Bow making contest ( drawlength changed. Make it to your own draw length )

[sleek]

I used to have fun on another site doing certain contest. Last one I did was who could make the longest draw per bow length. The reward was a Damascus knife. I think I would like to host another one of these.

I cant decide on a category but have a few in mind. Yall pick. One with most votes gets to be the one done. Prize is a hand made by a friend of mine damascus knife.

Should we do a one tool contest, start to finish with only one tool not including cutting the tree only. Nicest best crafted bow as voted on here by participants wins.

A design contest, shortes bow pulled the furthest at say, 40 pounds as a self bow? Length draw length ratio is compared for hard results.  Closest to a 1:1 ratio wins materials dont mater so long as its one piece of wood.

Perhaps maybe a bow made from the most unlikely piece of wood, with again parameters like 40@28,  voted on by participants once again. Wood being a bug hole stave or pine board or a stave nobody would consider maybe a piece of red oak cut moulding.... Something ridiculous.

Yall vote and ask questions anx we can do this. Maybe save the others for next time if there is enough interest. The point being to think outside the box and push limits. Oh, and have fun

[PlanB]

Sleek, the third, unlikely piece of wood contest appeals to me most.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I like the idea of te most unlikely piece of wood too. I think it would be fun.

Kyle

[tattoo dave]

I would also vote for the most unlikely piece of wood. I always love seeing those crazy character bows.

Tattoo Dave

[osage outlaw]

Ryoon would be a favorite to win the most unlikely piece of wood contest.  2 of his bows come to mind, the poplar bow and that crazy mess of a bow he made a few years back that had the two different length limbs.

[huisme]

I've been pulling models about three inches past their 2-1 length-draw ratio on the regular so that's the one I'd feel most compelled to try. In that category do we count limb length or is a static grip just a good way to lose to the bendy bows?

[lebhuntfish]

I'm up for a wild stave or even a "that's not good bow wood" stave build!  YYou know I got both of those sleek!

Patrick

[Dakota Kid]

I like idea 3. I've been wondering about sumac and arbor vitae lately.

If I may present another potential option. Those "frankenbows" I've seen posted on occasion where two billets of different species come together in an unholy union always looked like an interesting build to me.   

[dylanholderman]

i like the character bow contest idea and the draw length vs bow length sounds fun too

[sleek]

I've been pulling models about three inches past their 2-1 length-draw ratio on the regular so that's the one I'd feel most compelled to try. In that category do we count limb length or is a static grip just a good way to lose to the bendy bows?

Its total length from tip to tip. Perhaps a two catagory on that one would be best, bendy and stiff handle category?

[sleek]

Ryoon would be a favorite to win the most unlikely piece of wood contest.  2 of his bows come to mind, the poplar bow and that crazy mess of a bow he made a few years back that had the two different length limbs.

Funny you mention him. He won the last one i did. He has this hickory bow he pulled back a ridiculous distance.

[sleek]

I like idea 3. I've been wondering about sumac and arbor vitae lately.
 

Franken bows are neat for certain and i have made a few. But I dont know about how a contest would be judged on merit?
If I may present another potential option. Those "frankenbows" I've seen posted on occasion where two billets of different species come together in an unholy union always looked like an interesting build to me.

[Dakota Kid]

Unless there's a measuring stick like the extreme bend example, we could just hold an open voting thread by non-participants after the build deadline. I figured that's how #3 would have to be judged.

PS Sleek, I should have some pics of that abnormally colored hazel for you tomorrow. I split 2 of um so far with the most promising yet to come. The first two had a real nice rusty color in the middle. Can't wait to see the last, but it got too late to split staves in the house before I could get to it. That original stave you liked may be up for grabs anyway. I went with the rock elm for my trade bow.   

[Del the cat]

Hmmm... What is the length of a bow?   
I think you need to measure along the belly from nock to nock.
Otherwise you could make a bow 3' long with 12" levers sticking out at 90 degrees so that, unbraced it's still 3' overall, but the levers come round as it's drawn and give a loooooooong draw.
You can tell I've been thinking about this
Del

[huisme]

I'm definitely with you on the levers, I recently made a 50" molle with ten inch levers for a friend who pulls 35#@26" and if you don't count levers that's an engineering marvel- but when I'm laying out the bow I measure the length of limb I need and add the length of whatever stiff grip I'll make which leaves bendy grips shorter than stiff grips by nature.

Considering that Mollie I've also been building a 52" recurve for 30#@26", a new low weight bow for myself, but while it has the two inches in overall length over the Mollie it also has a seven inch stiff grip so it has a more extreme working limb to draw ratio than the molle but a lesser overall length to draw.