pyramid bow length

[Twokag]

I am starting on two bows.  Basic red oak pyramid.  One is for my wife - 5' 10", and one is for my daughter 5'6".  I have viewed several pages on how to make them, and last spring I made a 68" for my older daughter that turned out well.

I want to make the bows as bullet proof as I can. 

Generally what draw weight should I shoot for?

I am planning to keep them about 2-1/2" at the fades and 3/8 tip. 

If I keep them longer will the set less and be more stable?  I am starting with 72" boards.  I am correct that longer bows have less perceived draw weight?  What are the risks in keeping them longer, close to the 70-72" range?  I realize I give up some speed on a longer bow.

I am looking for an easy bow to shoot that will set minimally, and last a long time.  No hunting, no competition, just fun in the yard.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[adb]

All else being equal, longer bows are easier to shoot and more accurate than short bows. With the reduced string angle at full draw, they're also smoother.

That being said, a great length for an adult pyramid bow is 66-68", with a 7-8" non-bending handle. It's easy to tiller with lots of working limb.

Draw weight is subjective, but for target shooting, 35-45# is plenty. You should be able to comfortably shoot a target bow all day. Don't over-bow yourself.

Set is a function of tillering skill and material. One design will not prevent or eliminate more or less set. A well made ELB should have no more or less set than a pyramid flatbow.

[Twokag]

one other question not really related to length, but I did not want to start another thread.  I have files and rasps, and sand paper.  What trouble will I find sanding to shape vs scraping to shape?  Assuming gong slow and care is taken with sanding using blocks, small electric palm sander, etc. I trust myself much more with paper compared to sharp blades.

[Wooden Spring]

I build pyramid bows according to the drawing below...   I've been using quarter sawn red oak and back them with 1/8" hickory - they make GREAT bows that lots of people borrow, drop, overdraw, and basically do everything you're not supposed to do to one, and I have yet to have one break. If they can survive my sloppy tillering, then there's not much that Joe Blow public can do to them!

I've been getting about one to two inches of set in these on average.

When I glue them together over a mold that produces 2" of reflex, usually they'll keep about an inch of reflex. These are fast shooters, especially when made out of hickory and jatoba! I recently made 2 Hickory backed jatoba bows, each of 1 3/8" at the fades - one came out 45#, and the other at 50# at 28" and they're both really great bows.

[adb]

one other question not really related to length, but I did not want to start another thread.  I have files and rasps, and sand paper.  What trouble will I find sanding to shape vs scraping to shape?  Assuming gong slow and care is taken with sanding using blocks, small electric palm sander, etc. I trust myself much more with paper compared to sharp blades.

It'll take you a month of Sundays to tiller out a bow with sandpaper! You don't sand or scrape a bow to 'shape', you tiller it to bend to a desired shape with hand tools, including: rasps, scrapers, and sandpaper.

[Twokag]

you are correct, I used the wrong terms.  I would 'shape it' with a band-saw and a belt sander, then I would use the sand paper blocks and such to tiller.  I wasn't sure if there was something about scraping that gave a different characteristic to the wood/grain compared to sanding.

[Sidmand]

a good scraper will almost remove the need to sand the belly, and you can get a better overall feel for the work IMO.  Maybe I didn't say that right, but with a scraper, you can get a long pull or scrape all the way down the limb, and you can count the scrapes per limb, so that you are doing the same work on each side of the bow.  helps with limb timing and such to do the same amount of work on each side of the bow (wood allowing this of course, some stave bows will require more work on one limb or the other).

[Don Case]

a good scraper will almost remove the need to sand the belly, and you can get a better overall feel for the work IMO.  Maybe I didn't say that right, but with a scraper, you can get a long pull or scrape all the way down the limb, and you can count the scrapes per limb, so that you are doing the same work on each side of the bow.  helps with limb timing and such to do the same amount of work on each side of the bow (wood allowing this of course, some stave bows will require more work on one limb or the other).

What he said +1

[adb]

you are correct, I used the wrong terms.  I would 'shape it' with a band-saw and a belt sander, then I would use the sand paper blocks and such to tiller.  I wasn't sure if there was something about scraping that gave a different characteristic to the wood/grain compared to sanding.

Like I said... it will take you FOREVER to tiller out a bow with just sandpaper. You'll likely get frustrated and give up. A good sharp scraper and a fine rasp will not remove too much wood too fast.

[Twokag]

I'll check into them.  thanks

[Onebowonder]

In my opinion, ...the perfect compromise between a sander and a RASP is a Shinto Rasp.  It has a smoother side and a more coarse side.  Neither is too aggressive.

OneBow