My Latest Bows

[Rich Saffold]

It is a bit of an illusion looking like the limbs outside the grip were bending more, and that the bow should have bad hand shock with this shape of limb. What is really happening is the tips/outer limbs really have to move the farthest like on any bow, but its amplified here with this limb shape. basically putting more energy from a longer bow limb by shortening it up a touch by first deflexing just outside the grip, and reflexing the tips..

If you sight down the limb when its being drawn it moves just like a straight bow limb, from the tips in. It just has more stored energy in this profile. It's similar to  some of the modern glass hybrids, but the concept is old. Classic examples are  the ancient Egyptian bows were crafted in this same manner. Jaroslav I think posted a few european models  as well..

The Degame bow is only 66", and with a 5" grip had limbs of a 61" bow so I amplified the curve closer to the tips which seems to work better on the shorter bows and on the longer bows I like the curve in the middle of the limbs..

Rich

[Rich Saffold]

Hillbilly, Degame is a bit lighter in density, but how it works is like the straightest ipe, and you can use it in pretty much any cut with similar results. I'm beginning to think the same thing about ipe except there's a 100 different subspecies so there's more variety. Lemonwood is about as consistent a wood as you can get which makes it wonderful for these bows.

but it's also very expensive, and  if my friend didn't have this for me..I wasn't making this bow out of Degame.

[Justin Snyder]

Rich, I love the tiller on these bows.  I reckon I got a piece of wood from that feller too and it was worth the begging.  He is a pretty good egg.  Justin

[Rich Saffold]

Thanks Justin, I appreciate it. I remember when I first made bows with profiles like this..Initially it was hard visually to accept them, even though the performance and sweetness of shot was obvious..

I can just Imagine what the comments would have been if I had posted this on the leatherwall 12 years ago..

I'm stoked I have one slender piece of this lemonwood left.  The bow from it will have to stay in the family

Rich

[mullet]

    Rich,your bows are always clean and graceful looking. I've got an old Stemmler,lemon wood bow that I'm going to reback and rebuild. And I'm starting the project I PM you about. Nice bows and what are you feeding that bow.

[OldBow]

Really neat bows. Both bookmarked under laminante bows for January BOM.
Your degame/bamboo bow should be regarded as an R?D bow, right?

[Rich Saffold]

Oldbow, I appreciate that! and yes, R/D is correct.

Thanks Eddie, I don't feed em much, thats for sure..Stemmler must be looking down with approval with all his old bows getting this attention. I think its great. Many 20? years ago, My friend/fellow bowyer had a Stemmler longbow that we backed with some bamboo, and it shot really fast . Was a big eye opener/epiphany sort of thing..

Rich

[Jbell]

Those are some beautiful bows Rich! My wife's grandpa used to make Lemonwood bows back in the 40's for the boyscouts. It is really cool to hear his stories about this awesome wood, he said he backed them with a fibre backing. He has asked me why I don't try Lemonwood but I have no idea if it is still available. Sure would love to make a Lemonwood bow for him before he is gone.

[Rich Saffold]

Jbell, It would be great if someone could "defect" to Cuba, and smuggle out some wood. Gilmore Woods has some, but it was close to 200.00 for a board.   Perhaps if I had the demand, and saw the wood in person would I consider it. I'd be careful shopping for this wood with the growing demand for these old bows. I'd like to find some old lemonwood bows and refurbish them.  I did one last year, and it was rewarding.

Fortisan was the backing on the bow I re-worked. Glad you like the bows. I have a few more pics. which I will get the kid (webmaster ) to pull from my website of the lemonwood one and  post  . I shipped it off a few weeks ago.

Rich

[Justin Snyder]

Rich, I thought I read this somewhere before but now I cant find it.  How did you bend the Ipe.  I have tried and I just cant seem to get exotic tropicals to take a bend. Justin

[tom sawyer]

We can only hope Fidel kicks the bucket soon and his brother takes a more conciliatory track with the US.

Great bows, I like the flat limb full-draw.  That gives you more nearly even stress over the whole limb.  You can tiller a R/D bow to bend in a more nearly circular fashion, but of course you are putting more stress on the outer limbs at that point.

Hope your 80-yr-old friend shoots taht bow for many years to come.  I have a 90-yr-old uncle that still plays the harmonica, and mows his own grass.  I don't think he could pull a 40lb bow though.

[Rich Saffold]

Thanks Lennie! Another interesting bit of data the folks at PA might be interested in. Probably 90% of the inquiries on my little classified ad in the Magazine are 75 or older..There's little groups of them all over this country retired and making bows, and buying a little bit of wood when the monthly check comes in. These folks don't use  computers, and don't seem to have any desire..It's inspiring, and I end up hearing some wild stories in the regional accent.


They must have cloned Fidel, he has been living way to long. My 7th grade Spanish teacher escaped Cuba in a 13' boat..She had some incredible stories.. I'm not for invading countries, but Cuba would be an exception..Cheap cigars, wild women, great booze, unlimited Degame

Rich-

[Coo-wah-chobee]

...... Never mind the booze, cigars an women GET TA the Degame !!!!!!! .......bob(Lemonwood and Cypress freak)

[Rich Saffold]

A couple more pics.

[mullet]

   We need some of the refugees to start building their rafts out of lemonwood instead of 57 chevy's. I mean't to type," what are you feeding that boy", not bow. When I start trying to bend that Ipe, I'm going to take pictures of the process in case it works.