does. If you truly have no use or care for the bow as is, cut 3" off each end and see what happens.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Don Case

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2013, 04:59:28 pm »
I'm newer than you and what I would do is take it down to the archery club and give it to a deserving kid. This will give you a warm, fuzzy feeling that will carry you through the next build. Mind you, I wasn't hoping to go hunting this fall :D
Don

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2013, 05:03:38 pm »
I assume there is someone who only made one self bow.  I don't know the fella.  If you made one you'll make another and another, so why put a lot of time into a bow that might not ever improve enough to be "That Bow".  Lot of ground to cover to pick up 20lbs or better. I agree with the others, start another and parlay what you learned from this one into the next one.  Too much fun not to!
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline Bignasty

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2013, 05:04:39 pm »
I care about it because its the first one I made but I'd like it to be more usefull. I'm leaning toward backing now since it seems cutting 6 inches total would cause it to bend an awful lot more. Maybe bamboo with some reflex glued in. Or I may just buy the samick. I just hate to give up on her so easy.

I plan to make alot more but currently the budget either allows for piking,backing, or new finished bow.
I cant afford to buy another stave and fail or im out for this bow season. 
« Last Edit: August 22, 2013, 05:08:11 pm by Bignasty »

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2013, 05:13:52 pm »
Don't know where you are, but I would say get another stave and see if you can work with an experienced guy that may be close to you.  Double the fun!
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2013, 05:14:10 pm »
You can buy 3 staves for the cost of the cheapest glass sandwich you can buy from Samsuck!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Roy

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2013, 05:20:43 pm »
If your bent on saving it and hunting with it, I would back it first before cutting it shorter. Induce some reflex in it when you glue on the backing. Best of luck.. You have pictures of it?

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2013, 05:23:38 pm »
Lots of great advice here. Another option would be to buy an osage blank from one of the reputable guys out there.  You can get that for less than the Samick, and with some local help, or posting on here as you go along, you could have one of those hunt ready in no time.  Dont give up! But dont waste time diddling with that first bow.  It can be tricky to "add weight", especially when you are still green.
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Bignasty

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2013, 05:31:44 pm »

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Increasing draw weight.
« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2013, 05:34:42 pm »
Perfect tiller. That means you know how, get after another and hurry it up man!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.