« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Stick bow  (Read 3576 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Stick bow
« on: April 19, 2017, 06:04:10 pm »
I want to make a bow like I made when I was a kid but with a bit of my new-found knowledge. I have a 1" diameter OS stick 67" long. It has 3-4" of deflex or reflex. Depends on which way you hold the bow. If the bow is going to be bend in the handle with a round cross section would it even be possible to brace a reflexed bow like this? I can glue a block on the handle to stop it from flipping while I'm tillering but what about day to day use? Do I have to steam it straight first?
Logged

Offline loon

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,307
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2017, 06:59:23 pm »
Code: [Select]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibX_0LgbTEwYeah, I bet it's possible.

I also want to make oceanspray (holodiscus discolor) straight bendy and static bendy bows at some point in the future, I'll have to find oceanspray somewhere... ...
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 07:05:58 pm by loon »
Logged

Offline Dances with squirrels

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,222
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2017, 07:05:26 pm »
I had the same thought yesterday, DC. I was hunting mushrooms and kept seeing small diameter elm trees and thought, I bet I could make a bow out of that. Maybe I'll bring one home next time. Yesterday I grabbed an osage walking stick instead.
Logged
Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline penderbender

  • Member
  • Posts: 733
  • island life...
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2017, 08:37:23 pm »
Step outside and grab a straighter stick to start with haha. I bet you could. It'll be a pain to brace for sure. I made one similar to what you talking about out of salmon berry. It had about 2 1/2 " of reflex to start. It kept about a 1/2" of it. It really wanted to flip at first, but it got over it. Haha cheers- Brendan
Logged

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2017, 11:22:51 pm »
I'm steaming some reflex out of the worst end and I've glued a block to the handle.
Logged

Offline shofu

  • Member
  • Posts: 91
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2017, 02:09:05 am »
So you are going to use the reflex side as the back and take a bit out?
g
Logged
Cheers,
George

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2017, 11:32:29 am »
Yup. I didn't get quite as much of the reflex out as I hoped but i'll work it from here and see what happens. Sorry for the blurry picture. I'm a little shakey this morning. I might try to take more reflex out of the left limb.
Logged

Offline diliviu

  • Member
  • Posts: 81
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2017, 12:23:34 pm »
I had the same problem with my last bow, made from a wild plum sapling. It had about the same reflex and length, but compared to your stave a tad more of the reflex located in the handle. I made it reflex and couldn't brace it until I straightened it.

I ended up with a quite straight bow (about 3/4 inch of reflex), easy to put the string on and still pleasant to shoot with.

I tillered it so that the handle area, which is almost round (just a bit of wood removed from the belly in the handle area), bend less than the rest of the bow (the bend in the handle area is hardly visible).
Logged

Offline wizardgoat

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,397
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2017, 01:03:09 pm »
Don, just try to get a near perfect floor tiller, with a near perfect thickness taper, and get it braced as early as possible.  :D
Logged

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2017, 04:35:06 pm »
I was toying with the idea of seeing just how much draw weight I could get out of this stick. Unfortunately I'm sure I wouldn't be able to brace it much alone pull it. Maybe I should make this one a manageable weight. I've got another stave very similar to go for weight. This will be my first bendy handle so maybe a little caution is in order. 
Logged

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2017, 07:32:03 pm »
I was playing with floor tillering. I couldn't move it :-[ :-[. I put a long string on it and put it on the tiller. The string tightened at 10", it was 40# at 11" and 50# at 12". 10# per inch. If it was to hold together,which I doubt, that would be 200# at 28 or so. I know I'm dreaming but it does show how stiff OS is. All this from a stick that is max 1" dia. at the handle.
I'm steaming some more reflex out now.
Logged

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2017, 05:06:39 pm »
So much for that >:(. I steamed it to take out more reflex yesterday. Everything was fine. I looked at it today and the limb that I steamed has a split two feet long down the back. So here is another case of OS doing the unexpected. It has been drying for over a year and I only moved the tip an inch or so. Strange stuff. I'll stand it in the corner for a while to see what it does.
Logged

Offline koan

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,393
  • Brian D. Mo.
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2017, 05:50:47 pm »
Quote from: wizardgoat on April 20, 2017, 01:03:09 pm
Don, just try to get a near perfect floor tiller, with a near perfect thickness taper, and get it braced as early as possible.  :D

Yup...what Goat said...if ya by-pass long string with more floor tiller then your bow tryin to flip on ya just aint an option 👍.... Brian
Logged
When you complement a lady on her dress.....make sure she is the one wearing it.....

Offline koan

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,393
  • Brian D. Mo.
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2017, 05:54:07 pm »
Bummer dude!.. Time to grab another stave 😉..., Brian
Logged
When you complement a lady on her dress.....make sure she is the one wearing it.....

Offline FilipT

  • Member
  • Posts: 821
Re: Stick bow
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2017, 04:44:28 am »
Why the hell this small piece of wood has so much strength?
Logged
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »