OK, so am I messing things up?

[stuckinthemud]

Hi All,

I want to fit antler bow-nocks, probably using a side-nock (although I am open to persuasion about a pin-nock), have I done it properly?



The picture shows the end of the limb carved to receive the antler cap. The groove at the end is the remains of the string groove I cut for the long string and will be filled with epoxy when I glue on the cap - assuming I have done things properly.....?

Also,
I have left the limb edges square and sharp - should I soften them or even radius them?

Thanks,

Stuck

[WillS]

Looks very nice, but you don't need a shoulder for the horn.  You usually just rasp the end into a cone and glue the horn on, then reduce the horn until it blends into the bow.  Otherwise you've got excess weight sitting there that you don't need.

The horn itself looks great! I've never tried antler, as that spongey bit in the middle worries me!

[Del the cat]

Yeah, take the corners off.
This may help.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/horn-nock-instructional-part-1.html
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/horn-nock-instructional-part2.html
Del

[bradsmith2010]

yes I think take off the corners and blend the horn to the wood,,

[PatM]

 You need to round the outer portion of the limb so that the two profiles mesh smoothly with no steps.
 Take a look at this thread. http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/26406/swiss-quot-chiemgauer-quot-bow

[Jodocus]

I would cut side nocks only if you want to move the "point of string contact" outwards to one side. If the stringline is right through your tip, I'd cut a traditional (front)nock. I would not do a pin nock with this setup at all, even though it might work, it will be quite bulky.
Just what I'd do, though.

[WillS]

Depends what kind of bow hes making though. If it's a longbow, the traditional nock style would be a side nock.  Full nocks were only used much later.

The idea of an antler side nock is about as traditional as you can get, for a European longbow.

[stuckinthemud]

Thanks for the comments,  I am making a pyramid/flat bow rather than an ELB, but the string-line is through the centre of the handle, so wouldn't pushing the string-line sideways be a good idea as I intend using a floppy arrow rest?

As far as the spongy bit in the antler is concerned, you have to cut it out as it is very soft (not difficult with a chisel edge sharpened onto a screwdriver), but the antler surface is very hard and so dense that it sinks in water; the tip if the antler-tine is solid for a length of about an inch.

[WillS]

Thanks for the tips on the antler - some friends of mine said the same thing last night when I asked about it.  Can't wait to try it now!

Side nocks only shift the string line a fraction, and it shifts it diagonally, so that at the middle of the bow it's dead centre anyway.  You have to carefully sight down the limb to see it at all, so it won't have a negative impact on your tracking unless you deliberately cut one side deeper to ease it over. 

[PatM]

The core of antler also varies depending on the animal and presumably the mineral availability.
 I have several antler tips that vary between a spongy porous core to others that appear almost exterior dense in the core.

[stuckinthemud]

The core of antler also varies depending on the animal and presumably the mineral availability.
 I have several antler tips that vary between a spongy porous core to others that appear almost exterior dense in the core.

Good to know as I have only limited experience with fallow-antler

[WillS]

According to Mikke, the larger the antler the more porous and less useful.  Small and dense is better, and ideally you want no grey or dark shadows inside the core, as that might be rot.

And apparently side nocks are better suited to antler, as the string groove is cut into the wood of the bow tip, as compared to resting entirely on the strength of the antler itself.