A Hickory Bow

[Shaneisneato]

So this is my first bow. You guys have been a tremendous resource, I have to especially thank Danzn Bar for the stave. He met up with a while ago and gave me straight as could be Hickory stave. I split it careful as he suggested and have enough left over for a second bow. Bow is roughed out and starting to floor tiller.


You can see the extra I had left over above. The bow is 66 inches tall and 2 inches wide.


I had stick the end in my girlfriends boot to get it to stay sideways.


Close up. The end of the limbs are still a little thick.


Floor tillering. One end limb is a little stiffer than the other. Seeing a picture from this angle makes me realize how much the out half of the limbs aren't bending.

[wizardgoat]

so far so good. keep rasping mid limb and out. i like to do a strong floor tiller, so when i look down the limb at the
perfect angle i can see how the limb will look low braced

[Shaneisneato]

I'll starting working on the limbs again tomorrow with the rasp. I think I will also make the handle a little thinner too.

[lebhuntfish]

Looking pretty good to my eyes, I would agree with wizard goat about the floor tiller. Also your fades look a little sharp. You might carefully taper them into the working limb. Witch means you may have to angle them back into your handle some more. Hickory is tuff stuff and will give you a work out with the rasp! Keep us posted can't wait to see the results. Patrick

[wizardgoat]

It's a good idea to wait and see how things line up at low brace before you narrow your handle, or your tips. Do you have a tiller tree or stick?

[Jodocus]

If I were you, I'd rasp the inner limb a little thinner, but keep away from the innermost three inches. Easy on the midlimb, it is the weakest section right now. On the outer limbs, I would make them narrower instead of thinner and see if that does the job. Then brace it, and continue as usual.

[Shaneisneato]

lebhuntfish: The handle is tall enough that there should be enough room to blend the fades into the handle more. I may just do a little of that and hold off on narrowing the handle and tips until I get it on the tillering tree.

Wizardgoat and Jodocus: I think i'm just gonna rasp the limbs a little more and work on blending the fades a little more. I won't narrow anything until I get it up on the tillering tree. I was gonna try and build one today, got most of the stuff already.

[Danzn Bar]

Looking good so far..... that's a piece of pignut hickory, get it to brace as soon as you can and be careful not to let it hinge or it might fret on you.  66" is a good length.      I'd leave the ends/tips thick (last 6-8") and narrow them side to side , later on once you have the string in the middle of the handle. 
Good looking start and keep us posted...
DBar

[Shaneisneato]

Just now getting over being sick for the last week or so. Put the bow up on the tillering tree and pulled it with a long string.

[burchett.donald]

  Looking good...a couple scrapes right where those chains are pointing and you could probably low brace it.
                                                                                                                       Don

[George Tsoukalas]

Watch mid limb to nocks. Looks like that area needs to bend more. Jawge

[sweeney3]

Outer thirds need more bend.  Outer half maybe.  Good start though.

[Shaneisneato]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll focus on that outer half or so and see if I can get it up to a low brace. I got the string just need learn how to do a flemish twist. I feel like I am taking forever on this first bow. Don't know how some of you guys crank'em out as fast you do. 

[Danzn Bar]

Shane,
Looks like the right side is stronger than the left.  Hit that side with a few scrapes before you touch the left and see if it evens up some.  agree with the other guys mid limb out needs some work on both limbs.  Look,n good.  How wide is it?
DBar

[Shaneisneato]

Will do, I'll try and even it up. Its 2 inches wide.